Daily Reading Logs

I absolutely love, love, love these reading logs and sticker charts! 

Get both the weekly and monthly versions HERE!

I started reading logs last year when I started teaching 1st grade. During my time teaching kindergarten, 1st grade and even preschool I have had a lot of parents request homework. This brought up a discussion with my colleagues around the question; What is appropriate homework for K-1 students?

While there are ALWAYS things that can be worked on at home, I have always been a big fan of promoting daily reading at home.

Reasons for promoting, but not requiring homework in a K-1 classrooms:

1. All families are different and not every family has the opportunity to help students with their homework at night. 

2. If I am pooped at the end of the day, I know my students definitely feel the same way--who wants to do homework?

3. I never want to force my students into reading or to make it feel like a chore. I want to encourage and promote the importance of reading outside of school. And to help them feel rewarded when they have made a positive choice towards helping themselves become stronger readers and writers. 

There are many different ways to use the reading logs and they can be adapted to fit your personal teaching preference. 

Some ways that I have used them:

Take home folder using the weekly version

• Print out the weekly pages and write the week at the bottom of the front page. Copy front to back. 
• Tape the sticker chart on the inside. Put a sticker for every day they read. I also give an extra sticker if they fill the front and back!
• TEACHER TIP: Write notes on their reading log. The kiddos love when they know you spent the time read through what they read. 

Take home folder/ binder using the monthly versions

• Sometimes I forget to make copies each week and get many reminders from my students that they were not able to record the books they read on Monday. A perk of teaching K-1 is having 20+ mini personal assistants reminding you of your to-do list. 
• PROBLEM SOLVED: Print the current month in color or BW and copy front to back. 
• TEACHER TIP: I keep extra entry pages (front to back) on hand for when students need to add more pages for the month to their reading log. 
• Check in weekly and add to the sticker chart. 
• The monthly logs also encourage students and families to read over the weekend! 

TEACHER TIP: Encourage students to read other materials, even when they are out and about (menu at a restaurant, supermarket flyer, magazines, signs and posters, etc.).

TEACHER TIP: Send home the Comprehension Questions sheet to parents to give ideas of questions they can ask when they read with their student.  

TEACHER TIP: 

Encourage students and families to read at home. Not because they have to, but because it promotes learning outside of school and helps to create a group of students who want to become stronger readers and writers! 

Shorten your to-do list!

✔ Encourage families to read at home!

✔ Create home to school connection!

✔ Promote reading in all areas of our life!

The Teaching To-Do List