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.”