Another child lost to the public schools?
My neighbor’s child, Z, age 11, takes a trip to the library with M and I the other day. We spend about 45 minutes at the library, and Z wanders around and doesn’t pick out a single book. M get’s a stack together that is about 24 inches tall. Z is shocked that we would pick out so many books at the library. Z then tells me that every single book he reads is boring.
Z says: What usually happens is that I’m assigned a book, I have to read it, and I always think it’s really boring.
Me: Well, has there ever been a book you enjoyed?
Z: (Thinking for a minute, then face lights up) Actually, Yeah! It was called “_____________” (I forget the title now. Gotta ask him for it again)
Me: I’ll try to look that one up on the internet and see if I can find you similar book that you would also like to read.
Z seems interested.
Later, in the car, Z asks me if I always find books that I like at the library, and if I always finish them.
Me: I find a lot of books I like, and some that I don’t. I don’t believe there are any laws that say you have a finish every book you pick up. But sometimes you have to read several chapters of a book in order to tell if you will like it.
The next day, Arp talks with Z a little more about books. He recommends one of his favorite books, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh (Aladdin Fantasy)" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker('/outbound/www.amazon.com');">Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. He loans Z a copy of the book.
Z, to Arp: After I read the book, are you going to test me on it?
Is there hope? I don’t know.
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I think there’s some hope. I did my best to impress upon him that you can’t just write off reading due to the crap they stuff down your throat in school. Reading can be magical, and unlike watching a movie your imagination can be take you right into a good story. I also dispelled some other ideas - like you have to read a whole book if you don’t like it. I can understand being turned off reading tho - after college I had a 3-4 year period where I read very little beyond newspapers and magazines.
He did mention there was one book he liked, so I figure if we can guide him towards reading for fun that it could be a nice lifelong joy.
Test? That broke my heart. Why beat the love of learning out of kids in the pretense of making them learn? That’s just so sad.
Wow. That’s just so sad. Our daughter LOVES books so much, but she hasn’t started school yet. I hope they don’t beat the love of learning and books out of her.
http://themamahood.typepad.com
One thing that really bugged me about school was how they frowned upon reading something not related to the class after finishing homework or a test. I always had a story book of some sort with me at school and read every chance I got. (The one exception was English where reading anything was OK)
I’m obviously defensive here since I’m an English teacher in a public school, but we’re not all bad–lots of kids like to read. Sure, they don’t always want to read what’s assigned, but a good number of us do lit circles where groups of four or so kids pick out a title they all like and read it together.
And really, sometimes kids need to be stretched a bit. Lots of them think they’re going to hate To Kill a Mockingbird but end up really liking it, especially after we start preparing for the mock trial.
Julie,
I really hate to pull out the teacher card, but I see you’ve forced me to do it
Yes, I used to be a teacher also. Not only that, I was an English teacher. And in a public school, no less. Once upon a time a long long time ago I went for my Masters and bought into it all. In my personal assessment, I was also a good teacher. Actually, I’ll be really pompous and say I was a great teacher. But now I know - a person can be the greatest teacher of children in the world and still not compare to the very best teacher in existence - the child himself. The whole idea of school and of a curriculum developed by people outside of the child himself will never support the kind of real authentic learning that young humans need.
I have a lot of respect for teachers. It’s the hardest job in the world. In fact. I think it’s the hardest job because they are doing something that simply can’t be done in that kind of system. The are treading water, sanding against the grain. Good luck, Julie. Because every time you assign a book from your curriculum, one that probably won’t meet the needs or interests of the majority of students, I’ll just be hoping that a few of your students end up enjoying the book *despite* the system that is stacked against them. You are right, it does happen occasionally (students enjoying books). But that’s more about luck, and maybe the teachers being cheerleaders. Why do we need cheerleaders for books once kids get to school?! Doesn’t my 4-year-old love books, all on his own, without a cheerleader in sight?
Best wishes.
Trish
We have two boys, aged 14 and 15. We read to them both pretty much non-stop when they were little, we are both insatiable readers. Today, one boy is also an insatiable reader. He reads EVERYTHING. He ALWAYS has a book with him. The other boy does not read at all except at gun point. Or unless it’s written on a video game screen. Both witty and intelligent, both home schooled from the beginning. One reads, one does not.
The real tragedy with Z is that he WANTS to read and WANTS to enjoy it… and doesn’t have anything good “assigned”… this is a tragedy. If anyone wants suggestions for a list of good boy books, let me know.
Yes, Saratica, I totally hear where you are coming from. I’ve seen kids that, due to their personality, just don’t relate to the written word. The nice thing about homeschooling is that the child can choose their own personal ways of learning without being made to feel bad about it.
I’d go farther and say that the tragedy with Z is more that he associates books with assignments and testing, rather than what I would hope books might be about (personal enjoyment, looking up some information that the person wants to know, experiencing a different time/place/way of life, etc.).
I’m thinking that Z needs to enjoy reading before being ’stretched.’ I agree that I read some things that I didn’t expect to like (Shakespeare in high school, ‘Villette’ in college), but it helps to not consider reading to be a chore before undertaking a task that requires a bit more effort.
Z read a chapter and said he wasn’t interested, then bought a fantasy book. I’m curious to see if he reads that or not - as he already mentioned liking fantasy I advised that ‘The Hobbit’ would be really cool. ‘Mrs. Frisby’ was something I read at 8, while I read ‘The Hobbit’ at 10. Z’s 11, so perhaps ‘Mrs .Frisby’ wasn’t really up his alley. I think the good thing is that he could stop reading something that he didn’t like without feeling bad or guilty.