Reading response wheel

16 prompts

About this wheel

Spin the wheel to pick one of 16 reading response prompts for after a story, a chapter or a read-aloud. Prompts include "Write a new ending", "Predict what happens next and why" and "Describe the setting using your five senses".

Teachers use it at the end of independent reading, in a literacy center or as a daily exit task. Spin once and the whole class answers the same prompt, or let each student spin for a prompt of their own. Most prompts fit in a short paragraph, so 10 minutes is enough. Parents can use it to turn bedtime reading into a quick chat about the book.

The mode is Allow repeats, so a good prompt can come back. Choose Everyone once to cycle through all 16. Replace the lines in the list box with prompts for your own unit, one per line. Press Fullscreen to show the wheel on the board, and the Space bar spins it.

All 16 reading response prompts

  1. Write about the character you understand best.
  2. Describe a turning point in the story.
  3. Predict what happens next and why.
  4. Write a new ending.
  5. Pick a line you liked and explain it.
  6. Compare the main character to yourself.
  7. Write a letter to a character.
  8. What would you have done differently?
  9. Summarize the chapter in three sentences.
  10. Describe the setting using your five senses.
  11. Draw the most important scene and explain it.
  12. Choose three words that describe the main character.
  13. Write a question you would ask the author.
  14. Describe how a character changes.
  15. Write about a problem and how it was solved.
  16. Explain what the title means to you.

Questions

What kinds of books do these prompts fit?

They fit stories and chapter books, such as a class novel or a picture book. Prompts like "Write a letter to a character" work with any story that has characters.

How long should a response be?

Three sentences for the summary prompt and one short paragraph, about 10 minutes of writing, for the others.

Can I add prompts for nonfiction?

Yes. Type one prompt per line in the list box, such as "Write three facts you learned". Save to My Wheels keeps your edited list in this browser.

Can each student get a different prompt?

Yes. Choose Everyone once and let each student spin. The list holds 16 prompts, so 16 students each get a different one.