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?

School in August?

Your worries about reading are the issue here. The library thing is a side issue

Don't help him to cheat. Reward him yourself for what he has managed

I'm guessing Scotland if you are back in August?

I totally get it op. Yanbu- we used to go to a school where this was compulsory. In my view tit should be all about fun and enjoyment! I don't see a single stealth boast in your op either.

Last year my dd found this easy least as she was only just starting to read so 6 picture books were a breeze. This year she's gone onto early readers and now it takes hours for her to read one doing 6 is like climbing Mount Everest. I've mixed it up by getting two non fiction books which are mostly pictures, one book I can read to her and only three early readers.

I think the stamps should be for visits not number of books read.

And I plan to fudge it by reading the remaining early readers to her if she can't do them herself. At our library we were told being read to counted totally.

I meant to say I got one extra library book we ent he reading butcwrote down a home book we already had as one of the six. It was read this summer and I don't think it's cheating.

Ent be reading? Sorry! I mean won't be reading.

I agree with getting him any non fiction books that he might be interested in. They don't need to be big books.
Just a simple book on volcanoes, a country he might be interested in, a notable person etc. It would probably only take him 20 minutes to read some of them.
Carry on reading with him. Could you alternate reading the chapters so you're both reading one each?

Non-library books do count! I'm a librarian and the majority of my time at work at the moment is spent dealing with the summer reading challenge. They can be any books they like - fiction, non-fiction, books from home/school/library, audio books, graphic novels...

Hi Blue sounds like you do it very nicely in your library! it must vary from library to library as home books don't seem to count at ours.

OP, you could call without giving your name to check if home books count at hour?

Don't help him to cheat. I would just work on helping your DS get over the feeling he is failing, or the embarrassment, or the feeling he is standing out if he shows up without his list of six books all done and dusted, and let him read whatever it is that he wants. You could explain that this challenge is for children who don't like to read, don't normally read, and don't get encouragement to read.

Forget the certificate. He will learn more from getting over his anxiety than he would by reading six books just to get through with it.

Does he like Roald Dahl books? Harry Potter?

Math, I think the problem is that if the school isn't very flexible like our dc old school there could be real disapproval if the dc turns up not having done it. I used to make sure all mine had the cetificate for that reason.

Not sure why the OP is being given a hard time by some posters? A lot of experts have expressed doubts about the kind of reading programs being discussed here--for precisely the same kind of reasons that the OP has mentioned. There is a real danger of turning reading into a chore.

I am fine with a bit of bribery/pushing in the very early stages of learning to read when they are learning how to slooowly mouth and thumb their way through those boring graded readers and the process of reading feels like wading through treacle. Once they have got through this difficult early stage and have become "free readers," I think this kind of pressure becomes counterproductive. I would prefer it if families and schools could enter into agreements about limiting screentime over the holidays.

Exactly, Mary. It surprises me that teachers and library workers on here support it despite the OP very clearly showing what is wrong with it. Any system that relies solely on counting the number of books read and doesn't take into account the length or complexity of those books is hugely flawed.

And as a reluctant reader, the OP's DS is exactly the type of child they are allegedly supposed to be encouraging.

It might be worth complaining to the library and seeing if they can figure out some way of improving their system.

The library isn't a school. They haven't assessed the reading age and experience of every child. This means they can't possible differentiate and know what's too hard or too easy for any given child.
This is supposed to be a fun scheme and a way of encouraging kids into the library and maybe reading more. It's not education.

They don't need to look at each individual child. Just looking at the books will do. It doesn't take a genius to work out that a rainbow magic book and the first of the lord of the rings trilogy are very different books and shouldn't have the same value. One will take much longer to read regardless of the Reading ability of the child.

TBH the whole thing does seem like a rather pointless tick box exercise. I don't see how deliberately picking easier books is cheating since that's actually the aim of the scheme.

I think your school is at fault for making what should be a fun thing at the library into some kind of examination.

My ds is much less of a reader than yours and i do find it hard but have largely given up now as pressure seems to make it worse.

I would have a chat with him and say based on the rules locally to get the certificate you need to do x y and z ( of course nonfiction counts surely and if the home books don't count just order them at the library) - do you want the certificate? If he says yes then do your best to encourage him but try not to agonise as it will onlyou be a brief moment at school. You may be more upset than him.

I didn't read much at all when young. I could read perfectly well, but didn't enjoy reading books. I went on to get a degree and further professional qualifications and have worked all my life in a professional role. Do you think you are worrying a little bit too much about this?

Thanks for all the replies.

I do agree that encouraging him to cheat is not great but it's just that I think the scheme as it stands is not well thought out. However, just before he starts sec school is probably not the time for me to encourage him to pick and choose which rules to follow!

I've suggested he does the reading as planned, but instead of getting the library stickers / certificate he makes a show and tell powerpoint about what he's read. This is because, on further prompting, he is especially nervous about not doing it this year because his new teacher is in charge of literacy and likes her class to set the example for the school etc. I know he's sat through enough shows and tells over the years admiring sock monkeys/holiday souvenirs and the like, so I thought this would satisfy the teacher that he has actually read.

Ds is happy as apparently someone famous once said the biggest successes have a good plan B, or something, but is it a silly idea?

It sounds like a good idea but what's it like in reality? It takes a second to look at a certificate, how long would the show and tall be and would there be any time available for it?

Would working to the letter of the rules although not necessarily the spirit of them work?

Six very text light books e.g. graphic novels, joke books wouldn't take too long. And I don't believe rereading a book you've already read is against the rules either so some of the WK could be reread as long as you borrowed them from the library.

That should leave him with plenty of time to read the stuff that actually is engaging him with reading.

I agree with you OP about reading challenges not being helpful. Our secondary runs reading challenges - I have one speedy passionate reader and another who reads slowly and I encouraged her to forget about the challenge just to focus on enjoying whatever she is reading - speeding through a book for a certificate/sticker does nothing to encourage a dc's love of reading. I wouldn't encourage a child to cheat though - but a word with the librarian explaining the situation will probably reap some acceptable solution and reassure your Ds that he is not cheating - I'm sure you can read a magazine or two within the challenge.

Make a deal. He reads 6 easy books (can be ones he has read before) that meet the criteria of the challenge to honestly get the certificate according to the rules.
But he also carries on with other reading of whatever to be in accordance with the spirit of the challenge too.

Personally I like the challenge as it encouraged my reluctant reader to keep reading over the summer. Sadly she is now at secondary so too old.

Most of Scotland not back till mid August I think,Anne

I don't think it sounded like you were stealth boasting and I also think no mention of the library challenge will be made once they are back at school. Obviously I don't know your specific school, but this is the sort of thing that gets forgotten and uncelebrated come the new term. The library challenge is a good thing but stressing about it isn't.