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Book Report
Jan. 18th, 2012 04:28 amLast night, Little Jay and I finished a so-called "book report" project begun before he and his dad had moved out. When we first started it, we had the luxury of knowing that our evenings were available for projects beyond the scope of the normal homework assignments which he completed after school.
Now, we have only the afternoon for whatever the bookbag brings in the door, including daily homework, the outside reading which he logs for his "Book-it" project, and these book reports which are assigned periodically as part of the AIS (Academic Intervention Services) reading program at his school.
It's been my contention, since we first started doing them, that despite their stated purpose of "getting kids to read," these book reports are actually a disincentive to that very process, that kids like Jason who are not "natural readers" tend to regard such additional requirements on completion of each book as a penalty when they should simply be allowed to enjoy the fruits of their efforts as emerging readers.
On the other side of it, I do have to admit that this one got a bit out of hand and that was exacerbated by the above-mentioned changes in Jason's and our home life. Because what started as a shoebox diorama quickly escalated into something approaching the scale and complexity of its subject: The Universe. No, seriously, The Universe. Which is also the title of the book, by Seymour Simon of the Smithsonian Institution, which we read for the project.
Anyway, we had gotten dispensation for Jason to stay overnight, to complete this and another book report of a more normal scale and format, and I'm happy to say that, thanks to an amazing degree of focus and effort on his part, we will be turning in his final three book reports (another one - a really cool little mobile - was already completed) along with his regular homework.
And the diorama? I'll be helping him carry that in because it's actually more like furniture than a shoe box. Because, after all, it contains The Universe...
LPK
LiveJournal
1.18.2012 (a)
Now, we have only the afternoon for whatever the bookbag brings in the door, including daily homework, the outside reading which he logs for his "Book-it" project, and these book reports which are assigned periodically as part of the AIS (Academic Intervention Services) reading program at his school.
It's been my contention, since we first started doing them, that despite their stated purpose of "getting kids to read," these book reports are actually a disincentive to that very process, that kids like Jason who are not "natural readers" tend to regard such additional requirements on completion of each book as a penalty when they should simply be allowed to enjoy the fruits of their efforts as emerging readers.
On the other side of it, I do have to admit that this one got a bit out of hand and that was exacerbated by the above-mentioned changes in Jason's and our home life. Because what started as a shoebox diorama quickly escalated into something approaching the scale and complexity of its subject: The Universe. No, seriously, The Universe. Which is also the title of the book, by Seymour Simon of the Smithsonian Institution, which we read for the project.
Anyway, we had gotten dispensation for Jason to stay overnight, to complete this and another book report of a more normal scale and format, and I'm happy to say that, thanks to an amazing degree of focus and effort on his part, we will be turning in his final three book reports (another one - a really cool little mobile - was already completed) along with his regular homework.
And the diorama? I'll be helping him carry that in because it's actually more like furniture than a shoe box. Because, after all, it contains The Universe...
LPK
LiveJournal
1.18.2012 (a)
