Reading Passage and Repsonse Quesions for Middle School

A List Of Reading Response Questions That Work With Near Texts

past Terry Heick

Though I've been busy with TeachThought over the final decade or and so, my original 'trade' was teaching English (literature, writing, digital media, etc.)

I was recently going through an old binder of reading reflection prompts and forms, and found a reading log that I called a 'Self-Guided Reading Response Log' (whatsoever that means). It'southward a few years one-time, only I remember using information technology starting time as a way for students to get 'points' in a reading program we were doing at the time.

I thought it might exist useful to share the student-centered approach it takes, and its usefulness across content areas (depending on what you want them to analyze). It's primarily about the craft of writing and elements of fashion, merely one, 2, 3, five, six, vii, and several others would work later reading almost anything.

See also our TeachThought Curricula: 15 Reading Responses To Non-Fiction Texts

How I Used It

Anytime students read any text, they'd take this form and select a certain number of prompts to respond to. If they had trouble selecting the prompts that were most appropriate to their text, I'd assign them past only circling the ones I wanted them to focus on.

Ideally, though, they'd eventually learn to choose the ones that made sense to their brain based on their reading of their volume. In fact, if they couldn't do and so, that was 'information' and helped me see where they were as readers.

And that was the bespeak. I didn't desire to schoolhouse upwards' everything unmarried thing they read, merely I did desire to help them understand the relationship between reading and writing–betwixt arts and crafts and purpose. I wanted them to think, on their own, I read this, and I picked these questions to use to guide my writing.

And eventually guide their reading, too.

By January, they had information technology downwardly and would just hand me their responses labeled appropriately. Mr. Heick, I left a reading response on your desk somewhere.I used it that year with 8th-graders and it worked well one time they got used to each prompt, what they meant, and what 'exemplar' models of each looked like.

This was important–they needed to encounter what a 'quality' response looked like. I modeled a few using think-alouds, shared a few of the ameliorate examples from students, etc. I was also sure to include some quality responses that weren't necessarily from the wordsmiths in the classroom and was sure to include those that used diagrams, concept maps, and drawings as well. Once these questions were demystified a bit, information technology was all downhill.

I'd score the response, as with all writing, out of iv in half-point increments. I used a universal rubric to score–1 point each for textual prove, clarity, creativity, and overall quality. Easy to grade, and like shooting fish in a barrel to differentiate for all reading levels, text forms, etc.

Today, this would probably make more sense as a Google Class (1 of the many ways to utilise Google Forms in the classroom). No forms to brand copies of, null to lose, elementary to document, so if you're feeling industrious, let us know in the comments that you've done and then so we can utilise it too. I included a slightly modified version of the questions below.

In summary, these reading response questions are universal, academic, standards-based, differentiation-friendly, and allow for some degree of student pick.

ane. Why did you decide to read this material?

2. Compare and contrast this text or media with related text/media.

Exist specific–what text or media, what are the similarities and dissimilarities, etc.

iii. What did the author'southward purpose seem to be?

What seemed to be the Writer's Purpose in creating this text? Why practice you recollect they might've written information technology? What were they hoping this text would achieve? Why do yous think so?

4. What can you say about the theme?

What was the theme? What were some of the theme topics (love lost, overcoming adversity, borough responsibleness, etc.)? What is the author'due south overall bulletin to their audience? Is there a sentence y'all can choose from the text that captures that? What supporting details allow you lot to make this inference?

v. What is the writer's position on any relevant theme or outcome?

As a result of this reading, what tin can you infer is the author'south position on any relevant theme or effect? This will oftentimes be a social event–poverty, love, state of war, courage, race, etc. As with near any reading or writing, this is differentiation-friendly and can help students develop adept reading skills–which, in function, involves thinking like an author instead of like a 'student.'

If y'all have a student who reads four form levels above their current course and is highly motivated, they can infer what the author is implying or bold about–well, almost anything. What does East.B. White seem to believe about the role of loyalty in friendship from the reading of "Charlotte's Web"? What about death and loss? Agrarianism? This probable is worthy of a longer postal service. Hopefully, it makes sense enough to begin using in your classroom.

half-dozen. Who seems to exist the audience?

Who wants or needs to know this data? Does there seem to exist a specific audience the author is trying to reach? Why do y'all think and so? If non, what makes you lot think there is not a specific audience?

TeachThought Curricula: fifteen Reading Responses To Non-Fiction Texts

7.What is the overall tone of the work?

What does the author's general attitude towards their audition? How do the language, content, imagery, and allusions combine to requite the reading a 'feel,' or tone? What details assist you to understand this? What can you lot infer nigh the author's position on important themes or issues because of that tone?

8. What point of view does the author write from?

What point of view was the book written from? What does the author seem to assume is true? Is the author biased in any style? Does the writer seem to be aware of this bias? Might it be done on purpose to further the theme? Is it satirical? Ironic?

9. What are the virtually relevant supporting details?

What is the relationship between the author's purpose, thesis or theme, and supporting details?

10. How is the book structured?

What structural elements did you find in the book? How did these elements impact your understanding of the content? Were at that place any text features that were super helpful—or only plainly annoying? What could they have done differently, and what upshot would that modify have had?

11. How would you describe the writer's writing style?

What elements of the writer's writing style did yous notice? How practice these elements impact your agreement or enjoyment of the text?

12. Does the author have credibility to write about this subject or topic?

Why or why not? Exist specific.

thirteen. What is the general mood of the text?

What is the author'due south general attitude toward their topic? What details make you call up then? How would this text make nigh people 'feel'? What is the relationship between the tone, mood, and purpose?

14. How is the plot, statement, or information organized?

Crusade/issue? Chronological order? Compare/contrast? Question/answer? Lots of options here–be specific, and defend your answer.

15. What would you change?

Choose one important part of this reading that the writer could've made a different choice—the structure, organization, purpose, audition, label, pacing, supporting details, mood, etc.—and and then explicate how they could've done it differently, and what effect it would've had on the reading.

16. Open up

Create your ain response. Exist creative, playful, and fun. If information technology'southward not any of the 3, I'll mitt it back.

FICTION ONLY

17. Index the characters

List the full proper name of all characters you'd consider important (be prepared why you included someone or left them out). For each character, include one line from the text characterizing them; as well, label each character as major/modest, flat/round, and static/dynamic graphic symbol.

18. Could you connect with any of the characters?

Could you encounter yourself in this character at all, in any major or minor way? How did this bear upon your reading?

19. What were the (meaning) characters motivated by?

What were the significant characters motivated past? What was the protagonist motivated most past? How did this impact their feel in the story? Was their source of motivation something that you could relate to?

20. What other stories does this remind you of?

21. What do you think influenced the author in 'conceiving' and writing this book? Think about books, movies, social events, etc. What makes you think then?

21 Reading Response Questions For Self-Guided Response (That Work With Well-nigh Texts)

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Source: https://www.teachthought.com/literacy/reading-response/

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