In a double-entry journal, what is usually written in the left column?

In a double-entry journal, the left column typically contains important statements from the text. This format encourages students to engage closely with the material they are reading. By placing significant quotes, passages, or key ideas from the text in the left column, students are able to directly reference the text while reflecting on it in the right column. This structure fosters critical thinking and provides a clear connection between their interpretations or reflections and the specific content of the reading, thereby enhancing comprehension and retention of the material.

The other options, while valuable components of a reading response strategy, do not embody the primary function of the left column in a double-entry journal. Student reflections primarily belong in the right column, as that section is dedicated to personal insights or reactions to the material. Comprehension questions and vocabulary definitions may also be useful in a learning context, but they do not serve the purpose of the left-hand side of the journal, which is to capture and highlight the text itself.