10 year old and school reading

[amid chaos]

My 10 year old DD is in fifth grade. Reading is not her favorite activity. It has always been a struggle to get her to read a book.

Her fifth grade teacher has them reading a book for a monthly book report, a book kept in their desks for 20 minute reading time where the whole school reads (and HAS to be different then their book report book) and then she is reading Shiloh for her language arts class which she has homework from every evening.

That's three different novels. As an adult, I'm not sure I could keep them all straight!

is this asking abit much of a 10 year old or am I way off base here?

 

[golfgal]

I don't like reading different books at the same time. I agree with you on this, it is confusing, I think. Maybe the teacher is the type that can read 3 or 4 books at a time. I can see keeping your book report book at your desk and having the teacher read a different one out loud (my kids love Shiloh!) but why the 3rd book?

 

[aprincessmom]

DD is in 4th grade and it sounds like her curricula is the same. Monthly book report, 20 minute reading in class, and 20 minutes reading outside of class each night for the reading log. This doesn't include anything they'll be reading for language arts, social studies or the like.

They started this last year and I think a lot of her classmates have trouble with it. DD doesn't but maybe it's because she loves to read or she has always seen me with 3-4 books going simultaneously. Honestly, I'm glad she's learning this young because by the time she hits Jr. High, High School and college, that will be the norm. I figure at that point she'll be well indoctrinated and won't freak out when she gets bombarded with multiple reading assignments.

One thing DD recommended to her best friend (who isn't that high on reading) was to pick different themes for each book that way you can keep them straight and not confuse one book with another. Seems to work for her friend...maybe that would help your DD?

 

[Christine]

My son is also 10 and in the 5th grade. The teacher has them reading 20 minutes per night also. But, she has an extensive library of certain books within the classroom and she says that the book that they take home to read MUST be the same book that they are using during class time. She said right at back to school night that it is "ridiculous" that have them reading multiple books at the same time at that age. Yes, I'm sure that there are children that can do it and love it; however, I don't believe that is the norm.

I think I'd say something to her about it.

 

[eeyore kelly]

I am an avid reader and so is my son who is in 6th grade. It is asking too much. I can't see why the 20 minute reading, the Language book, and the book report can't be the same novel. I think I would ask the teacher about this.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Hmmm. I do not think so.

My DS9 is in 4th grade. He has a book he reads at school, a book he reads at night and a book report, monthly.

So far, we are averaging over 2 hours a night for homework. That does not include the reading.

Is your school doing Wizards? It's a junior achievement program that teaches kids groups, group decision-making, buying/selling, etc. They do extra homework and hand it in once a week (homework needs to consist of vocab and spelling words from the week). Creative writing (essays), speeches, crosswords, word finds, handwriting, etc are all given points which turn into $$$ to (fake) purchase things to make their company (group) working smoothly.

The kids love it but its a lot of work. However, since it all paradies around the weekly program, kids seem to learn the words better and easier. My son handed in (potentially) 51 points this morning, which is about 10 extra homework assignments.

As long as he is learning and is having fun, I'm okay with it.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Wishing on a star]

That's three different novels. As an adult, I'm not sure I could keep them all straight!

is this asking abit much of a 10 year old or am I way off base here?

I DO think that this is asking a bit much!
Many people here in the DIS already know that I feel our educational system is WAY out of control!!!

This is elementary school for goodness sakes.... Why would they have such a problem limiting it to one or two 'novels' at most until at LEAST middle school!!!

 

[Mimi Q]

I personally could never keep three books straight. I think trying to keep them straight would definitely not make for enjoyable reading.

 

[snoopy]

What a mess Vanessa. No wonder the poor child doesn't like to read.

Luke is in 5th grade. He has the same requirements as your DD, but they only read one book in class, and that is the one they are doing the report on. They are also required to read 20 minutes each night, that can either be the book they are studying as a group, or a book at the student's discretion. Either/or, its solely up to the student.

 

[goofy!]

.....

 

[Kitty 34]

My opinion in two words........too much.

 

[nemo1987]

I remember doing that in fifth grade but we only read two books at a time. I could do that now( I do in college) but im not sure I could have read three or more in grade school. I would ask the teacher as suggested above.
-Sarah

 

[disykat]

I don't think it's too much, given the fact that much of this is curriculum. I don't think it's the same as strictly reading for pleasure. Schools now tend to use novels for much of the instruction - whereas we read from basal readers. It sounds to me like she has one book at school, one at home, plus one that is the equivalent of a basal reader.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I don't think it's too much. I would have loved to read that much in school when I was in that grade.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

as someone who absolutely loves to read and was reading a lot of books at the age of 10, having to read 3 books at the same time AND actually retain enough information to do well in school is a lot.
I went to the same exact school and we didn't have that much reading...it was only 10 years ago!