20 Silent Reading Stems for Reflection

Shhhhhhhh...I'm reading, 
Lori

Silent reading is incredibly important in our classrooms. And while we want kids to have freedom and choice in what they read and how they read it, we also want to allow them some reflection time (and hold them accountable for their task). I've never been a fan of reading logs. They've always felt contrived and really ruin the reading experience. These journal stems I whipped up add an authentic writing component to sustained silent reading time. 

Random stock photo of a student engaged in a good book. I bet he's stoked because
his teacher gave him these awesome reflection stems to use in his journal. 

1. This book reminds me of...
2. Right now I wonder if…
3. I can’t wait to see…
4. I don’t understand how/why…
5. If my teacher knew what I was reading, she would think ___ because…
6. If my friends knew what I was reading, they would think ___ because…
7. Today reading was hard because…
8. Today I felt confused because…
9. Today I liked reading because…
10. I wish someone could explain how/why…
11. If I were [character/idea], I would…
12. I think that ___ will ___ because…
13. When I opened my book today, I wondered…
14. When I closed my book today, it felt like…
15. My reading time today felt ___ because…
16. My book is like a ___ because…
17. My friend who would like this book the most would be ___ because…
18. My friend who would like this book the least would be ___ because…
19. I’m proud of myself for reading for ___ minutes because…
20. When I read tomorrow, I hope that…

Consider printing these stems and having students glue them in their journals so that they have a structured response any time they finish reading. As always...the list is never done. Allow students to add to the list and make sure the entire class gets the benefit of new creations! 

P.S.--#5 is my absolute favorite because it makes me laugh!