Do your kids get required summer reading? (Inspired by buzzlady)

[tiggerlover]

After reading buzzlady's post about which book her ds should chose for required summer reading I wondered if many schools have reading (and or homework) assignments over summer. I was also curious for those that do, what grade levels we are talking about. MY ds is going into 3rd grade and will be moving back to the US this summer and I wondered if this is something required in most areas and in the lower grades.

Thanks!

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

At my high school you get assigned summer reading for your English and History classes as well as your foreign language class where you are required to read a book and write in a journal.

Now that I am in college I don't have any required summer reading but I have a list of books I want to read and I also need to review sophomore biology for a course in the fall.

 

[DanceBabe16]

I'll be a senior in high school next year, and we were given a short list of books to read for our AP English class. It's not required for the regular classes or anything, though - just the college level.

 

[mommytotwo]

My stepson never had required reading at any of the schools that he had gone to, but during the summer, I do take him to the library to pick out a bunch of books, and I have him either write a book report or tell me about the story.

 

[kbeverina]

My daughter had a packet of work and reading to be done over the summer last year--her class "looped"--the entire class and teacher went together from 1st to 2nd. So it was easy to do.

It didn't affect their grades adversely if they didn't do it, but the kids who did got to have a picnic with the teacher in the first few weeks of school.

Otherwise, there's usually just a list of recommended reading for summer since we won't know their teachers in elementary school until the week before.

In high school we did for certain classes, like History and English.

 

[Az Pirates]

I don't think my kids ever had any at the elementary level. Sometimes teachers would send home a packet of things to do over the summer - never any specific books required.

My oldest is in high school and all her AP classes have summer prep work.

 

[wdwnutze]

Required summer reading starts in 1st grade here. The teachers send home a list of suggested books but the kids can really choose what they want as long as they are grade appropriate. When they are in the younger grades the parents keep a list of what was read. As they get older they must write a short report on the book. My dd is going into 7th grade in Sept. and she will need to read 2-3 books this summer and write the reports. They hand them in the 1st week of school and they count as 1 test grade. My dd loves to read so it has never been a problem. Last summer she finished her reading and reports after the 1st week they were out of school.

 

[newholiday]

DS has had required summer reading since entering the 1st grade. In the beginning it was from a list of different authors. The past few yrs its been an assigned book which they are then tested on when returning back to school.
He has also had a math packet sent home with him.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

At the school where I teach we just started requiring our Honors English students to read 2 books over the summer and write a paper about them. There was a lot of crabbing at first and some kids dropped ("I don't want to READ in the summer!") down to regular English, but now it's more accepted. At the senior level my kids have to read "King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table" by Roger Lancelyn Green and "The Loved One" by Evelyn Waugh. Sorry for the quotations, I know titles should be in italics or underlined, but I'm not sure how to do that.
My niece at her school has to read 2 books as well.
Robin M.

 

[Cindy B]

Yes, they do.

The district puts out a packet, and the goal is for them to complete the packet.

Last year for the 2nd going into 3rd graders had to do a few things.

They had to read a biography, science, nature, and something else. They they had to read about 5 fiction books. (it all equaled out to 10 substantial books)

They had to do a story map, plot map, personal narrative, and something else with it.

In his packet, there was also four personal letters he had to write as well.

My duaghters K/1 pack was extremely easy. It was read 10 books and draw pictures with it.

No, it did not affect their grades if they did not do it. But they did get a picnic/ice cream party if they did do it.

In my middle school, the students can get one of a few books to read for the 6th graders it was Bridge to Teribatha, Tangerine, some war/helicopter one, Song of Dolphins, and one more. An alternate selection for the lower reading level was Holes.

They had to use this book, and keep a journal about it. In essence they had to use sticky notes to keep notes about it. In the first month or so of school they did a project on it. In truth, you didn't really NEED to read it over the summer, but you would be busting your butt to complete the book and the project before time was up for the project.

 

[Kallison]

Middle and High School in our district they have to read one book. There will be a short assignment on it in September. If they move in from out of district, they can pick any book they have recently read. Usually the reading is not too hard, my son could easily read the book assigned in a day or two.

 

[cruisnfamily]

My dd has just completed 5th grade. She'll be going to middle school next year and we got a list of required reading. She must read Tangerine and then there is a list of about 8 other books and she has to pick at least one other to read if not more. She's picked Homecoming and Bud, Not Buddy . She also has to write "a well developed paragraph that answers at least two of the following questions..." and there is a list of 5 questions. The paperwork says she will receive a letter grade on each paragraph when school starts.

This is the first time we've ever been assigned summer work.

 

[Amy]

My oldest DS got his very first summer reading assignment this year - he's going into 9th grade in the fall. He's been in honors classes all along, but this is the first time he's had to read anything over the summer. He has to read Great Expectations and write short summaries about the 42 interpersonal relationships in the book. He is NOT a happy camper.

 

[browneyes]

Their school doesn't require it, but my mom does. She takes them to the summer reading program at her library every year. They read 5-10 books every week.

 

[swanmom]

This year our district requires the fifth graders heading for middle school to read "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" over the summer. Besides the obvious benefits of reading the novel, it means that kids from all five elementary schools in town have a common ground when they start classes together in the middle school in the fall.

 

[tkd lisa]

My kids (finishing 5th and 6th grade) have never had required summer work. Occasionally, an optional packet will come home. I do have them participate in the library reading program (easy since they probably read 3-5 books a week without any prompting, both kids love to read). I also have them do some sort of math work during the week with the babysitter, just to keep them focused.

This summer, I'm thinking of assigning an internet research type problem to them each week, since middle school seems to have a lot of these types of projects, and my oldest had some problems actually finding meaningful data. It would probably be something like "How many home games do the Redskins play this year?" or "how far is it from Washington DC to Indianapolis?"

 

[Cruise04]

My dd will be in high school for the first year in the fall. They did get a required reading and the book was assigned to them - Rebecca. They will have a test the first week.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Hmmm...thanks for reminding me to call! DS said they had reading for the summer but didn't come home with a list of any kind. Just called the school. She says report cards are being mailed late this week, and a list will be included. But she did say that during the school year they will be reading Witch of Blackburg Pond and Johnny Tremain. Hmmm...I find it interesting they'll be reading about a witch in a Catholic school.

Last summer his school in FL required two books for the summer. The kids were tested on them the first week of school. DS ended up actually liking the books, and he's not a big fan of reading.

 

[DoeWDW]

The only required reading in our district is for high school level Honors English classes. They have to pick 2 books from the list. They write a report on one book and do a more creative project on the other, like a poem, song, painting, poster, etc.

 

[suzannen]

My DD is just finishing up 4th grade this week. We've been told she will be given 3 books the last day of school and will be required to write a 4-5 page book report on each. Every student in her grade will get the same books, there is no choice involved.