Readers plan and write responses (box and bullets)

Readers deepen their relationships and understanding of books by writing about them. They look back at important parts of the text, reread notes, brainstorm ideas, choose a focus and begin to plan and draft.

One simple way to plan your response is by writing down the main idea/focus of the response followed by the main idea of each paragraph. Here is an example:

Main idea: In Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White, Wilbur changes from an immature runt to a more mature pig who learns a valuable lesson, how to be a good, caring friend.

Body paragraphs: In the beginning, he relies on Fern to take care of him. Charlotte begins to guide him and show how valuable he is; as a result, he begins to gain confidence and become more independent. In the end, Wilbur takes care of Charlotte when she is dying; this shows he has learned to help others and be a good friend.