Reading Logs vs. Reading Notebooks

One of the early lessons Miller (2009) notes is that students abhor reading logs. They only work for students with strong support systems, where parents actually monitor that their children read. However, even here they fail. Tweens that read nightly may feel that their teacher doesn’t trust that they are actually reading. On the opposite side of the spectrum, reading logs fail to motivate reluctant readers.

Miller no longer instructs her students to keep track of time spent reading at home. Instead, she trusts that her students are reading. “Enthusiastic readers who eagerly tell me about what they read the night before are the only evidence I need that students are reading at home (p. 144).” However, she does make use of reader’s notebooks. What is the difference between the two?

The distinction between a “reading log” and “reading notebook” may seem slight on the surface, but peeling back the outer layers reveals important distinctions. Reader’s notebooks are student-centered learning tools, which allow students to monitor their own reading progress. Students are in charge of the books they choose to read, and reading is, therefore, pleasurable. Student record the books they’ve read, even those they haven’t finished. They also keep track of books they hope to read. And they aesthetically engage with every book, writing about what they liked or disliked.

So, while both mediums allow students to keep track of their reading, the feel of reader's notebooks is very different. Reading logs are extrinsically motivated, focused on teacher demands, whereas reading notebooks are intrinsically motivated, focused on the individuality of each student. For reading to become a life-long habit, it needs to become intrinsic. With reader’s notebooks, it’s all right if students give up on a book, having only read a few pages. Noting a book that’s failed to please provides students with an opportunity of furthering their identity as readers. By clearly defining what it was about the work that disappointed, readers can hone onto their critical muscles. Making a note of the disappointing book also allows readers to return to the book at a later date.

Miller, Donalyn. (2009). The book whisperer: Awakening the inner reader in every child. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.