1. How to Write a Reader Response

2. What is a reader response?
You explain and defend your reaction to the text.
The response follows a standard essay format.
Write your response in 3rd person.

3. Reflect on these questions.
What is the author's purpose?
Do you agree or disagree with the author?
Does the text agree with or go against your view of the world?
What did you learn from the text?
Do you like or dislike the text?

4. Read the text fully and carefully
Think about how the text is making you feel and why.
Make lots of notes.
important passages that you think you might use when you write your response.

5. Think about the text as a whole and formulate an overall impression.
Is there something about it that really bothered you, or really spoke to you?

6. A thesis statement might look like this:
A reader response must have a clear thesis statement or overall argument.
A thesis statement might look like this:
"Even though The Scarlett Letter is hard to follow at times, Hester Prynne's story is still relatable because he addresses the effects of shaming people publicly online.“
"Some people believe the Old Man and the Sea is a book about failure, but it is really a story of perseverance and that success may not always come in the form we expect. Even disasters can lead to positive outcomes."