Fluff Reading vs Good Reading

[Twilight Woods]

I am trying to get DD to read some "good" lit books.....Little Woman, Anne of Green Gables etc.......and she is totally refusing.

 

She just finished a book called:The Sisters Club. She liked it and wants the second book.

 

The book is horrible! Well according to my standards it's horrible.

 

So my question is should I just let her read what interests her for free reading or only provide good lit books?

[Deniseibase]

I have had a similar problem. My dd was a reluctant reader, and it has been difficult to get her to read anything challenging - last year, in fourth grade, all she wanted to read all year was Rainbow Fairy and Pixie Hollow books....

 

My solution was to let her read whatever she wanted on HER time, but to read some selected REALLY good books to her aloud. At first this did not get a good response!! But I have noticed recently that she is being more attentive of the read-alouds - we are currently reading Amos Fortune and have had several good discussions, initiated by HER, that tell me she is really thinking. Also, over the past year, her taste in books has improved somewhat - she is currently reading Eragon. I hope next year to be able to encourage her to read more classics if she can pick them out herself.

[Snowfall]

My daughter is only 7 (almost) so I have no experience, but I think it would be awful to limit her to the books that you want her to read. I would hate it if someone came along and told me my books or magazines weren't good enough and I had to read only from their list of approved books. For one thing, while the classics are, well, classic, they're not all that relevant for kids today. The very idea of someone adopting a child just to get a little farm help (as in Anne of Green Gables) is pretty disturbing to people nowadays, although it was common and acceptable back then. I'd assign the books you want her to read and let her choose her own stuff for fun.

[justamouse]

If you want to raise a voracious reader, you're going to have to allow them to read some things they want to read. Balance. Yes, they can read Baby Sitters, but you also have to read ____for school, too, so read Baby Sitters when your school work is done.

 

And, unless something is totally inappropriate, try not to judge what they enjoy reading for fun. It can make them feel ashamed and then they won't read at all.

[Ellie]

I used to read the good books aloud to dc and let them choose on their own what they wanted to read. That worked out pretty well. :-)

[almondbutterandjelly]

My dd (10) must read 30 minutes a day from a book of her choosing off of a shelf of books of my choosing. They are grade-level books which include illustrated classics (Great Illustrated Classics, which are basically the classic literature adapted to a 4th or so grade reading level), and other good children's books like Charlotte's Web, The Secret of Nimh, Encyclopedia Brown, etc. I also throw in grade level books that I remember loving as a child, like The Great Brain series and Cherry Ames Nurse series. On her own time, I do not restrict her reading, other than appropriate-ness, in a similar manner to how I restrict what movies she's allowed to watch (nothing above PG at this point). HTH!

[specialmama]

I do not like to make a distinction between "school reading" or "quality reading" vs. "pleasure reading" or "fluff reading" because I want the two to be the same. Allow me to explain: we tend to cycle through something like this: a biography or autobiography, a work of fiction, a science-type book (animals/biology), a historical book, a historical fiction book, a poetry selection, a fluffy book, then rotate again. It works great here. My daughter's idea of a fluffy book is usually quite good literature. I have shelves full of great stuff and amazingly (and thankfully!) she will usually pick something off those shelves as fluff (or independent) reading. Lately she has chosen of her own accord: Our Town, Peter Pan, The Jungle Book. I secretly count those as LA as that was what they were intended for. Little does she know her fluff is my school. Shhh! Don't tell! :tongue_smilie::lol:

[NittanyJen]

I'd say, pick a time when you get to make the choices, let her know she can weigh in if she makes good choices or wants to suggest ideas or interests. Then in the off-time, let her read the lighter stuff and be happy she's reading instead of watching TV or hanging out at the mall :D

 

 

I split my kids' reading time 3 ways.

 

1. For history/literature geography class: we go to the library each week, and often, the kids will either pick or help pick books; otherwise, I'll pick things for them. But 30-45 min per day, they'll read something related to what we are currently studying in history. This selection could be fiction or non-fiction, serious or silly (My 10YO just finished a bio of Alexander the Great, and "Have a Hot Time, Hades!" plus "Die, Clawdius," "Catligula," and "I am Spartapuss," which then got him curious enough to start searching the non-fiction section for books about Spartacus. It goes round and round :). DS 7YO was really curious about Socrates, so we found an age-appropriate biography of Socrates, and he also read theme appropriate Magic Treehouse and Time-Warp Trio books. This is in addition to both boys and I doing Padric Colum's "Children's Homer" as a read-aloud-- they were transfixed. That got the 10YO interested in McCaughrean's Hercules, Theseus, etc, as he wanted to know more about the Heroes. 30-45 min/day on their own, fiction or non, silly or serious, some "good" others not. 1-2 chapters of a "classic" book or its interpretation (now we're reading "In Search of a Homeland" together, an interpretation of the Aeneid) which takes about 15-30 minutes depending on the book.

