Re: dictating learners' reading

[lpearle <lpearle@PCS-NYC.ORG>]

At 09:55 PM 7/7/98 +0530, Jeff Kirkpatrick wrote:
>Friends:
>        In line with the recent thread concerning individuals dictating
>readers' book selections, the following has come to my attention as being
>dictated policy in one or more 7th grade classes locally.  I would greatly
>appreciate a reasoned retort from LM_NET members (you can bet I have many
>thoughts already), to include any learner enriching alternate solutions we
>might suggest/offer to replace this abomination:

<SNIP>

>TIA for your thoughts/suggestions.
>Take care.
>
>Jeff Kirkpatrick
>

When I was in 5th Grade, my teacher ran a weekly contest to see who could
read the most pages in that time period.  The first four finishers got
lunch (at a cafe across the street), the bottom four got letters home!

Being the voracious reader I was (and am), I "won" for 4 weeks in a row (my
personal best included reading The Count of Monte Cristo in a three-day
weekend).  The boy across the street "lost" 4 weeks in a row - he was too
busy with sports and scouting and helping around the farm.  I knew that he
could have, and would have, read if his priorities hadn't been enjoying
other things.  The winner?? Not really me - I would have read anyway.  The
loser - definately him, because reading became a chore, not a pleasure.

Things obviously haven't changed.  Sigh.


Laura R. Pearle
Head Librarian
Gladys Brooks Library
Professional Children's School
lpearle@pcs-nyc.org

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