By Timi Alabi
Do we really need reading diaries or are they just an unnecessary task?
The Parent’s Perspective
I have two girls: one in secondary school and the other in primary. They both generally try to read every night. My younger daughter has a reading diary she is required to complete every time she reads. After reading every night (sometimes with me and sometimes independently), she would tell me about what she has read, and we would often have rich conversations about the text.
However, there are times when these precious moments of text discussion have been cut short because we suddenly remembered she needs to fill in her reading diary before bedtime. Then we would both start to rush around to make sure she does this, so that she doesn’t get picked up in school for not reading. As a parent, I would argue that these discussions about the text are far more valuable than logging her reading in a diary. So, why do we prioritise the administrative task over the actual learning experience?
The Teacher’s Perspective
If you asked me, as a teacher, why I used reading diaries, I might give you reasons like:
- To track children’s reading habits and encourage daily reading.
- To identify children who might need additional support with reading.
- To encourage children to write about what they have read in order to aid comprehension.
- To involve parents in their child’s reading journey.
- Book Discussion: True comprehension comes from background knowledge and meaningful conversations about the text. Encourage pupils to spend at least 5 minutes each day having an informal chat with a partner about what they read the night before, or any book of their choice . Make regular informal book chats a normal part of the day. This small, consistent practice fosters deeper understanding and a love for reading.
- Reading for Pleasure Pedagogy: Emphasise a reading-for-pleasure pedagogy designed to foster a genuine love of reading. Focus on practices that will inspire the love of reading. If teachers still wish to track reading to some extent, they could ask pupils to complete a class reading log each time they finish a book (i.e. child’s name, book title, rating out of 5 ). An optional section could also be included for pupils to briefly explain the reason for their rating as a form of book recommendation.
