Thank you for the many responses.

[BelleMcNally]

Rather than thinking we are too good to follow the rules and wait in line, my thinking is exactly the opposite. I would not begrudge anyone using a GAC or if a celebrity caused parts of the park to be temporarily closed because other wise they would be mobbed. That is customization again.

Whoa, whoa, whoa...

This "problem" is not occurring because your son has physical/mental difficulty--comparing it to a GAC is silly.

If the most your son has to complain about is five minutes spent bored by reading something he doesn't like, he is a very lucky boy.

 

[Jennasis]

Choose your battles wisely. This isn't one you should be fighting AT ALL. You're wrong, and your son is wrong. He needs to follow his teacher's instructions. PERIOD. He isn't special enough to opt out of an assignment no matter how fast a reader he may be be. Get him a book (even one he may have read already) and tell him to read it...slowly...in class, for 5 minutes each day, End of discussion. And both of you stop being so difficult about it.

In 7th grade I was the fastest reader in the school. No really...I was. I actually read the entire reading textbook and did all the associated assigments/reports that went with them in the time it took the rest of the class to do the first story in the book (about a month). I progressed through 3 textbooks/reading levels in one year and actually spent the last few months of the school year in the library during reading class, checking out books, reading them and just doing book reports. It was awesome. I did all the work AS REQUIRED by my teacher first, and then they tailored a reading program for me when I fulfilled that.

 

[Ronda93]

In every school day he has 200 small issues where he does comply with the requirements, even when it is to his own detriment.

Since you've been a teacher home school him. If he surmounted the daily indignities that don't serve him well, but this is the deal breaker, it's not a good sign.

 

[pozey]

I do feel that he is being penalized for being a fast reader. He has to find 30 plus books a month to read or get zeros on some days. His classmates have to find one or two.

Okay.....many, many people have posted on this thread giving some very good opinions and options.

So, here is mine.......he has to read a certain book for 5 minutes each day. During a normal week, that is 25 minutes per week. During a normal month, that is 1 hour 40 minutes. No 7th grader can read 30 books in 1 hour 40 minutes. (being facetious here...)

Have your son pick out a nice book. That book is ONLY to be read for the 5 minute beginning of class period. This would also teach him self-restraint. He might want to read more, but he can't until tomorrow. Self-restraint is a good trait to acquire.

Simple solution if you ask me.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I'm sorry but

Whoa, whoa, whoa...

This "problem" is not occurring because your son has physical/mental difficulty--comparing it to a GAC is silly.

about as silly as comparing it to a Theme Park shutting down an area so a Celebrity won't be mobbed?

 

[luvmy2sams]

Last post for a while because having Lasik enhancement surgery this afternoon.

I was a teacher 3 times and i would customize for each child to the very best of my ability. Granted I only had 30 children and not 120.

In this case i don't expect total customization, just 5 minutes of a different assignment. I also agree for more practice on critical reading. And one way to start is reading a hard book and the cliff notes at the same time. In second grade his teacher asked for no more aviation books and we complied. This year the teacher asked him to expand from Tom Clancy and other military fiction so he branched out to Science Fiction.

Rather than thinking we are too good to follow the rules and wait in line, my thinking is exactly the opposite. I would not begrudge anyone using a GAC or if a celebrity caused parts of the park to be temporarily closed because other wise they would be mobbed. That is customization again.

Asking the teacher to customize to your child means that said teacher also must customize to the other 119 children she teaches each day, if they so request. You are asking what is in all probability an already overloaded teacher to take on even more work so that your child doesn't have to read for 5 minutes. Simply ridiculous.

You're making some major leaps here in comparing 5 minutes of classroom customization to someone with a handicap...or a celebrity in a themepark. You're grasping at way out there straws in an effort to rationalize you and your son's response to FIVE MINUTES OF READING. Give me a break.

 

[BelleMcNally]

about as silly as comparing it to a Theme Park shutting down an area so a Celebrity won't be mobbed?

No...that was a pretty apt comparison..

 

[poohandwendy]

Last post for a while because having Lasik enhancement surgery this afternoon.

Perhaps you will come back being able to ''see'' this with a more clear perspective then. It is 5 minutes of his time. That is a very, very small part of his day. You asked if the teacher was wrong, or dead wrong. IMO, not at all. You are being totally unreasonable and trying to find a 'cause' to crusade against.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

ok, let me just add.
My child goes to a small Private School. In his ENTIRE 6th grade, there are 31 students.... approximately 120 students 5th through 8th grades. They have 4 Full Time and 2 Part Time teachers and a couple of teachers aids.

I can tell you without a doubt that if I were to march into the school and demand from any teacher in that building that my son shouldn't have to read for a five minute period of classtime that is designated for reading because he needs his life customized

The would have 1 word for me.

"NO"

And I have never in my life met a Librarian who wants to slap a Teacher because she is asking her kids to read. Boy that is something I'd like to see.

Your arguments are weak and extremely unconvincing. There is not a person here who believes that there is nothing there for your son to read or that your son is "too good" of a Reader to make this exercise practical. There is only one thing going on here, and that is that your son is pulling a power play on the teacher --- AND HIS MOM IS LETTING HIM WIN IT.

