Example of a Reading Log – Filled In, With Blank Copies

How it works

This example of a reading log shows one school week filled in: the day, the book, the minutes read and a parent's initials. The Sheet menu has examples for older readers too, and a blank copy of each.

Read the full guide

What goes in each box

Write the book's name the way the child says it. The examples use made-up books, such as A book about owls. Minutes are how long the reading took that night, and a grown-up initials the last box. The example for grades 3 to 5 swaps minutes for page numbers and adds one sentence about what happened.

Print it blank

Every reading log sample has a twin under Blank copies in the Sheet menu: the same columns with nothing written in. Pick it, choose Letter or A4 and press the print button.

Fill in the first row together, then let the child write the rest.
Show the filled-in sheet on the board on the day the first log goes home.

Questions and answers

What does a reading log look like when it is filled in?

One row for each night. The opening example has Monday to Friday, each with a book, the minutes read and a parent's initials. The word Sample is printed in its top corner.

Is there a sample of reading log entries for older students?

Yes. The example for grades 3 to 5 logs page numbers and one sentence a night. The middle school example copies a line from the book and gives its page. Another shows a summary in two sentences.

Can I print the example without the writing?

Yes. Open the Sheet menu and pick the matching sheet under Blank copies. It has the same columns as the filled-in example and no Sample mark.

Are the books in the examples real?

No. Every title, line and summary is made up, so a child copies how an entry is written and not the entry itself.

All 12 sheets

Filled-in examples 6

Example with a two-sentence summary A page turned sideways with three nights filled in: the date, a made-up title, the pages and a summary in two sentences.
Example: a book list with dates and a star score 10 numbered rows, five filled in: a made-up title, the date it was finished and a score from 1 to 5.
Example: a middle school week with a marked line and its page A page turned sideways. Monday to Friday are filled in with the pages read, a line copied from a made-up novel and the page it is on; Saturday and Sunday are left blank.
Example: a nightly reading log filled in for one week, grades K to 2 Monday to Friday, filled in and marked Sample: a made-up book each night, the minutes read and a parent's initials.
Example: a summer log with 4 of 10 weeks filled in Week 1 to Week 10 down the side. The first four weeks show the books read, a running count of books so far and a parent's initials.
Example: pages and one sentence a night, grades 3 to 5 A page turned sideways, filled in for five nights with one made-up mystery: the date, the title, From page, To page and one sentence about what was read.

Show all 12 sheets (6 more)

Blank copies 6

Blank: a week with a marked line and its page The third example with nothing written in, on a page turned sideways: Monday to Sunday with Title, Pages, A line I marked and Its page.
Blank: book list with dates and a star score The sixth example with nothing written in: 10 numbered rows with Title, Date finished and Stars, 1 to 5.
Blank: nightly log, Monday to Friday The first example with nothing written in: Day, Book title, Minutes and Parent initials in 5 tall rows.
Blank: pages and one sentence a night The second example with nothing written in, on a page turned sideways: Date, Title, From page, To page and One sentence about what I read, in 5 rows.
Blank: summer log, Week 1 to Week 10 The fifth example with nothing written in: Week, Books I read this week, Books so far and Parent initials.
Blank: three nights with a two-sentence summary The fourth example with nothing written in, on a page turned sideways: Date, Title, Pages and Summary in two sentences, in 3 very tall rows.

How this list was compiled: Written and laid out in-house for this page. Every book, line and summary in the samples is made up; no real title or author is named. Licence: own work

Example of a Reading Log, Filled In From Kindergarten Up