I agree that summer reading isn't really done by students (as hoped by their
teachers), and that the assignment is often administered to the student to
do in isolation--which defeats the purpose of the assignment. However, for
many schools (such as the one I am now in), summer reading is a ritual that
has been performed since the dawn of time. I realize that the students
quickly read through the book (pick up the Cliff Notes) the week before
school begins and hope that they can pass the first test of the year--which
is administered by the teacher during that first week back.
The philosophy of summer reading at my school, undoubtedly resides with the
idea that there is "nothing to do" over the summer-- which is a throw-back
to the 1940's or 1950's perhaps (basically when those who established my
school were young, enthusiastic, and without the luxury of even minor
technology---and definitely with nothing close to the technology used by
students' today). With everything that is in competition with our students'
reading enjoyment during the summer, I still cringe when I see titles such
as those assigned this year: "The Iliad," "Huckleberry Finn" or even "A
Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich."
Most of the students who visit my library have great literary reading
habits...but even some of these assigned titles challenge (and exhaust) the
enjoyment that summer reading could provide. Without intervention to assist
in the discussion of many literary elements at the time of reading, this is
basically a waste of great literature (that could have been taught in the
classroom)....and a waste of great summer reading time (with a book that
just hit the New York Times Fiction list!)
My opinions only....
~Shonda Brisco
TVS MS / US Lib
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Savage" <c.savage@CMS.K12.NC.US>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 6:50 PM
Subject: Re: [LM_NET] Summer reading
>I resist sending messages to the whole group, but after recent postings
>about the high school LMS who was excluded from participating in the
>creation of a summer list and the posting about the LMS who was to help
>create the list, I had to put in my 2 cents.
>
> I agree with David's comments about the students who often aren't held
> accountable for the reading or those who never have the chance to
> participate because they enrolled during the summer.
>
> I'm changing to middle school (actually grades 5 and 6) next year. I
> wasn't asked to help with the summer reading list and that is fine with
> me. I volunteered to form a liason with a local bookstore to sell the
> books during open house, but that's it. I don't believe in summer reading
> lists -- I believe in summer reading. I encourage my elementary students
> to participate in the summer reading program at the local public library.
> (I've been told that the enrollment at our local public library is the
> best in the county.) Too many students are reading for Accelerated
> Reading or Reading Counts during the school year. Summer should be a time
> for reading things they enjoy. As adults, don't we choose the mysteries
> or romance novels rather than the professional books? Why shouldn't
> children be given the opportunity to make their own choices? If a teacher
> wants all students to read the same book, it should be assigned during the
> school year. You can't expect all students to
> "get the messages" in a certain book if no one is there to guide them.
> Summer reading should be fun reading. The kind of reading that makes you
> want to read more; not the kind that some adult chooses for you.
>
> Off my soapbox.
>
> Carol
>
> Carol Savage, NBCT
> Library Media Specialist
> Hawk Ridge Elementary School
> Charlotte, NC
> c.savage@cms.k12.nc.us
>
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