Reading Response Journals
What is a RRJ?
This year in reading, we will focus on many different aspects. However, the most
important is helping students read for meaning. Not simply decoding the words, or
comprehending the story, but rather making meaning from the text. Fluent adult readers
read to analyze, argue, interpret, correlate, and connect the written word, to their own
experience and understanding, not simply to see the word. This skill of fluency is our
main focus.
We will be reading various modes, and types of writings this year: poems, primary
source documents, short stories, essays, reflections, novels, classics, informational text,
etc... Throughout these readings, students will learn to become active readers through the
method of Reading Response Journals, or RRJ's. An RRJ is simply a response to a
section of reading. Students will learn to decipher between "caveman" thought (closed,
one-sided ideas) and scholarly thought (those which elicit some sort of response, openended ideas).
It is through these scholarly thoughts that students learn to make meaning out of what
they read. From here students engage in thoughtful argument and discussion around a
piece of writing. Students then use reading as a tool, rather than being help prisoner by a
book.
How to write a RRJ:
Caveman Thought (simplistic):
I liked it when …..
It was cool how ….
This was stupid /dumb ….
**Closed Responses**
Scholarly Thought:
I wonder ….
**Open Ended Responses**
I believe ….
Thought provoking
How did or does ….
Has argue-ability
I am curious about …
Has discussion ability
This may lead to ….
Why could or couldn’t this happen …
Ah-ha’s (Moments of clarity in the reading)
NOTE: The easiest way to ensure that your response is scholarly, is to utilize one of the
following 13 terms in your response:
Analyze
Compare
Contrast
Defend
Discount
Summarize
Symbolize
Evaluate
Respond
Relate
Infer
Interpret
Perspective
Reading Response Journals Must Include:
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
Chapter and page number where you stopped to make the thought or thoughts
(Ch 7, pg 110). It may be easier to read a few chapters and then stop to write your
scholarly thoughts.
Any quotes used or specific ideas – include a page #.
Thoughts must be in the form of scholarly thoughts ( ie. Thought provoking,
argue-ability, discussion ability)
Responses to the initial thought. This can be done during the reading of the book or once
you’ve finished.
Example:
Thought_________Ch 6, pg 123_______________Response_______________________
I wonder how the Chinese revolutionary
party came up with the four olds?
It appears that these four olds are
really ideals that kept the people
from being oppressed. By getting rid
of these ideas it was easier for the
Chinese Communist party to suppress
anti-revolutionaries and oppress the
general public at large.