Reading is a chore?

[Lady Vavasour]

IYep, I ruined it so much I got a bachelors and master's in aerospace engineering!! Poor me...

Hey! You're a rocket scientist!

[Lady Vavasour]

About 8 years ago I was a panelist on Sally Jesse Raphael's program about romance novels.  I knew the staff of Romantic Times magazine and because I had access to syndicated research on the subject I functioned as their spin doctor.  My research indicated that most romance readers have at least some education past high school, are white-collar employed, and married.  So much for the idea that they are semi-literate and lovelorn.

You must be familiar with Janice Radway's research. I would be interested in yours.

I can't stand romance novels, but I know better than to look down on people who read them. Women's culture has always been unfairly dismissed as silly or trivial. Look at the cultural prestige enjoyed by James Bond movies, which are nothing other than the masculine equivalent of Mills and Boons novels, and certainly no more sophisticated.

[kherbert05]

Oooohhh... this annoys me to no end. when my son was in second grade he got hooked on reading with the Harry Potter series. Once he'd read through the books we'd bought him he wanted to check out similar books at school. They wouldn't let him b/c second graders were not allowed to check out chapter books!

the librarian KNEW my son, knew he had been reading the Harry Potter series, and STILL would not let him check out chapter books. grrrrr... I had to go into the school to get them to allow an exception for him. I was just thinking.. you're the school librarian... shoulsdn't you be ENCOURAGING him to read at his level? *sigh*

I understand they don't want young readers to tackle something to hard and get frustrated, but they are holding back and frustrating motivated readers. My school handles this problem 2 ways.

Step one students are tested to determine their individual reading levels k-2 is the TPRI given several times a year(I think that is the right test I don't deal with it. ). 3-5 is Star (computerized given 1x a grading period) 1& 2 are also allowed to give Star (we pay for it either way) but still have to administer the other test.

Students are given individual ranges (on a bookmark) and required to check out books in that range. They start at the lower end and work their way up. Nonfiction books almost have to be at the lower range, because non fiction is harder for most kids to follow. Some kids test poorly (especially on the star test because it is a timed computer test), teachers can make adjustments to the reading level as they see fit.

Step two A student has a high interest in subject X. The books on subject X are out of his/her range, but s/he is highly motivated. S/he finishes the book on his/her level before the week is out and pass the AR test (I'm not a huge fan of AR but it does motivate some kids and helps us monitor if the kids are actually reading the books). Then s/he can come back and check out the book on subject X.

BTW A second grader at our school, is expected to be reading at least short (Arthur type) chapter books by Christmas or at least spring break. A motivated 2nd grader - full chapter books by this time of year wouldn't be unusual. There is a problem of emotional readiness to read some of the higher level (say 5.4 and up books), that are getting into some adolescent issues like violence, sex, drugs. With motivated readers like your son, it can start to be a problem in 3rd or 4th grade. We talk to the parents and get their feedback about what is acceptable and what isn't in their house. I think your son's school needs to raise its expectations and stop holding your son back.

AR - Accelerated reader computerized test that gives basic comprehension questions about the book. They earn points for "dog tags". (other schools have AR stores)

5.4 5th grade 4th month

[artk2002]

Oooohhh... this annoys me to no end. when my son was in second grade he got hooked on reading with the Harry Potter series. Once he'd read through the books we'd bought him he wanted to check out similar books at school. They wouldn't let him b/c second graders were not allowed to check out chapter books!

the librarian KNEW my son, knew he had been reading the Harry Potter series, and STILL would not let him check out chapter books. grrrrr... I had to go into the school to get them to allow an exception for him. I was just thinking.. you're the school librarian... shoulsdn't you be ENCOURAGING him to read at his level? *sigh*

That stinks.  Our school policy is this: Kindergarten kids can check out books, but they stay in the classroom.  Books can go home starting at 1st grade and I've never seen or heard of a kid being told that they couldn't check out a particular book (I volunteer in the library at lunch, so I'd know if we were restricting the kids.)  Books can still go home in K, but a parent has to check them out.

[Niphil]

I haven't had time to read in a while, but I love reading. I'm a sucker for the trendy book of the season/month/whatever.

But some of my teachers made reading so boring!
The Scarlet Letter was hateful to me. Everything was a symbol.
In Shakespeare lecture, I've learned even the letter O itself is a symbol. When does it end? What if he didn't mean what we think he meant?

