Breakdown central

So today, as I do most days, after reading class I had kids write a journal entry.  One kid, Juan, tried to sneak out during journal time.  I realized I hadn't seen his journal, so I made him come back.  I asked where his journal was. He said he didn't do it. I asked why. He said because he didn't know what he read. I asked if his mind wandered while he was reading. He said now. He said he just wasn't thinking about anything. And burst into tears.
So I had him sit down and we talked about how reading isn't just about reading the words, but about understanding what you read.  I asked if the book was too hard, he said no.  He just kept saying he wasn't thinking about anything.
So I made him do a pinky swear that he would check to make sure he's getting a picture in his mind while he read. Otherwise, he'd go back and and re-read, or try to get a picture, or ask for help, or choose a different book.

This makes me lean toward focusing my inquiry on knowing when I don't know, or knowing when I'm stuck. I'm going to do a lesson on 6 ways to tell if you're stuck.  Then we'll break down each strategy as a way to get unstuck, rather than as a way to understand. I think that might help some kids access the strategies.  The question is, can I gather data on recognizing stuckness and getting unstuck???