Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Responding to Literature
You are sitting in language arts class. Your class has just finished reading a piece of classic literature. Your teacher says, "Now open your journal and respond to what we have just read. You may write about anything you choose." You are looking like a deer in the headlights. What are you going to write about?
Relax; responding to literature is not as hard as it sounds. The secret is to keep a list of ways to respond. In other words, give yourself some response starters.
One way to respond is to give your opinion about some aspect of the reading. Tell whether you like or dislike the characters. Or tell whether or not you feel the story is realistic. Tell what you think is the best part of the story. Make sure to give sound reasons for your response. Include information from the text as much as possible.
Another good response starter to use is telling how the piece made you feel. Were you happy, sad, or scared? You might want to start with a phrase such as, "I felt..." Give examples from the text that made you feel that way.