I write short stories for my creative writing classes, and the hidden meanings I write in I don't even realize until I've gone and read over the finished work. And not everyone in my class got them, but they enjoyed the stories, and they laughed at them, and that's all that mattered to me. (It made me so happy when one of my classmates told me she read my story to her suitemates and they liked it. It was thrilling.)

[Venus193]

Is it sad I'm more apt to believe in elves than ever meeting a man that will sweep me off my feet to exotic locations while giving me a back and foot rub?? I think I'm just much too cynical.

I don't know and I may not be the best person to whom to ask that question.

[fklwmn]

. I think your son's school needs to raise its expectations and stop holding your son back.

Luckily my son is not in that school anymore. I thought the whole time he was going there that they understood his gifts and were workign hard to give him appropriate work. In first grade they had him going to second grade for 1/2 of his subjects (Language, Spelling, and Math) for a while, but it was too hard for him socially to try to fit in with 2 different peer groups and he chose to stop doing that and they told me that the next year they could test him for the county-wide gifted program.

In second grade I asked them about testing him for the gifted program (to start it in 3rd grade) and the principal told me they don't test second graders for gifted b/c the test is REALLY hard and stressful so they would test him in 3rd grade to start in 4th grade.

In 3rd grade they tested him for the gifted program. The day of testing he had an abcessed tooth and a fever of 102. He INSISTED on going in for the testing anyway. He scored for honors placement for 4th grade and JUST missed scoring for gifted. The prinicpal told me that she KNEW he should be in that gifted program (it is at a different school) and that the only reason he missed it was b/c he was sick the day of the test so they would retest him in 4th grade.

In 4th grade they retested him and he scored top of the charts for 5th grade gifted placement (and by this time he had started faling into the lazy gifted-unchallenged-student habits of not doing his work and goofing off in class, but acing his tests).

It wasn't until he got into the gifted program did I find out that they DO have a 3rd grade gifted program (meaning they SHOULD have tested DS1 in second grade like I asked), but he also could have re-tested for 4th grade placement since he was so sick during the original testing.

UGH, I was so mad to find out that this principal who I thought was on my son's side all along was actually holding him back, whether out of ignorance or laziness, or something else, I have no idea. It really burns me up though.

[LadyJaneinMD]

And I always read under the covers with a flashlight, but I would also go in the bathroom and lock the door and read.  When my parents were like, "What are you doing?" I would always tell them I was going.  Of course when they came back an hour later and I was still in there, I was kind of busted!

I used to have an alarm clock beside my bed with a lighted face. If I held it upside down over the book, it would illuminate about 3 lines of text.  I read many many books late into the night like that.

[CosmicPossum]

I blame it mostly on school forcing me to read literary garbage like To Kill a Mockingbird.

I know what you're trying to say.  But, I kinda, sorta take slight offense (on behalf of Ms. Lee!) at that comment.

You didn't enjoy that book.  Which is perfectly fine.  But, describing it as "literary garbage" is exactly my point earlier in the thread.  Not everyone likes the same genre of literature.  What appeals to you may not appeal to me.  Everyone needs to find their own niche in order to love books.  No book should ever be described as "garbage" because it discourages those who may love that book or genre from realizing that love.  Everyone should be encouraged to find the kind of book or story that really helps them get lost in the book.

Sorry!  Not trying to pick on your post.  That one phrase just got to me. Didn't quite seem needed to make the point!

I live very near the town the novel was set in.  In fact, Nell Harper (Lee) still lives here a good part of the year.  A sad note--she used to be very gracious and autograph copies of Mockingbird for the local bookstore.  She had to quit because people were buying up several copies & selling them on e-bay.

[Cyndi]

I have to admit I haven't read too many romance novels because I'm the type that doesn't have much romantic tendencies. Give me a good fantasy novel, and I'm enraptured. Read me a passage out of a romance novel and my eyes roll. Is it sad I'm more apt to believe in elves than ever meeting a man that will sweep me off my feet to exotic locations while giving me a back and foot rub?? I think I'm just much too cynical.

LOL! Sounds like me! Though I like the more unusual romances, like human/dragon or human/alien, or even nonhuman/nonhuman.