I am simply incredulous that your teacher let you pull this and I agree that you have just done your son a huge Disservice. If you would please give me her school address, I'd like to mail her a backbone. You have taught your son one thing here and one thing only

If I don't Like It, My Mom Will Make Them Change It

Congrats.

I really hope that your son isn't bored with his High School Literature class, because I sincerely doubt your going to get that Teacher to change her course syllabus for you.

 

[luvmydogs]

...Rather than thinking we are too good to follow the rules and wait in line, my thinking is exactly the opposite. I would not begrudge anyone using a GAC or if a celebrity caused parts of the park to be temporarily closed because other wise they would be mobbed. That is customization again.

This is melodramatic, let alone insulting to those who require special accomodations because of valid medical conditions. There is no way on God's green earth a 7th grader cannot find a book with which to occupy five minutes of his time--he is making excuses and you are validating this nonsense by rationalizing on his behalf.

As I say to my ds10 when he is riding a little too high on his entitlement horse, "Baby, you are special--but ya ain't that special."

 

[Bob Slydell]

I'm sorry but




about as silly as comparing it to a Theme Park shutting down an area so a Celebrity won't be mobbed?

Ahh heck, this thing went from the sublime to the ridiculous a long time ago, when Enron somehow got brought into the discussion. Why not keep it up with more inane comparisons.

 

[padams]

5 minutes of customized instruction per day X 5 days in a week=25 minutes of customized instruction per week.

25 minutes of customized instruction X 120 students=3,000 minutes of customized instruction per week.

Assuming a 7 hour school day, they are only in school for 2,100 minutes per week. The teacher must be either a saint or spineless to agree to a compromise in this situation.

Perhaps the OP and her son are the perfect candidates for homeschooling. She's a former teacher. She can completely customize his education, and he can do whatever he wants.

 

[poohandwendy]

If you want customized instruction based on your enterpretation of the 'right' way to teach, homeschool. It's really that simple.

 

[MICKEY88]

I agree with all the others who think you are wrong,
I'll take it one step farther, you are indeed doing more harm than good, you are teaching your son that he doesn't have to conform or follow rules, see how far that gets him in life when he has a job and refuses to do some form of work because it is boring, or he just doesn't want to...I doubt that any employer will customize a job just for him..

 

[Poohnatic]

I got through 8 pages, so there may be another update from the OP.

The issue is not whether your son has something to read, it's that he's ASSIGNED to read for 5 minutes during each class period.

I, too, am an extremely fast reader and was like your son in that I'd fly through books daily. However, if there was an assigned reading period and I didn't have something to read, it was a no brainer to take one of the classroom books. No matter how boring.

The Dictionary is an excellent suggestion, he may also find it boring, but come SAT time, it'll pay off in spades. He should ask the school librarian for advice. Lots of times, if you say I like Lovecraft, Asimov, and Wells, they'll offer some alternatives. Heck, that makes things fun for the librarian. The school librarian loved finding new authors for me-and we'd have great conversations after I'd read those books!

There is no need for you to spend tons of money at the bookstore. Heck, go find out what the reading lists are for high school english and have him get a jump on Frankenstein, Catcher in the Rye, Macbeth, Oedipus Rex and all those books he'll be required to read.

Go for college reading assigments. I had Oedipus assigned in three different college classes in two semesters. Rereading it was not high on my list-but knowing the third time through that the Professor was looking for insights on Creon or Jocasta made me pay more attention to them.

I don't get the 'standing up for his rights' argument. He's been given an assignment-don't complete it, suffer the consequences.

Finally, there are genres of books that I'd dismissed for years. Thought they wouldn't have plot or substance. Surprise, they do! So, in that spirit, encourage him to look through the bookshelves for other books that 'look' interesting.


Suzanne

 

[Maleficent13]

Why do I have a quote from Animal Farm running through my head?

"All animals are equal...but some animals are more equal than others."

 

[declansdad]

Last post for a while because having Lasik enhancement surgery this afternoon.

I was a teacher 3 times and i would customize for each child to the very best of my ability. Granted I only had 30 children and not 120.

In this case i don't expect total customization, just 5 minutes of a different assignment. I also agree for more practice on critical reading. And one way to start is reading a hard book and the cliff notes at the same time. In second grade his teacher asked for no more aviation books and we complied. This year the teacher asked him to expand from Tom Clancy and other military fiction so he branched out to Science Fiction.

Rather than thinking we are too good to follow the rules and wait in line, my thinking is exactly the opposite. I would not begrudge anyone using a GAC or if a celebrity caused parts of the park to be temporarily closed because other wise they would be mobbed. That is customization again.

You know it still sounds like you were only looking for people to agree with you and it doesn't seem like you are going to get that here.

 

[Ronda93]

teacher - 151
7th grader - 2

 

[MsLeFever]

As I say to my ds10 when he is riding a little too high on his entitlement horse, "Baby, you are special--but ya ain't that special."

Oh Kim THIS is priceless and I WILL be stealing your line to use on my kids - and my college students! (who read what I assign or fail the test!)

 

[kendall]

I posted earlier on the original question, and am following up regarding where to get books on a budget:

Project Gutenberg - 17,000 electronic texts to download and read for FREE

Half.com - many books new and used at discounted prices, shipped to you at home. You can also sell the many books you have purchased here.