 

2. Reading time: A book that has nothing to do with history (not a hard and fast rule, but usually). Often a library book. DS10 is in the public library book club, and they're reading, "My Brother Sam is Dead." DS7 saw "A Plump and Perky Turkey" lying on the floor of the library and liked the picture on the cover, so that went on his list. But so is "The Dumb Bunnies." As is "Dragonbreath," "Captain Underpants," and "Calvin and Hobbes." I'm happy to mix it up with challenge and easy stuff-- he's 7, and has a learning disability that makes reading a serious chore for him, to the point of almost physical exhaustion-- the fact that he's reading this much is amazing. And it's working. By lightening it up a bit, he's actually finding pleasure in reading and challenging himself more and more, and choosing his brother's books sometimes if I don't write down a title for him that day :). So using this method I've watched a kid come from "I can't read; it's too booooring!" to seeing him cuddled up on the couch with a 4th grade book in his hands, trying to piece it together because he HAS to know what happened next.

 

3. Free time after school-- I don't pick at or criticize their reading choices in any way shape or form (barring the obvious-- at age 10 he's too young for 'adult' material just yet, and our older child is just uncomfortable around foul language, so it hasn't been an issue for us). If they want to read comic books, that's fine. They often choose "school" books to read, because they're finding them kind of interesting. But my DS10 might also read "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" #458 for the millionth time. And I don't sweat it-- it's his time. He read what I asked him to during "our" time, so he can do what he wants during "his" time (again, leaving room for parental discretion if needed, but so far that has not been an issue). If he wants to relax the reading standards a bit on his off time well . . . hey, you should see the silly things I sometimes read in the waiting room at the doc office :lol:

 

Good luck! I hope you find a solution that works for you and your daughter!

 

 

Jen

[Twilight Woods]

Thanks everyone!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I second reading the good books outloud, at least until she is "hooked". Books like Little Women take a little getting used to- the language, the style, the pace...

 

With certain books, you can also "reward" her by letting her watch the movie once she finishes the book.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I agree with what others have said. We have a quality read aloud for bedtime and required reading for " literature " or reading class. On their own time they can read Junie B. And Captain Underpants ~cringe~

[Farrar]

Among homeschoolers, I feel like there's a lot of book judgement of what the kids are reading. And I do it too some, so I'm so not blameless. But every study I've read about it says that letting kids choose their own books, even the cruddy ones, leads to kids reading more overall and becoming lifelong readers. So I personally think that unless a book has content that you think is clearly inappropriate, that you let her at it.

 

That said, I think it's fine to require some "school reading" as well to broaden her horizons. However, going from The Sisters Club to Little Women might be too big a jump. Look at more modern classics or more recent literary options and use those to bridge from what she's reading now to older works and more difficult texts. How old is she? What other books is she into?

[Free]

Among homeschoolers, I feel like there's a lot of book judgement of what the kids are reading. And I do it too some, so I'm so not blameless. But every study I've read about it says that letting kids choose their own books, even the cruddy ones, leads to kids reading more overall and becoming lifelong readers. So I personally think that unless a book has content that you think is clearly inappropriate, that you let her at it.

 

That said, I think it's fine to require some "school reading" as well to broaden her horizons. However, going from The Sisters Club to Little Women might be too big a jump. Look at more modern classics or more recent literary options and use those to bridge from what she's reading now to older works and more difficult texts. How old is she? What other books is she into?

 

:iagree: Requiring a child to read a book that is completely beyond her reading or interest level is a surefire way to kill the child's interest in reading.

 

My son (10 yo) is a voracious reader. But he rarely if ever chooses to read "classics". He finished all the 7 Harry Potter books when he was 8. He loves to read comics like Tintin, Asterix and Calvin and Hobbes all.the.time. He loves Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton and a whole lot of other books which are not great or even good literature. But he also has recently classics such as Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia series. He doesn't balk at thick books if the subject matter interests him. He loves Roald Dahl. And he reads lots and lots of non-fiction as well.

 

Some of the books which are more difficult for him to read by himself, I read them to him.

 

I would suggest that you let her read whatever she wants as long as it is age appropriate. Pick some interesting children's books that she might like and read them to her if she does not herself. I do not know how old your daughter is but personally I would not consider "Little Women" as something that would interest kids. There are so many great kids' authors out there. It is important for her to like/ love the books. Once she has established a reading habit, you can then have her read the more mature classics.

