Louise Rosenblatt
• Literature as Exploration (1938)
• Reader’s engage with a text as a transaction.
• The reading of a text is an EVENT in which the
reader gives the text life.
• Each reader has an individual experience with
a text.
• Teachers should foster students’ trust in their
own interpretation.
Transactional Reading Journals
• Jude Ellis built upon Rosenblatt’s theory to
develop the Transactional Reading Journal.
• Encourages students to engage in an active
personally meaningful exchange with text.
• Their engagement with the text is captured in
their journals which can be shared with each
other and the teacher.
Possible Journal Entry Assignments
relating to Steal Away Home
• Write a letter to one of the characters in the story
in your own voice, asking them questions then
write their response to you.
• Write a short story describing an encounter
between two characters in the story, one from
the past and one from the present.
• Pick a meaningful passage from the book and
change the outcome, rewrite this part of the
story with detail.
• Write a story in which you find a secret room in
your home, what will you discover?
• Create a piece of writing that describes a personal
reaction to a character, place or event in the text.
• Make a prediction early in the book. Revisit this entry
and write another comparing and contrasting your
prediction to the actual ending.
• Write a journal entry in Dana’s voice, describe her
thoughts and feelings about what she has discovered.
• Write a journal entry in James’ voice expressing how he
feels about his mother’s choices as well as his father’s,
his feelings and thoughts regarding these.
• Choose a ‘five star quote’ from the novel describe its
significance to you and to the story.
• Draw two pictures one depicting Lawrence in
1856 and one depicting how you imagine it now.
• Write a short story describing one of Ms. Lizbet’s
journeys either in her voice or third person.
• Predict how you think Mr. Weaver will react when
he discovers that his home as been a safe house.
• Create a correspondence between a character in
this novel and a character from another piece of
literature we have read.
• Describe who you most admired in this book and
why. Create a medal of recognition you would
give them.
Works Cited
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Church, G. The Significance of Louis Rosenblatt on the Field of Teaching Literature.
Inquiry, 1(1) Spring 1997, 71-77.
Pressley, M., El-Dinary, P., Gaskins, I., Schuder, T., Bergman, J., Almasi, J., Brown, R.
Beyond Direct Explanation: Transactional Instruction of Reading Comprehension
Strategies. The Elementary School Journal, 92(5), May 1992, 513-555.
Probst, R. Transactional Theory in the Teaching of Literature. ERIC Clearinghouse on
Reading and Communication Skills. Retrieved from ERIC database. ED284274.
Reading Strategies retrieved from
http://www.brunswick.k12.me.us/bjh/reading_strategies/sample_reading_
strategies.htm
Ruby, Lois. Steal Away Home. Aladdin Paperbacks. 1994