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What is a Reading Log?
A reading log is simply a record of your reading. Reading logs can be as simple or detailed as you like. Some reading logs can track the number of books read during the year. Others can include titles, authors, dates, page numbers, and genre.
Keeping a reading log for homeschool can be done a couple different ways. You can use a reading log to track the books you read aloud to your children, or your independent reader can record the books he reads to himself on a personal reading log.
What a Reading Log is NOT
Reading logs look different in a classroom, because teachers need to keep track of the reading progress of their students. They may require parent signatures, number of pages of read, and the amount of time spent reading. Keeping track of reading like this, on a daily basis, can get tedious and discourage kids from reading. Reading logs become a chore.
Homeschoolers don’t need to do this! You’re with your children all day, so you know whether they’re reading or not. Keeping a reading log for homeschool is simpler, because it serves a different purpose.
Why Bother Keeping a Reading Log?
Keeping a reading log for homeschool is a good idea because reading logs are informative, encouraging, sentimental, and practical.
Informative
When you look back over what you’ve read with your child, or what he has read over a period of time, you can see patterns. In this way, reading logs are informative. What kinds of books did you read aloud most? Is there a genre or topic your child didn’t read at all?
Reflection helps you make plans for your next reading period. If your child mostly read fiction, maybe you want to encourage some non-fiction. You can make a list of books to introduce during read aloud time. Or perhaps you can pick up some attractive, non-fiction books and put them on your child’s nightstand or in his reading basket.
Encouraging
Keeping a reading log for homeschool is also encouraging. At the end of every school year, I get out our reading log and it lifts my spirits. If I’m feeling discouraged for not doing enough, the log confirms that I did do something valuable; I read to my child.
It has the same benefit for your child. They can celebrate all the reading work they did during the year and feel proud to have come so far.
Sentimental
When you read through a reading log, you feel sentimental. You’ll remember what it was like reading different books and how your child responded. Reading aloud is a special time with your children, and you’ve made wonderful memories together.
Practical
Finally, keeping a reading log is practical. You can add a reading log to your homeschool portfolio to document your child’s reading curriculum and growth over time.
10 Different Ways to Keep a Reading Log
Simple Reading Log
A simple reading log can be a piece of copy paper. You don’t really need anything fancy. Each year I type up a document that has a title and headings for my daughter to use throughout the year. She writes down the title, author, and date she finished reading the book.
Goodreads
When my daughter was a toddler, I kept track of the books I read aloud to her on Goodreads. I searched for titles and then added them to my folders. But, I discovered a new trick from Caitlyn at My Little Poppies. When she used Goodreads with her son, she scanned the books with her phone to make it even easier.
Reading Log Poster
Janssen at Everyday Reading has a free printable reading log that can be printed as a poster and hung on the wall. I love it! It’s for the whole year and includes illustrations of 100 blank book spines for you to fill out. Janssen shares several ideas for using it on her blog.
Bullet Journal
Bullet journal ideas are everywhere on the internet. You can find ideas for tracking books in creative ways in your bullet journal. Your children can have more artistic freedom with this approach. Just give them a blank notebook and some quality markers and the rest is up to them. A bullet journal reading log may encourage more writing. They might choose to include reflections on the books they read.
Scratch Off Poster
Using a scratch off poster is a different take on a reading log. The poster provides you with the titles and you choose when you want to read them and in what order. Then you scratch off the space when completed. This would be a great way to get the whole family involved. Use the 100 Kids Books Scratch Off Poster (affiliate link) for your read aloud time. It’s filled with classics that you won’t want to miss.
Calendar
Another simple way to keep track of books is on a blank calendar. If you’re anything like me, you have a stash of new calendars after the holiday season, and you’d be happy to put them to good use. Hang a calendar in your home library to help you remember to jot down the books as you read them.
World Map
A more creative spin on keeping a reading log is to use a world map. Use push pins with little flags of book titles and pin them to the country, state, or territory where the story took place. You could also use a blank world map (affiliate link) and write the titles on the map itself. Color in each country as you go. It’s a great way to get your kids to read cross cultural books.
Accordion Book
Make an accordion book of all the books you’ve read to your child throughout the year. Have your child record the title, author, and write or draw something memorable from the book. Add a star book rating if you want to remember how much you both enjoyed it.
Reading Time Line
Here’s a twist on the ever popular history timeline. To make a reading timeline, cut strips of white paper and staple or glue together to make a long strip. Divide the timeline into twelve months and label. Hang the timeline on the upper part of your wall.
A notebook timeline can be another option if you don’t want to use up wall space. After you read a book, take a photo of the cover and glue it to the appropriate spot on the timeline. Or have your child draw or paint a picture of the cover. You can write a little blurb about the book above or below the date.
Book Tower
Some kids are awed by height, so building a book tower can really make an impression on them when they see how many books they’ve read. For a book tower, you’ll need to collect some cereal boxes.
Cover the boxes with colored paper. When a book is read, write the title and author on the narrowest part of the box, as you would see on a book spine. Then find a place to build your tower. You can challenge your kids to see if they can make the tower reach the ceiling! That’s a lot of reading!
Conclusion
Keeping a reading log for homeschool doesn’t need to be fancy or take a lot of time, but it’s important. Documenting the books you’ve read aloud, or your child has read, is informative, encouraging, sentimental, and practical.
With these reading log ideas, you can find one that fits your style and be on your way to keeping track of all the wonderful reading that’s happening in your homeschool.
