How to Write Reading Response Posts

Reading responses must be 350-450 words in length and include the following elements:

• a close reading of at least one phrase, sentence, or paragraph from the assigned text 
• discussion of an author’s style or voice (see this link for extra help) 
• an investigation of the relation between the various texts assigned for that day (if there is more than one)

Instructions for posting your reading responses:

1. click on the "Posts" link on your dashboard write your response 
2. click on "Labels" in the menu to the right 
3. write "Reading Response" plus the date using the dd/mm format (for example: "Reading Response 11/07") 
4. click “Publish”

A reading response should should genuinely attempt to shed light on one or more aspects of the work. You may discuss the significance of character, plot, setting, symbol…whatever catches your fancy. Overall, I am looking for interesting and original insights concerning the reading assignment.

Your paper will explore a problem or point of interest created by a work of literature (this includes, but is not limited to, character motivation, thematic elements, symbol, poetry conventions, etc.). Your ideas and insights will be based on information from the assigned texts, calling upon specific examples to illustrate the idea or issue you are exploring. Your grade will be based on the quality and depth of your insights, and on the use of specific textual evidence as support. (Avoid the obvious! Take risks! Make it interesting!)

Possible starting places for your response include an author's life, politics, the social context of the work, philosophical musings, how and why the work evokes a particular feeling in you, cultural relevance, or the components of the text such as the significance of form, setting, narrative voice, imagery, or symbolism. Or, perhaps you will apply a critical approach to the text. Or, you may wish to explore the relationship between elements of the text (How does setting influence character?). As we move on into the later weeks of the course, you may even wish to direct your responses toward identifying patterns between texts, and asking what the significance of these patterns might be.

You can choose to write your post for either Monday’s or Wednesday’s class, depending on your reading preference. Any multimedia elements that you’d like to add to your posts—images, video clips, or audio clips that pertain to your topic—are highly encouraged. Though the blog entries are considered low-stakes writing, you are required to spell-check and proofread your work before posting.