To wish school wouldn't bang on about library reading challenge so much and to encourage ds to cheat?

[theduchessstill]

Once again the dc have come home from school telling me they must do this challenge, Mrs X and Miss Y have both said everyone in the class must do it as they expect it, everyone who turns up in September with the requisite certificate will be rewarded by the school as well etc etc.

Now obviously I want to encourage my dc to read and have done so all their lives (and if it’s relevant, both are excellent readers), but I’m starting to find some of this a bit counter-productive. Ds1 is my main concern. He will be going into Y6 and doesn’t read as much as I’d like. Over the last year or so I’ve had to admit he doesn’t like reading, and it hurts me. As an English graduate/teacher who read to both the dc pretty much from birth and filled the house with books I suppose I assumed they would both love reading as much as I do. But they don’t. Ds 1 did go through a phase of reading a lot but that’s long gone and he doesn’t really read a great deal now. I still read to him at bedtime and he does read some non-fiction, more so in the holidays, and he will devour fucking Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates, but that’s really it, aside from cricket related stuff/magazines/programmes etc.

Ds2 is enjoying the HTTYD series and reads on after I’ve read to him at night. As ds1 devours Wimpy Kid, he will devour Rainbow Magic.

The challenge doesn’t bother ds2 – he will happily read 6 Rainbow Magic books and, I believe, gain little from the experience but will take the certificate happily to school: job done. Ds1 can’t do anymore WK and TG because has read all there is, and struggles with the challenge a lot more. He actually doesn’t want to do it, but is genuinely worried about turning up and not having done it, despite all I have said to reassure him on this.

He has a couple of big science books on the go atm. They are huge and not the type of books you tear through quickly, but he is genuinely interested in them and enjoying reading them. Worse than being big, one of them is not even from the library, so will not count. I have told him that as long as he reads a bit of them everyday he could count them both towards the challenge – the librarians don’t check the boo titles are from the library when they sign them off. I have said we can probably find 3 WKesque books in the library he could use, and that will just leave one other new type of book for him to try. He is happy with my ‘deal’ but aghast at the suggestion of cheating, but equally distraught at the idea of not completing the challenge or reading other books to make up the 6!

AIBU to think he would be a lot better off reading whatever he likes and will probably gain a lot more from what he does end up reading than the shite ds2 will gobble up, yet he could be the one to end up being praised for it!

AIBU for being pissed off with the school for pushing this like it’s the only possible way to show reading ability/enthusiasm when it really isn’t?

What do you propose they do instead to promote reading? I wouldn't expect a school to push this scheme as if it's compulsory but I would expect them to encourage children to read.

I seem to remember when DS did the reading scheme audio books counted. Would that help?

I just wish the library challenge was more differentiated. If a child is already a strong reader then being told that they can get rewarded for reading 6 books, any books they like, is just too easy and is actually detrimental to their education. It does a child harm to give them the message that rewards can be given for no effort. There should be rules to say that if you find a book so easy that it takes you no effort to read it then it doesn't count.

For the children who have not been read to from birth by an English graduate and who come from houses not stuffed with books , Reading Challenge is really important to keep the skills sharp , to encourage reading, and give children who are not expected to read at home the incentive to do so. So on behalf of all teachers who are trying to maintain their pupils reading ,and incidentally encourage the use and retention of public libraries, may I apologise most sincerely for pissing you off.

At least it gave you the chance of a stealth boast or two, so not all bad eh?

Non library books still count in my experience. The only requirement is that the child can summarise what they've read, even if they do an audiobook.

I'm sorry Viques I didn't mean to be stealth boasting. I genuinely worry about ds1 a lot in terms of his ability to handle situations like this, and I'm also sad that neither of them really like reading a lot. I really wasn't trying to boast. They also spend a fair bit of time with their useless dad who won't push reading at all, so this is all on me and that situation is another source of guilt and worry.

Also it's not about ability of reading age, you can read 6 Biff and Chip if you're 12. It's about enjoying to read and engaging with the library

What you're suggesting isn't cheating! He'll have read his 6 books. I seem to remember our library saying books from home are fine anyway. If he completes it like you say he should feel proud of himself! It sounds like his attitude to reading is fine. We used to do the challenges and sometimes I would read the book to my younger dc. It was fine, and he still felt proud of himself. All the library are doing is promoting a love of books, they're not trying to catch anyone out.

My DS loves non fiction too but I don't get this, why can't he get 6 non fictions? surely one a week is manageable? They are off school for 6 full weeks surely you of all people should see how detrimental it could be if he doesn't so some reading in that time.

The library won't check he has read every single page anyway so as long as he has spent some time reading the bits that interest him is that really so unreasonable for 6 weeks?

