Transactional Reading
Journal
Use this Strategy:
Before Reading
During Reading
After Reading
Targeted Reading Skills:
Condense or summarize ideas from one or more
texts
Compare/contrast information from one or more
texts
Make text-to-text, text-to-self, and/or text-toworld connections
What is it?
The name of this reading strategy is inspired by the work of Louise Rosenblatt
(1978), who explained reading as a transactional process that occurs between
the text and the reader. Rather than assume that meaning is fixed and located
within the text, Rosenblatt, a pioneer of reader response criticism, argued that
meaning is the result of the transaction that occurs between the reader and the
text. Jude Ellis has built on the concept of reading as a transactional process
by developing a flexible framework for engaging students in self-directed
journal writing.
What does it look like?
Although the focus of this strategy will often be narrative texts, the list
certainly can be altered for informational texts as well. At the beginning of a
major work, students are given a list of possibilities for journal entries that ask
them to interact with the text on a regular basis as they proceed with their
reading. The parameters and list provided below (Ellis, 2003) are simply meant
as “starting points;” the teacher or students can generate additions specific to a
text.
Transactional Reading Journal
Directions: The writing you will do for this text is of a more personal nature
than we have done on previous texts. You are to create ten well-crafted and
polished journal entries in response to this novel; each should be a minimum
of two typed double-spaced pages. The following is a list of possibilities or
suggestions, but by no means is it exhaustive; let your imaginations go wild!
The journal entries must cover the entire book; they should be spread evenly
in relation to the beginning, middle and end of the novel. They should also
reflect a variety of the choices listed below. A minimum of three should be
based on writer’s craft (the first bulleted item), but the remaining seven
choices are up to you.
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Fully examine and explain a particular piece of the writer’s craft; you
may want to consider any one of the following and explain how it
underscores one of the motifs or themes of the book: metaphor,
foreshadowing, symbolism, characterization, structure, hyperbole,
imagery, diction, voice, etc.
Create a piece of writing that describes and explains a personal reaction
to a character, place or event in the text.
Write a fictional letter to one or more of the characters or create a letter
written from one character in the novel to another that expresses some
unspoken feelings or thoughts.
React, respond and explicate a “five star quote” of your choice. A “five
star quote” is a quote that “jumps off the page” at you for any number
of reasons. It may be aphoristic, profound, humorous, universal, or any
reason you choose. For clarity, you must include the entire quote
somewhere in the entry.
Create an original piece of writing that is inspired by the novel; it may
be a poem, short story, short drama or section of dialogue,
advertisement, review, etc. (only one of this type of entry is allowed)
Choose a pivotal point in the novel’s plot and rewrite the outcome of a
particular event as well as the characters’ motivations, actions and
reactions. It is important to focus on one small section; keep it focused
and detailed. (As an addendum, you may want to provide an
explanation of how it would affect the novel’s direction and/or
outcome.)
Create a question that the novel has raised for you and then answer that
question in your journal entry. Create an essential question for the text
and write a justification and possible answer after completion of your
reading.
Create an original piece of art for one of your entries. Some
possibilities could include: a drawing, a painting, a sculpture, a dance, a
musical score/composition, a collage, etc. (only one of this type of
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entry is allowed)
Create a correspondence between one of the characters in this novel and
a character from one of the other pieces of literature that we read this
year.
Create a collection of artifacts (in a box) for one of the characters in the
book; attach a written rationale for your choice to each item. (The total
of the written rationales should be roughly equivalent to the two-page
minimum.)
Choose a minimum of four characters from the novel and find fitting
song lyrics for each one of them. Scan or type out the song lyrics and
annotate the lyrics for writer’s craft as well as an explanation as to why
you chose that particular song for the character. Burn a CD of the
songs and create a CD cover that illustrates a major motif or theme of
the text.
Create a “conversation across time” by having one of the characters in
the text dialogue with a fictional or nonfiction persona from another
time period/century.
Make a prediction early in the book. Revisit the prediction after
finishing the book. Compare and contrast your prediction with the
ending. To what extent was your prediction satisfied and why?
Create a short list of enduring understandings that emerge as you read.
Use evidence from the book to support your claims about he enduring
understandings you take away from the book. How will these
understandings shape decisions you will make in the future? How
should these understandings shape our society?
Create a new kind of journal entry, write a description of it, then
complete the entry. Your entry could become a model for future
entries.
How could I use, adapt or differentiate it?
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This strategy can be adapted for any grade level, and students can be
provided with the flexibility to develop their own journal prompts, which
they can also share with the class.