Weekly reading log (free printable for home reading)
A one-page week with a row for each day: the book, the minutes, the pages and a family initial. Edit the days, print a stack for the month and send them home on Monday.
To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints.
About this sheet
A reading log is a modest tool with one job: to make the habit of daily reading visible to a child, a teacher and a family. This one is short enough that a family will fill it in, with a row for each day and four small columns: the book, the minutes, the pages and an initial from a grown-up. Seven rows cover a full week including the weekend, and you can edit the day names to count only school nights. The initial column is the quiet contract between home and school. Ask for the log on Monday, glance at it, and give it back with a sticker or a word.
Grades: K to 6. Best in: August, September, June.
How to use it
- Edit the heading and the day names if you want fewer rows, such as Monday to Thursday. Print a stack for the month.
- Send a log home each Monday with a short note on what counts: any book, any format, read aloud or alone.
- Collect them on the following Monday, look at the pattern rather than the total, and hand back a new one.
Five ideas for class
- Let any reading count: a library book, a comic, a recipe or a bedtime story read aloud to a younger brother. A log that rewards only school books misses most of what children read.
- Ask for minutes, not pages. A child reading a picture book and a child reading a chapter book are both reading for twenty minutes.
- Look at the pattern, not the total. A child who reads for ten minutes on five nights is building a habit; one who reads for an hour on Sunday is not.
- Send home the same log for the summer with a reminder in June, and keep the finished pages for the first week of school as a conversation starter.
- Pair the log with a class goal: when the class reaches a total of minutes, celebrate together, and show the progress on a wall chart rather than singling out a child.
Related
Questions
How many minutes should I ask for?
Many teachers ask for about ten to twenty minutes a night in the early grades, and more in the upper grades. Choose a goal your families can keep and say what counts.
Should I grade the reading log?
Many teachers do not, because a grade can pressure families into signing a log that was not read. Treat it as a conversation and a habit builder.
Can I use it for a homeschool?
Yes. Use the pages as your daily reading record, and keep the finished sheets in a binder for portfolio or state record needs.
Can I add a column for the title and author?
The first column is for the book title. Write the author beside it, or choose the monthly log, which has room for a list of books.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Choose Print, then pick “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints: the page around it is hidden. You can also save a sheet as a PNG image under the preview.
Can I print it in black and white?
Yes. Switch to Black and white beside the sheet: fills turn white and lines turn black, so it saves ink and photocopies cleanly.
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