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Friday, July 8, 2011

Summer reading quandary

I try not to be too terribly anal about summer reading programs, but I admit I have been debating an issue in my head, certainly giving it more time and thought than it deserves.  Because summer reading should be fun, after all.

Back in the 4th grading period, N was reading at a 38, which would be a 4th grade reading level.  My guess is that she is considerably above this level by now although I won't know for certain until school begins in the fall.  Books that would be considered 4th grade reading Henry and Beezus and those from The Magic School Bus series.

However, since she and G share a room and we read to both of them at bedtime, we do picture books unless the chapter book is something like a Franny K. Stein book with pictures and a topic that really hold G's interest.

I don't doubt that picture books are still good for her to read.  They are easy enough that they help her build her reading fluency.  

But here's my confession:   I have allowed her to read a couple super easy picture books and count them for her summer reading programs, and it feels like "cheating."

Ranks me right up there with Casey Anthony in the "unfit mother" category, eh?

I don't let her use the same books twice or multiple times.  If she reads something she can only count it once on one program list unless she actually reads it twice.  And she has to read chapters as well as picture books so that she is doing some higher level reading.  Today she finished her Junie B. Jones and That Mean Jim book.  We're moving onto Ivy + Bean tomorrow, which she began reading eons ago.  (She drives me nuts with her habit of reading 3 chapters into 8 different books and never completing one of them.)

I do have some principles.

1 comment:

Giselle said...

I let Andrew count picture books...but only if he is reading them to his younger siblings. I figure he is getting experience reading out loud and keeping an audience captive. Plus, it is a reward for me too!

My problem with Andrew is getting him to start a book. Once he starts, he can't put it down and reads it all at once. But getting him to crack that book open is like trying to get water from a stone. Impossible. I don't know if we'll ever finish our summer reading things.