Keep a reading journal for an independently chosen novel, using a consistent entry format that captures a quote, a reaction, and a question at each sitting.
Independent reading works best with a light structure underneath it, not none at all. A reading journal is not a book report -- it is a running record you keep AS you read, capturing your thinking in the moment rather than trying to reconstruct it afterward from memory. The same simple format used every time makes the habit easy to sustain across a whole novel.
A reliable entry format has four parts: the date and pages covered, one quote worth remembering, one honest reaction (confusion, excitement, disagreement -- anything real), and one open question the reading raised. None of these parts require more than a sentence or two; the goal is a habit you will actually keep up, not a polished essay every time you sit down to read.
Mastery looks like: They can keep a consistent, four-part reading journal entry independently across multiple sittings with a self-chosen novel.
Common stumbles: Summarizing the whole chapter's plot instead of capturing a specific quote, an honest reaction, and a genuine question.