"A book, too, can be a star, 'explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,' a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe." - from Madeleine L'Engle's Newberry Medal Acceptance Speech

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Revisiting Reading Responses

Until now, most of the reading responses you have written are on poems and other texts we have read in class. Now you can write a reading response on an independent reading book you are currently reading or recently finished: due Thursday March 10. (See guidelines below. Also, read student mentors I have posted on my blog for inspiration.)

Then you are going to turn a RAD reading response into a RADDER reading response! Revise a response that you have already written on your blog.

2nd draft due: Thursday March 24. Bring in copy of it.

Final draft due: Thursday March 31. Post on your blog.


Basic Elements of a RAD reading response:


I. Author’s Purpose/Focus – thoughtful and thought-provoking main idea for the entire response
Ex. The poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is about a moment between a father and son that shows love and affection rather than resentment and abuse.

II. Structure/Organization – paragraphs are organized in a smooth, intentional way

III. Elaboration – every paragraph fully develops a main idea with adequate supporting details and explanation. When you engage with and respond to a text, include the following:

* Observations – features, facts, literary devices, important imagery, etc. that you notice
* Inferences – what you think the observations mean
* Interpretations – what the text means overall
* Extension – making connections to the text, making it relevant to the world; engage your audience in a meaningful way

IV. Conventions – correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc. Correctly quotes and cites text.

V. Process – writer engages in the writing process, takes time to work on and revise response; publishes on time


Beyond the basic: What can make your RAD reading response into a SUPERRAD response?




Further resources:
Writing paragraphs: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/606/1/

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