Enjoy this efficient Reading Response formula for encouraging higher-level Bloom’s Synthesis and Evaluation skills in higher ed.
Major benefits:
- Students invest more effort to glean value from the readings and provide succinct evidence for grading.
- Format encourages clarity and expansion for students who write minimally.
- Student writers who provide too much length get to practice refinement and brevity.
- Instructor gets to grade 4 carefully crafted sentences per student. Done!
4-Part Student Reading Response Format
- Reading assignment Title and Author. (May include the full APA/MLA reference for practice.)
- Summarize author’s thesis statement. (Quote a single sentence or summarize what you believe to the be the author’s main point in a single sentence.)
- Quote the best line from the writing. (Take notes and be prepared to defend your choice in follow-up discussion. Your personal definition of “best” may be based on sentence-crafting, novel ideals, metaphors, key points, convincing arguments, etc.)
- Share your response. (State your reaction to the reading. Do you agree or disagree and why? Expand on the topic and share your own opinions and rationale.)
