4Real Forums: restricting reading

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Topic: restricting reading

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Maddie
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Posted: Aug 23 2006 at 7:38pm \| IP Logged

Our school year will be offically underway next week and I was wondering if anyone else restricts reading material to school-related only. In the past, I have required them to read what is assigned during "school hours", but after that is completed they may read a book of their own choosing or listen to a book on tape. The problem with this presently is they choose to listen to LOTR for the 100th time or pick up Peanut or Tintin comics. I can understand wanting the brain-break at the end of the day, but the problem is they seem to drag out their assigned reading.

So, is restricted reading the answer to getting all these books read and keeping the children focused on their studies? I assume they'll get over me enforcing the rule but I'm curious if this has been enforced elsewhere.

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cathhomeschool
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Posted: Aug 26 2006 at 7:27am \| IP Logged

I require that they read from assigned chapter books an hour or so a day, usually during quiet time. Sometimes we substitue books on tape instead or they read aloud to each other. As often as possible, I select books that they'll enjoy, but sometimes they do get assigned books that are "boring." They have plenty of breaks throughout the school day for playing and reading books of their choice, so they don't fight the quiet time thing too much.

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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)

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Erin
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Posted: Aug 26 2006 at 4:38pm \| IP Logged

This is an interesting question Maddie, I have had similar problems here. Dd re-reads and re-reads books. At some stage I'm sure she re-read the Little House books 10 times each. Then there is the twaddle stage, Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden I can handle but I'm not so thrilled when she continues on and on...

Like yourself I've insisted on a better quality of reading prior to free time in the afternoon. Although I did have to stress that as she had already read the story of Pius X five times that was no longer included in the morning time reads

I assigned 20 books per term (10 weeks) to her and they did not include twaddle or any books she had previously read. Dd is a BIG reader, no way would I asign my boys that many books. But still I haven't managed to eradicate those 'time wasters'. I realise that they are a part of developement but when do we 'pull the plug?'

I haven't helped have I? Only commiserated.

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Erin
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ALmom
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Posted: Aug 27 2006 at 2:38pm \| IP Logged

I am tempted to do just that with one dd who would rather be reading her own stuff, high quality though it is, rather than the assigned reading. I know some would say go with her interest since it is not twaddle - but... there are things that I think dc should learn/read even though it isn't something they will pick up on their own.

This child will stay up reading this stuff until late when dh or I discover her light still on. It wouldn't bother me at all if the dd was up and chipper in the AM instead of sleeping in, having to be drug out of bed and then complaining of having trouble concentrating on school work next day. She will also be lounging around the house with her favorite book, but hasn't touched any of her lit assignments all year yet (we are into the second week of school and she is on day 1 in lit, and history, day 0 in Algebra, etc.) I am really watching to see if things improve in the near future. If not, she may have to get a warning to put priority on school work or I will have to outlaw other things temporarily until we are staying on track. Then I may need to require pleasure reading only after other work is done. I'm cutting some slack at the moment to see if we all settle in a better routine and to focus more on attending to my daily duty better myself before calling her to task on it (boy this homeschooling, parenting thing is humbling!).

I don't think this is unrealistic. We all have to do this ourselves. I cannot curl up (or shouldn't) with my favorite book if my house is a wreck, dinner is undone and my dh is due home next hour. I have to attend to my daily duty first. For my dc, one important aspect of their daily duty is their school work. Restrictions on leisure in order to attend to daily duty is simply natural consequences as I see it assuming that the required assignments are reasonable and the child is capable of doing the work. (We do incorporate dc into the assignment planning phase, and do adjust when something is obviously not well matched to the child by our observation or their communication with us - so I am not talking about this, but about a certain distractedness.

Janet

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