reading journal

A reading journal should go far beyond listing books. When my children were little, I made a reading journal to help them track the books they read.

However, it was so much more than just a tracker.

They answered comprehension questions, put their thoughts down on paper, and tracked their reading. I’m so tickled to finally have prepared a reading journal for you.

I plan on adding more forms to it so you can build it much like you do my Free 7 Step Homeschool Planner.This free homeschool colorful reading journal is a great start to motivate your kids to read.

One of the best features is that the log pages on each reading journal are created to track reading time in 15 minute increments.

Life is busy and like me, you probably have some avid readers and some that are not so much.

Reading Journal

By tracking 15 minute increments instead of tracking chapters or complete books, it breaks the reading process down into bites.

Before I get into explaining more about my newest forms that I’m so giddy to share with you, I want to remind you about the smokin’ hot reading logs I have right now.

I created very detailed and specific reading logs that track by chapter and genre of the book. We really need specific forms as we plan.

Find them on STEP 5A Choose Unique Forms Just for YOU – 7 Step Homeschool Planner (Option 7 on that page).

When I created the detailed reading logs my mindset was to have them for planning purposes.

Homeschool Reading Journal to Motivate Kids

I’ve used them for years as I’ve planned and tracked. I have 7 options which match the weekly planning pages on that step. I have to have color options and I know you like them too.

Here is what I have on STEP 5A Choose Unique Forms Just for YOU – 7 Step Homeschool Planner which explains my process in how I created them.

Purpose of Form: To List and Track Reading of Each Child.

A short personal story here: When I started homeschooling I pored over a book written by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. It was about how to teach reading and it listed books by genre. As wonderful as it was in helping me to see I needed a balanced reading program, I learned that I didn’t need to know how to teach reading to 30 children only my 3.{quit stressing} So I put the book aside, but remembered the wonderful key they used to classify books by and have used it since I started homeschooling. I have incorporated that key, which is a code to the types of genre, in this form.

Even though the key is intended to be used up through 6th grade, I believe it has merit all the way through school. Do you know how to classify genre?

The bottom line is when reading we need many different types of forms to use in a child’s reading journal.

Create a Unique Reading Journal for YOUR Kid

Today, I have 4 more options on this newest reading log which serve a very different purpose.Look at these tips about how I created this reading journal.

• I created the pages with no goofy looking clip art. That’s right. Even you can use this as a way to track your reading time if you’re trying to increase it.
• I have three colorful color pages to choose from. Nothing baby-ish looking. Oh yes, you can use it for younger kids too because what is inside is what counts. Add coloring pages for younger readers. Too, I wanted a journal that could be used for older reluctant readers.
• As I mentioned, I love the pages so much because they track reading times by 15 minute increments.
• I have 3 colorful cover choices and 4 reading logs as choices to build your reading journal.

Reading Planner for Your Child

The beauty of creating your own reading journal for your kids is that you can create one for the year, for a semester, or just print a page for week.

Look at some of my tips on how to create one for your kids.

• Choose one of the covers I created OR have your child design his own cover if he wants to be artsy.
• Choose one or more of the reading logs. I have 3 colorful reading logs and one that is black and white if you don’t want to use too much ink.
• Print it for the year and be sure you print front and back to save paper; you don’t want a thick journal. If you print front and back, then you’ll have 26 pages as a starter journal. (26 weeks x 2 = 52 weeks)
• Print one in color to act as a divider for the beginning of the month and then print three in black and white if you need to conserve ink. I’m naughty and love color; our journal will be all in color.
• Coil bind it so it lays flat.
• Remind your students that each circle represents an hour and is divided into quarters. One quarter represents 15 minutes of reading time. I feel this is more encouraging to track reading time instead of pages and whole chapters.
• In addition, there is a box for each week if your child wants to jot down pages of words he likes or write s word or jot down a question. This is his guide, so allow him to use it in the way he likes. Yes, this means he should be able to doodle on it too.
• Mix the specific and detailed pages and the ones I have today which track by minutes to create a planner.
• Add plain notebook page or pastel color paper.

Reading and Writing Resources for Older Children

Furthermore, look at this post Put Together a Homeschooled High School Writer’s Notebook & Free Resources to add some other useful and handy pages for this reading journal.

A lot of reference pages used for a writing notebook are the same ones that are useful for a reading journal.

How to Download These Awesome Reading Journals

These Reading Journals are a subscriber freebie.

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You’ll also love these other tips:

• Get Your First Homeschooled Child Reading
• 24 Borderline Genius Ways To Relieve Language Arts Boredom
• 7 Budget-Friendly Language Arts Curriculum to Pair with Unit Studies (with printable)
• Transition a Child From Reading to Literature 
• 10 Tips When Teaching Grammar to Your Homeschooled Child

Hugs and love ya,