CajunDixie said:
It's still homework.
I guess the only good thing is that you must be a 1st grade teacher.
I am a kdg. teacher and, of course, cannot force parents to read a book to their children every night. It would be great if every parent did, though. I find that if I call it "homework", then it's more likely to get done. I think parents reading to their child every night is nothing compared to sending a packet of worksheets or a project.
What if you taught middle school children? Should they read a book over their vacation too?
What are your thoughts on summer reading? I'm not trying to start something w/you ... but many schools have mandatory summer reading requirements. DS had summer reading requirements starting in Kdg. That's basically making them read over vacation, right? What would you do about that? Isn't it, essentially, the same thing? Gosh -- if I taught middle school, I suppose if we started a book and were a chapter away from being finished, I don't think it'd be asking a lot for them to finish the chapter over Christmas/Spring break. I certainly wouldn't assign loads of reading.
There is no law that says a parent has to read to their child EVERY night.
Yes, you're right. However, I find that students who are read to every night do better in school. There is no way for me to enforce this and, I'm sure in a lot of homes, it never happens.
Let's face it.......some of us have to travel during the holidays to family celebrations. I don't allow library books on out of town travel. Some people cannot physically stand to read in a moving vehicle. Many young children fall asleep on long car rides. There are other educational things parents can do with their children on their "vacations"!
I am one of those who cannot read in a moving vehicle. And, my DS is one who falls asleep on a long car ride. And, I agree that there are other educational things parents can do w/their children on vacation. I believe there are times when you can squeek in some reading. When you're w/family, why not have the older kids read to the younger ones before bed? So what if they fall asleep in the middle of a book? It's better than nothing! Again, I can make the same case w/summer reading. We go on vacation during summer, yet DS has mandatory summer reading he has to do.
I found it insulting to have older DS have a large project due after fallbreak of his 6th grade year.
Yes, I agree. I would not assign a major project during a break. I think students deserve rest and relaxation ... just as teachers do. I wouldn't assign an entire chapter book over Christmas break ... although I know that is what will be expected of DS9.
Now some may say that teachers take work home with them over the break so it's only fair for students to work also. Well, I know for a fact this teacher spent their vacation in the Bahamas and did no work at all while there.
How do you know for a fact that he/she didn't do any work there? We were on vac. in Washington and I picked up info. from the resource room at Smithsonian's Air & Space museum to use in my lessons, found books geared to Kdg. about becoming the President, US History, etc. While it wasn't "pencil to paper" working, I'd consider it working. After all, my mind wasn't supposed to be on school or lesson plans! Perhaps the teacher in the Bahamas was finding things to teach students while there? Interesting sea shells to include in a lesson about the ocean? I'm always on the look-out for ideas and things to use in my classroom, regardless of whether I'm on vacation or not. Even during the summer, I'll come up w/ideas out of the blue to use somewhere. Now, I'm on vacation -- should I not be doing that? Heavens no! I'm going to hope that the Bahama vacation gave the teacher some inspiration for future lessons.
