To keep a home education reading log, record the books your child reads or shares with you, then add a short note about any discussion, discovery or activity that follows. A title tells you what they read; a specific observation helps you remember what they explored or understood.
What to include in a reading log
Start with a simple record that you can comfortably maintain:
- Book title and author
- Reading status: to read, reading or finished
- How you read it: independently, together or read aloud
- A date or approximate period, if useful
- A short learning note, when there is something worth recording
You can also keep a list of favourites or books your child wants to borrow next. There is no need to write a detailed review for every story.
A notebook, spreadsheet or visual reading log for children can all give you somewhere to collect these details.
How to record learning from a book
When something stands out, write down what actually happened. This might be a question your child asked, an idea they explained or something they tried after reading.
For example:
- A story: they explained why a character changed their mind.
- A nature book: they used an illustration to help identify something on a walk.
- A recipe book: they followed instructions and measured ingredients.
- A history book: they compared an event with something they already knew.
These are possible examples, not outcomes to assign automatically to every book. Record the learning you noticed, rather than listing everything the book could potentially teach.
You might write:
We read a book about pond wildlife together. Afterwards, she drew a frog’s life cycle and explained the order of the stages.
That gives you more useful detail than “read a science book”. If you already keep a home education learning log, you can record the activity there and connect it to the book.
Keep reading enjoyable
A reading log can be a record of interests as well as finished books. Include shared stories, books revisited many times and books explored a few pages at a time.
You do not have to turn every reading session into questions or follow-up work. Sometimes your child simply enjoys a story. You can save the title and leave it there.
When reviewing your notes, look for concrete changes: perhaps your child is choosing books independently, explaining ideas in more detail or returning to a favourite subject. A total number of books alone does not tell you all of that.
Using Strew
In Strew, open Bookshelf from the sidebar and use the book barcode scanner to look up a book and add it to your child’s shelf. From the book, choose Add Activity to record a related conversation, project or learning moment, keeping the reading and the activity connected.
Video transcript – How to keep a home education reading log:
Strew have just launched this incredible new feature for home educating families, especially those with children who love to read.
Basically, it’s really simple. When you’re on the app, scroll down the sidebar to Bookshelf. You then scan the book’s barcode. This finds the book and adds it to the bookshelf in what looks like a virtual copy.
From there, it gets even easier and better for your child’s learning because you can click Add Activity. You can put in all the learning they’ve achieved following reading that book.
It’s a great way to link learning with reading in a fun way that can be measured.
You too can get access to this on the Strew app. Download it today on the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.
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