Directions for CRITICAL RESPONSE
Honors English 9
“Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting.” -Edmund Burke
According to cognitive psychologist Frank Smith, reading is meaning making. How we determine the meaning of a text has to do with what we individually bring to the text through our own personal experiences, feelings, and information. Therefore, since each of us brings different experiences and information to our classroom, it is very likely that we will discover different meanings in the same text. This year it is my goal to provide you will different opportunities to interact with literature and to individually (and collectively) discover meaning in the text. In order to help you make meaning from text and respond to what you have read, I will often ask you to write a reader’s response. After reading, please respond by following these steps.
PROCEDURE
1. Type your response (2-3pages)
2. First person is allowed, this is a personal response
3. Use quotes if necessary.
4. Challenge yourself to delve fully into the literature.
5. Write a response that includes the four categories below (they may be headed as such in your paper):
Paragraph 1: OBSERVATIONS
Record things that you noticed in your reading. You may want to list some of the following:
§ Facts and information about characters, plot, setting etc.
§ Observations about the author’s style of writing
§ Inferences or hypothesis as to the “bigger picture”
§ Settings that stand out as having significance
Paragraph 2: WONDERINGS
Record things you are wondering about the reading. This is your chance to “talk” to the text. Ask, and then explain. These questions will help you get started:
§ What are you curious about?
§ What don’t you understand as a reader?
§ What words need clarification?
Paragraph 3: FEELINGS
How do you feel about what you’ve read? In a paragraph or so, verbalize your emotional response in specific terms. (Ex. “I was upset by the way Joe Smith generalized society…”)
Directions for CRITICAL RESPONSE
Honors English 9
Directions for CRITICAL RESPONSE
Honors English 9
Paragraph 4: CONNECTIONS
Make links to things you already know. Push until you’ve gotten at least two associations. Use the following questions to help you:
§ What does this relate to experiences from your own life?
§ How does this relate to other things you have read or viewed?
§ What does this remind you of in the world?
To get credit for reader’s response, please consider the following:
Þ As always, I value quality of response over length; however, your responses should not be brief.
Þ Do not write a summary of the work. Challenge the text through your response.
“Force yourself to reflect on what you read, paragraph by paragraph.” -Samuel Taylor ColeridgeResponse Assessment Rubric
Used for both Reader’s Log and Critical Response
A / § Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the complexity of the text through detailed elaborations and extensions of text with sophisticated ideas, insights, and reflections.§ There are no errors in text-based facts.
§ Exhibits a level of comprehension that extends beyond the literal, to the personal, critical, and/or evaluative responses.
§ Cites evidence, and makes a variety of strong connections to other experiences, texts, concepts, issues, and/or cultural settings.
B / § Demonstrates confident, coherent, and adequate understanding and interpretation of the text through some elaboration and extension.
§ There are no major errors in text-based facts.
§ Exhibits a level of comprehension that reflects extensions that are more literal or personal.
§ Makes connections to personal experiences, other texts, and/or background knowledge.
C / § Demonstrates a limited understanding and/or interpretation of the text.
§ There may be errors in text-based facts.
§ Exhibits a level of comprehension that consists primarily of literal responses to the text.
§ Makes connections to other experiences and texts that are disjointed, fragmented, limited and not integral to the text.
D / § Demonstrates an attempt to respond with very limited evidence of understanding of the text.
§ There may be errors in text-based facts.
§ Exhibits a level of comprehension that consists of disjointed, incomplete, or irrelevant responses.
§ Makes only distant connections to the text, using sketchy details.
F / § No response.
§ Response shows no relationship to task and text.