Two Ways to Use Google Sheets to Create Reading Logs

Google Forms and Google Sheets are my go-to tools when I need to collect and organize data. One of the things that I often help teachers do with data in Google Forms and Sheets is create progress trackers or reading logs. There are two ways that you can do this. The first method outlined below is the easier method as it simply requires following a template. The second method outlined below is a little more difficult but the benefit is that you can have students or a teacher's aide enter data to record progress toward a stated numerical goal like "read 1,000 pages this month."

Method #1 - Use Flippity's Progress Tracker Template
Flippity offers eighteen templates that you can use in Google Sheets. One of those templates is a progress tracker template. This template will create a sheet into which you enter student names, goals, and the units that you're tracking (pages, minutes, steps, etc). After you enter that data into the template you can publish the sheet and Flippity will provide you with a simple webpage that displays progress as a colored bar graph. Watch my video for step-by-step directions on using Flippity's progress tracker template.




Method #2 - Google Form + Pivot Table in Google Sheets
The benefit of using this method is that you can have students or a teacher's aide enter information into a Google Form and then you will see the the data in a spreadsheet that you can manipulate to see the data in terms of tracking progress toward a goal. The downside to this method is that unless you're willing to share the spreadsheet with students or set your Google Form to "Respondents Can See summary charts and text responses" they won't see their progress unless they ask you for the information. Take a look at my screenshots below for an outline of the steps needed to duplicate my reading log made by using Google Forms and Sheets.

Step 1 - Create a Google Form in which you ask for name, goal, and pages read that day (or week if that's how you'd prefer to track).

Step 2 - Create a Google Sheet of responses.

Step 3 - From the "Data" drop-down menu in Google Sheets select "Pivot Table."

Step 4 - In the right hand menu that appears on the Pivot Table sheet click "Add" next to "Rows"  then select "Your name," "Your goal," and "Number of pages read."

Step 5 - In the right hand menu of the Pivot Table sheet click "Add" next to "values" then choose "number of pages read."

Step 6 - Admire your summarized data.

ScootPad - Students Practice Skills from Any Device and Teachers Get Instant Feedback Too

ScootPad is a free service offering mathematics and reading practice activities to elementary school students and their teachers. ScootPad activities can be played on just about any device including iPads, Android tablets, and Chromebooks.

ScootPad offers a lot of features, but at it's core is practice activities aligned to Common Core standards. Teachers can create classroom accounts in which they can manage all aspects of their students' accounts including password resets. The best part is ScootPad allows teachers to monitor how their students are doing on each concept in the practice activities.

The ScootPad teacher panel allows you to assign homework to your students. You can set activation and deactivation dates for the homework activities. To complete the homework assignments students sign into their accounts to complete the activities anytime during the open window. Their results are instantly visible in your teacher panel. The homework panel also includes a reading log that students and or their parents update.

Each class that you create on ScootPad has its own class wall where students and teachers can post messages for each other. It could be a good place to post reminders and encouragements for students.


Applications for Education
ScootPad could be a great tool for providing students with practice activities targeted to the areas in which they need the most practice. The reports are quite specific which can be helpful not only for you, but also for parents who want to know which skills their children need to practice the most.

Reading Rewards - Track Time Spent Reading

Reading Rewards is a free service that allows parents and teachers to track the amount of time their students spend reading. Students create goals in Reading Rewards then parents and teachers can reward them for reaching their goals. Every minute students read equals one Reading Reward (RR) mile. Parents and teachers can determine what the rewards will be and how many RR miles students need to earn to receive a reward.

If Reading Rewards was simply a tool for tracking student reading, I might not have written about it. What got me to write about Reading Rewards is the student networking aspect of the site. Students can connect to other students and share book recommendations. I think giving students the opportunity to share book recommendations could be a very valuable aspect of Reading Rewards. As teachers we can suggest all of the books we want and tell kids that other students like them liked a particular book, but hearing that from a peer could be much more influential in a student's decision to read a particular book.

Learn more about Reading Rewards in the Google Docs Presentation below.


Applications for Education
Reading Rewards can be used on an individual basis or parents or on a group basis for teachers. Teachers can manage an entire class or students from one account. If a teacher creates a class each student can have individual goals or group goals can be established.

Here are some related resources that may be of interest to you:
Barnes & Noble Passport to Summer Reading
Word Ahead Vocabulary Videos
WeboWord - Vocabulary Visualized

Barnes & Noble Passport to Summer Reading

Just as they did last summer, Barnes & Noble has organized a summer reading program for kids. Passport to Summer Reading awards kids one free book after they have read eight. Kids should keep track of their books using the Passport to Summer Reading provided by Barnes & Noble. When their passports are filled, kids can redeem their passport for a free book at a Barnes & Noble store. Kids up to twelve years old can participate in the Passport for Summer Reading program. Read all of the details here.

Reading Logs, Vocabulary Lists, and Spelling Practice

Reading Logs is a site that allows teachers and students to create reading logs, vocabulary cards, and practice spelling skills. Parents can also access Reading Logs to check on their students' progress. It appears that there is also a platform for school librarians in development, but it did not appear to be functioning when I visited the site.

Teachers can upload reading goals, vocabulary lists, and spelling words for students to practice. After their teacher has uploaded the goals and lists students can log-in to reading assignments and practice vocabulary words. To practice spelling words, students can use the Listen & Spell practice system which reads each word aloud. Students can submit completed assignments online or print out their completed assignments. Teachers and parents can track the progress of their students.

Applications for Education
Reading Logs could be a good system for reading teachers and parents to monitor the progress of their students.