WHAT IS A READING RESPONSE?
The purpose of a reading response is for you as a reader to engage cri3cally with an assigned
text. The reading response should:
• Demonstrate to the instructor that you have both read and understood the text.
• Iden3fy the main argument and purpose of the text.
• Engage cri3cally with the text by using evidence from the text to support your
perspec3ve about the work.
In this course you will be wri3ng a total of 6 one-page responses. Each response should be up
to 500 words each and will need to be uploaded to Canvas before the start of class on the day
that it is due.
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN COMPOSING A READING RESPONSE
The following are some ques3ons that might help you clarify your reac3on to the text and help
you collect textual evidence to support your claims:
• Main purpose: what is the purpose of the text, eg. does it seek to propose a new
concept, challenge an exis3ng way of viewing things, present new empirical
informa3on/findings on a specific topic?
• Main argument: what are the most significant points in the text? What is it arguing for?
Try not to get lost in the details but instead focus on what you think is the text’s key
argument and contribu3on.
• Evidence: what parts of the text have you iden3fied that act as the best evidence to
illustrate its main purpose and argument? This can be a concept, cita3on or excerpt from
the text. Use your own words as much as you can to explain it and only use cita3ons to
highlight a very specific term or phrase with reference to the page number where you
found it – for instance: [cita3on] (Croese, 2023: page number) or: Croese calls this
phenomenon [cita3on] (Croese, 2023: page number). This is in line with APA style of
referencing, for more details see here: hTps://guides.lib.uci.edu/cita3ons/home
• Your view: what did you think of the text? Did you find it interes3ng? Challenging to
understand? Anything in par3cular that stood out for you or that you thought was
missing? Surprising? Anything you did or did not like? Any ques3ons it raised for you?
Any real life examples the text speaks to or resonates with? Any ways in which it
connects to other texts you have read before (in this class or outside it)?
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
• Be prepared to talk about your reading response in class/group discussions.
• The reading responses do not only allow you to beTer par3cipate in class, but they will also help you when wri3ng your mid-term and final paper. Reading responses will be assessed on: 3mely submission; completeness (please don’t
forget to include your name, date and details of the reading); coherence and consistency
(in the wri3ng and referencing); and own voice (what do YOU think).
• Generally, you can expect to be given the full 5 points for each response, except in cases
of: late submission without prior communica3on (1 point deducted for each day that
response is late); you consistently do not take into account feedback given on previous
responses; response is sloppy and does not reflect serious engagement with the reading.