Re: dictating learners' reading

[Leah Hawkins <leahh@TENET.EDU>]

Not sure I'm on your side on this one.  Speaking first as a parent, my eldest was
the one who could read anything she picked up by first grade.  She read voraciously,
and at age 18 reads into the wee hours of the morning and spends much of what she
makes at minimum wage on books, books, books.  Her room looks like a used book
store.

My youngest (son) on the other hand, COULD read at the end of first grade, but chose
NOT to.  He had to keep a similar log in 7th grade.  Up to that time it was breaking
his librarian mother's heart that he found little pleasure in losing himself in a
book.  But, his grades were very important to him, so to get the grade, he read the
required number of minutes.  By eighth grade (this year) he was visiting the school
library ON HIS OWN TIME, since none of this classes visited regularly.  He even had
a few overdues because he just "needed a few more days to finish the book".  He then
started reading on a "classics" reading list the Gifted and Talented teacher shared
with him, even though he is not in her class.

The point here - I would never object to students being encouraged to read a certain
amount of time.  Studies have shown that the more a student reads, the more their
reading skills will develop.

At least, this form doesn't require certain titles, nor certain genres.  It looks
like all the reading is free choice.

My only objection as a librarian, is lack of privacy.  Is it really necessary for
the teacher to know WHAT was read, as long as something was?

Just my personal and professional thoughts off the top of my head...

Coming to you from sunny, and still HOT, Texas,
from the cool interior of my home

Leah Hawkins, Librarian
West Hurst Elementary
501 Precinct Line Road
Hurst, TX  76053
leahh@tenet

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:
>
> ********************************************************************************
>
>                         7th Yellow Weekly Reading Log
>
> Name: _______________________   Due Date:__________________________
>
> Parent's Signature:______________________________________
>         __________________________________________________________________
>         |__DATE_|______TITLE_OF_MATERIAL_READ______|__PAGES__|__MINUTES__|
>         |_______|__________________________________|_________|___________|
>
>         |_______|__________________________________|_________|___________|
>         |_______|__________________________________|_________|___________|
>  (etc.) |_______|__________________________________|_________|___________|
>         |_______|_______TOTAL READING TIME_________|_________|___________|
>
> GRADE:  A=90 MINUTES       B=60 MINUTES
>         C=30 MINUTES       D=INCOMPLETE
>
> ********************************************************************************
>
> TIA for your thoughts/suggestions.
> Take care.
>
> Jeff Kirkpatrick
>
> *****
>         Conscious reasoning is THE gift bestowed to humankind which sets us
> apart from other life forms--yet the gift many work so desperately to be
> rid of, by means of unimaginative laws, standards, policies, paradigms, and
> other such mindless games, inherently designed to proscribe rational
> thought in and for the future.  Without doubt, this is the greatest human
> tragedy of all.
>         Might we at least think about it?  (Or are we truly not allowed?)
>
> Jeffrey E. Kirkpatrick
> Present Occupation: Clown in training (in Aurora, CO).  (Like my costume?)
> e-mail address: jeffkirk@sni.net
>
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