Guess that explains why I write the fanfiction that I do XD I am seriously driving the boys on the Godzilla message board crazy with the stories I write. There is ONE guy there who is a real sweetheart and loves everything I write, but the others run far away. It's hilarious. I think I'm starting a "monster romance" genre. *rolls*

I think romance novels bug me because they seem so unrealistic. Plus I don't want to read about normal humans all the time(My exceptions were the Hannibal Lecter books). I'd rather read about dragons or other worlds or mermaids or demons in the feudal era, that kind of stuff. A lot of my reading consists of fanfiction, but I'm picky and a story has to be good to keep my attention. Most often I end up writing stuff because it's the kind of story I want to read and I have to write it because nobody else has.

[VorFemme]

Reading is a chore?

If I could earn a living reading, I would.  Heck, I'd work overtime every day - just to earn extra money to buy takeout and pay someone else to do the laundry and housework!

***sigh***

Only in my dreams.......

Of course, if I start reading in my dreams I "fall into" the action, rather like the Disney cartoons where a huge book opens and then the illustration starts moving..............only I am usually one of the characters instead of just an onlooker.

***sigh***

There is a good reason that I avoid the horror genre most of the time - I really don't like "falling into" those stories in my dreams...........

[fklwmn]

Reading is a chore?

If I could earn a living reading, I would.  Heck, I'd work overtime every day - just to earn extra money to buy takeout and pay someone else to do the laundry and housework!

***sigh***

LOL. my mom loves to read, but it is, and always has been, a struggle for her. She has a learning disability that slows her down. It will take her a month to finish a book that I read in 2 or 3 days - IF she has time to read every day!

A few years ago she left her career in childcare administration and accepted a position as an editor. Now SHE gets paid to read (and edit). One day she was making a joke about how ironic it was that she ended up in a field doing something that is so naturally difficult for her. I told her i am SO jealous b/c I'd LOVE to get paid to read.

[goblue2539]

But some of my teachers made reading so boring!
The Scarlet Letter was hateful to me. Everything was a symbol.

I learned to hate reading with The Scarlet Letter.  It's the only book I can think of that I've ever wanted to just burn.  Entire paragraphs made of one sentence... and I was supposed to analyze each sentence fragment.... and write a paper..... and care what was happening when I don't remember any attempt being made to actually make the characters people.... UGH!  Sorry to those who actually like it, but that is one book that I would gladly toss in the fire never to be seen again.

That being said, if anyone has recommendations that I can fit in between Christmas and the start of next semester, I'm always up for reading something new.  Of course, I'm with Xan (?).  I love the chance to read something that has no requirement for brain participation.  

Maybe I'm a little cynical too, because I find that romance has a very small connection with reality, but I enjoy them all the same.  Kay Hooper is one of my favorite romance authors ever.  Maybe cause she manages to work in some supernatural stuff to a lot of her books.  Keeps me guessing a little bit more than "will they have sex before or after they fall in love?"  Which is also why I adore Regency Romances.  They have plots before the sex stuff, sometimes even in place of it.   All of which doesn't change the fact that I enjoy them immensely AND that I can honestly say that I've learned things from them.  $100 in my pocket for winning a trivia game, and all because of something I learned from a romance novel. 

[lilaenne]

Two subjects I have to jump in on:

I'm so, SO glad that our library here interprets the line in the Library Bill of Rights about "no discimination of services by race, gender, age, etc" to mean that everybody gets them same card and can select books without interference from us staff. They may have interference from their parents, but that's the parents' decisions, not the library's.

My mother had imposed some age limits on certain books, but that had more to do with the power of the story than language or explicit scenes. I tried to start Of Mice and Men when I was 9 or so; it was withheld until I was 12 or 13, and it was still too much for me emotionally.

Subject two: I re-read The Scarlet Letter years after high school, at my own pace, and really enjoyed it for the most part. Many books I loathed in class, I've sat down and at least tried the first 40 or 50 pages, and ended up at least respecting the author's writing ability, if not liking the book.

In a perfect world, classrooms would have time to assign a book to just read through, understand what you can and look up the words you need to. Then, after you have the whole story in your mind, go back to the begining and analyze the bits that call for analysis.

[goblue2539]

In a perfect world, classrooms would have time to assign a book to just read through, understand what you can and look up the words you need to. Then, after you have the whole story in your mind, go back to the begining and analyze the bits that call for analysis.

This right here is why I'm considering taking a Literature class to fill in some of my credits.  I want to see if it's any different when the book is being taught to adults who are expected to actually be able to read without hand-holding.  But, not this semester sadly.  Maybe over the summer.