Here is where you chew words. Here is where you masticate ideas, burp the new or disturbing scenes that rumble through your gut and cause indigestion. Here you are encouraged to consume goodly quantities of nutritional material, spice ideas to make them interesting, maintain a balance to ensure satisfaction (and avoid constipation), and to respond in a concrete manner to what you have read.
Reader response is an learning/thinking activity that involves the reader with the text in a special way. The student (reader) approaches the activity with the following attitude, "I am a writer! I will, therefore, respond in writing to what is read, what is understood, and what is thought."
Before Reading
Look at the reading selection and decide how much time will be needed for
the activity. Are there any obvious text characteristics that will
set the pace for the response activity? ( chapter breaks, spacing that
denotes story change, etc.)
Gauge possible points to stop and respond to the reading.
Think about the title of the reading selection and any other information
already known (background knowledge).
Write a short prediction.
While Reading
After reading for a time, pause and think about the reading.
(The reader may use a think-aloud strategy.)
Write a reaction. This is an emotional reaction, i.e. like/dislike,
puzzlement, concern, awe.
While Reading
Note whether or not a previous prediction was correct.
Write a prediction of the action or plot development that may come next
in the reading.
Note a main theme/focus that the writer is developing.
Note
special figurative language, metaphor, or other literary devices used by
the author.
Continue and repeat responding at meaningful breaks until the selection
is completed.
After Reading
Respond
to the reading selection as a whole.