Also mokaerisifhija you can get rewards for anything up to 18 books and beyond that they give a prize ( in my area) to the one who has read the most. Last year someone had read 76 books.

Y ABU organising his cheating for him.

If he doesn't want to do it, just don't do it and let him deal with the "fall out" when he returns to school. It may encourage him to actually do it next summer if he wants a cert.

I use the term "fall out" loosely

Non-library books definitely don't count. This makes it hard as it seems it's as much about promoting the library as about promoting reading itself. Libraries are fantastic and essential of course, but ours is hard for me in particular to use as it is only open certain times and, more importantly, has no letter box to drop books off and no online renewals, so we end with overdue books forever.

It becomes hard work.

Fruitcorner that is what I am suggesting he does. Not sure why you think I am objecting to the idea of his reading.

they give a prize ( in my area) to the one who has read the most. Last year someone had read 76 books.

I hate this element of competition in everything now? What does that have to do with a love of reading?

The young volunteers in our library didn't even write down what book my DD had read, happily handed out the first sticker. They won't know if a book is from the library or not.

I'm not a huge fan of this kind of thing. If you make kids think they need a bribe to read it just makes it less attractive imo. How about inviting kids to speak about something interesting they've read over the holidays - in a book, magazine or wherever.
Ime these schemes make no difference to how much kids read. We had similar at school recently and the kids who always read a lot read a lot and those who didn't still didn't.

Our library accepts non-library books. We went this morning and they were perfectly happy for DD to put down a book she'd read on her Kindle. No element of competition at all where we are.

If a book is too easy it shouldn't count? Give over.

Mine also devour books that are too easy for them. I did the same at their age, and borrowed the same favourite (and too easy) books over and over from the library. I'm an English teacher.

I think the libraries would be horrified reading this thread. That challenge is ALL about reading for enjoyment.

Also they tend (at our school at least) to come with a list of things that 'don't count' towards the prize. So you could read newspapers but not comics and not a certain type of book about something very popular at the time. It's almost as if they are trying to put the kids off tbh.

I am just saying he should be able to manage 6 non fiction from what you've said so I don;t get the problem. I think if your son has no problem reading it's just tick box exercise for him but might make a big difference to some children.

WRT the competition I guess I am lucky that the element of competition seems to have bypassed my son so far, he just likes getting the stamps on his card. I was responding to mokaerisifhija who said it was too easy for some but do';t see how the library can possibly please everyone.

Lastly 'puzzle' books and joke books etc. all count in my library. Your library sounds like it needs to get up to date with online renewals. Is there another, larger library that has got online renewal options that you could get to once or twice?

We can't do it in our local area Where we lived before, you could pop in any day for a quick chat with library staff about the book you've read, get a sticker and more books. It was brilliant.

Current area makes you attend an hour's group session, which you must sign up to at the start of the holidays - so, for example, 3pm every Tuesday. If you don't attend, you don't get a sticker for that week (even if you've read books). Don't get the stickers, don't get the medal. Doesn't matter if you've checked out and read 37 books - tough, you didn't attend the group one week out of 6. We don't go on holiday, but we do have days out, and being tied to having to attend a library session was too difficult, as we would have to choose between special offers for a whole day out, or an hour at the library. Kids love reading, but not the sessions too, which doesn't help.

It needs rethinking in our area.

Fruitcorner I see what you mean, but, at the risk of being accused of stealth boasting again, he won't easily read 6 non-fiction books I don't think. The one he picked up today is the book of DA's First Life. It's big, chunky and small print. I doubt he'll finish it, and, if he does, won't do another 5! He is a picky reader...

He has an audio version of which ever LOTR he is on now, but even of it counts, it's a lot of hours ...

Yanbu. They're not promoting a love of reading, they're turning into hard work and a competition. And it seems unfair that reading two large non fiction non library books for pure enjoyment is somehow less valid than ploughing their way through reading 6 library books they may have no interest in because the teacher has told them to.

Ok I see. I get that at his age this may feel like cheating but actually I don't think there's a rule against you reading to him so if you read to him at bedtime use those books! My 4YO is doing the reading challenge and every book she has is read to her it's about encouraging a love of books.

sorry just to add if audio books count then surely you reading to them will count.

And it seems unfair that reading two large non fiction non library books for pure enjoyment is somehow less valid than ploughing their way through reading 6 library books they may have no interest in because the teacher has told them to.

I agree with this in principle but see why the reading challenge exists and why it is so successful. Maybe it's some schools that have got it wrong by essentially making it compulsory thus sucking out all the fun!

I can't see it matters if the books aren't from the library. Mine read pretty much every day but they weren't bothered about doing the challenge, they read library books sometimes, but often they're just reading and rereading their own books.

that sounds a very silly way your library does it, mimsy.

The only requirement is that the child can attempt to summarise the story, so reading to/with them does count