Doc Rosow’s Reading Log Entry Parts for LAVC students
January 1, 1970
•Day and Date - spelled out on every entry
Identify each of the following sections on every entry.
•Citation information (order unimportant; punctuation is important: underline titles of books; articles in quotes)
Title, article or chapter, author, publisher, copyright date, pages in
section or chapter, pages read for that entry, ISBN number
•Brainstorm List (list down the page; one or two words per point)
--after storm, test with 5Ws and H
--summary sentence points used checked off
single-spaced; two columns if needed
•Summary Sentence (only one sentence with main points of reading)
--Start by restating something from the reading. (one sentence only)
--Connect it to something you know about.
--Connections get progressively more complex with practice.
The critical connection allows you to use your reading as a writing prompt.
EXPLAINED ANOTHER WAY:
• Take one small element (idea, reference, event, concept) from the reading and connect it to something you know about.
NOTE This is not an opinion essay, though you may end with an opinion.
• The critical connection connects something you read to something concrete. That may be something that you experienced as a child, something you saw on TV yesterday, something you read in the paper, another passage you read, something that happened to your neighbor, etc.
Brainstorm List and Summary Sentence
Here is some step-by-step detail about the brainstorm process.
1. Brainstorm as many points of information as you can recall in 5 minutes.
2. Test the list with the 5 Ws and H. When you recall something not on the list, add it to the bottom of the list. It is sometimes possible to double the size of the brainstorm list this way.
3. Read over all the points on the brainstorm list to refresh your memory.
4. Write the first draft of your summary sentence. Triple space to leave room for editing.
5. Put a check mark next to every point of information you have used in your summary sentence.
6. Read the points you did not use.
7. Decide if there is a point you think would help your sentence. If so, add it by writing between the lines of your summary sentence.
8. Repeat the process until you are sure your summary sentence is as information-intensive as you want it to be.
9. Read your sentence out loud. Sometimes you can hear mistakes you cannot see.
10. Make corrections.
11. If the summary sentence can be read in this edited, first draft, stop.
If the summary sentence is too messy to read, copy it over and draw one diagonal line through the first draft.
12. Move on to your critical connection.