Keeping track of all the required reading in an advanced English class can be difficult. Using a Reading Reaction Journal can help students study for discussions, tests, and writing assignments. This handout shows students how to keep a journal that will be of value to them. Teachers can use the journal to evaluate whether or not students are doing a close reading of assigned literary works. This will be a valuable tool for you and your students. It is a useful study tool for AP students while reading advanced literary selections. Charlene Tess

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Charlene Tess taught English and creative writing to high school students and adults for over thirty-four years. She was the Secondary Teacher of the Year for Ysleta Independent School District in 1998, and one of the five finalists for Region XIX Teacher of the Year. She is listed in Who's Who in America. Since 1996, she has worked as an educational consultant helping other teachers use her grammar workbook, Simple Steps to Sentence Sense. Mrs. Tess now devotes her time to writing fiction and teaching fiction writing to adults. She is the author of three novels, and a non-fiction grammar workbook, and has published short fiction and numerous articles in magazines and in short story collections. You can read excerpts from her novels and order her books from her website: www.authorsden.com/charlenetess Charlene and her husband Jerry spend their free time traveling to promote her books and visiting their two daughters and their three grandsons.
