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Need an easy to use & quick check in or formative assessment after reading any text? This FREE reading response activity comes in a print or digital form. This kind of formative assessment is crucial for determining how well students are analyzing and evaluating elements of fiction and author’s choices. It moves beyond just determining levels of reading comprehension.
This works for student independent choice books, literature circles, a whole class novel or a text you’re working on together.
Digital Format: For the digital format, you can assign the google form through your learning management system or share a link with student. It’s set up so that every student answers the same few questions/prompts.
It starts with the title, author & genre of the text they read, how many pages & a quick summary. Then they get to choose 1 of 4 things they want to analyze from their reading: setting, characters, conflict or theme. Whichever one they pick will take them to a different section with set questions for that category.
This provides a great opportunity for students to transfer skills. They can take their understanding of these skills from texts you’ve taught to their own personal reading books.
Printed Format: For this, there are 4 different versions of it, one for setting, character, conflict & theme. All 4 start just like the google form, having the same initial prompts/questions but then there are question specific to the topic.
Here’s how it works in my class:
- I start every class period with 10-15 minutes of silent independent reading time where students can read whatever they want. I have a small classroom library of books they can check out or they can bring their own.
- Some days I will give them a longer chunk or whole class period to read
- On a Friday when I have a shorter class period or after a longer chunk of reading, I would assign the digital form through my learning management system and instruct students to login and complete the form
This form can be used over and over again, and you could assign it 4 times for each book students read to track their learning in all 4 areas. It can also be used throughout the year to track student growth and development in evaluating these concepts.
Looking for more reading questions like this? I made one for diction & tone and one for author’s purpose.
Looking for an extension for students to write summaries? I created a full lesson plan with slide decks and activities that works for any text. You can purchase it here.
I’ve created a bundle that includes all of the above: the free form, and the diction & tone, author’s purpose and summary lesson forms and lessons. You can purchase that here.
