Some New York libraries are starting to see an influx of students who were less than diligent in tackling their summer reading lists, according to the Westchester (NY) Journal News. Aware that students are more successful if they don’t take a summer reading break, some schools assign summer reading lists.
That joy was missing for Martin Cash, 15, who is going into Nyack High School and only recently began his reading because he wasn’t that thrilled with the list, he said. It did not include “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” among other books he would like to read.
Here’s a similar story from the Hartford Courant.
suspended students
In my neck of the woods, one school district suspended the students who did not do the summer reading and projects.
Here is the news story about it –
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8888881/
Back in the day….
I didn’t have summer reading lists. We read (and went to the library) because we liked it. I can’t think of a classmate who did not read over the summer.
I’m not certain why they have summer reading lists now. I think it has more to do with keeping them busy than educating them. While we get all the books -and several copies of them- on the list, the CDBooks and Cassette Book go first, then a movie if there is one.
Let the kids read what they want- if they want- over the summer vacation. Let them enjoy their lives while they are young. If they want to go to the beach everyday rather than read A Child Called It let them do so.
I think it is more important to let children develop an enjoyment of reading than force reading on them and have them hate it.
Have enough choice and variety
I think summer reading lists are great if they have enough choice and variety. At any rate, it should be an enjoyable activity, not a chore. Otherwise, students will be turned off reading and the damage done could be untold.