[Rivka]

Among homeschoolers, I feel like there's a lot of book judgement of what the kids are reading. And I do it too some, so I'm so not blameless. But every study I've read about it says that letting kids choose their own books, even the cruddy ones, leads to kids reading more overall and becoming lifelong readers. So I personally think that unless a book has content that you think is clearly inappropriate, that you let her at it.

 

That said, I think it's fine to require some "school reading" as well to broaden her horizons. However, going from The Sisters Club to Little Women might be too big a jump. Look at more modern classics or more recent literary options and use those to bridge from what she's reading now to older works and more difficult texts. How old is she? What other books is she into?

 

:iagree: I think there can be a tendency among classical homeschoolers to assume that older = better when it comes to books. I often see school reading lists with nothing on them that my mother couldn't have read as a child. At the same time, I see people recommending some books as "classics" that I think are just previous eras' twaddle, with little redeeming literary value.

 

I love Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, but I don't think it's the only thing my daughter should be reading. I make a special effort to seek out children's books published since I grew up. I think you might be better off starting there too. Your children's librarian might be able to make some good recommendations.

[kokotg]

 

That said, I think it's fine to require some "school reading" as well to broaden her horizons. However, going from The Sisters Club to Little Women might be too big a jump. Look at more modern classics or more recent literary options and use those to bridge from what she's reading now to older works and more difficult texts. How old is she? What other books is she into?

 

There's a lot of middle ground that's well-written and full of big ideas but still more accessible than some of the older classics. Roald Dahl is always a hit around here. I don't think there are any kids' books of any generation more beautifully written than Charlotte's Web and Tuck Everlasting.

[Laura Corin]

When I was home educating, the boys had to read one good book a week - it was part of school. Beyond that, they could choose what to read.

 

Laura

[BlsdMama]

We opted not to let them read twaddle when they were young but past the point of reading easily. Why? Because the truth is good books take more "effort" from the reader. Frankly it's a bit like watching Scooby Doo or a documentary. Scooby Doo is totally effortless and they'll gravitate to it. The next thing you know they're walking out of the room when a documentary comes on.

 

I made a LOT of exceptions for my second, DS, and I now regret it. I was desparate to have him fall in love with reading so I let him get hooked on junk food books. Now harder books don't taste the same and he's developed a sweet tooth for the junk food. :glare:

[Jenny in Florida]

Here's what we do:

 

1. I choose the books my son (and my daughter when she was homeschooling) reads for school. I try to take his interests into account, but I choose them, and he reads them.

 

2. When he was younger, we also read aloud quite a lot. Again, for the most part, I chose those books, trying to find good quality lit I thought he would like.

 

3. On his own time, he reads whatever he wants, as long as we don't think it's completely inappropriate. I used to pre-read everything or at least do a lot of research before I allowed him to pick up a book. About three years ago, though, I found I could no longer keep up with him. He reads all. the. time. So, nowadays, he pretty much has free reign.

[Haiku]

I know that a lot of people think that any reading is good reading and that letting kids read a lot of junk is not problematic because, "At least they're reading," but I do not subscribe to that theory. To me that is like saying, "Any eating is good eating, so if they choose to eat nothing but HFCS- and sodium-laden junk food, it's all good ... as they mature, they will develop a taste for Brussels sprouts and arugula. After all, the more practice they get eating, they better they become at it." :001_huh:

 

My theory is that if kids develop the habit of reading shallow, unchallenging junk literature, that's what they will continue to seek out. The path of least resistance and all that. My kids read some things that are certainly not high-quality literature: Garfield cartoons, Marvel comics, Pixie Hollow books. But I do limit how many of these they can check out, and during their 30-45 minutes of school reading time, they read more challenging, thought-provoking books.

 

I have found that, because I have never introduced or encouraged junk books, my kids are less likely to want to read them. They will check them out and start them, but as often as not they don't finish them because they are boring compared to what they usually read.

 

My suggestion would be to allow one junk book per library trip or week or whatever and provide only more quality literature for the rest of the time. Simply Charlotte Mason's website has a bookfinder, and you can search by subject or grade level. I get a lot of good suggestions from it.

 

Tara

Edited April 25, 2011 by TaraTheLiberator

[NittanyJen]

:iagree: I think there can be a tendency among classical homeschoolers to assume that older = better when it comes to books. I often see school reading lists with nothing on them that my mother couldn't have read as a child. At the same time, I see people recommending some books as "classics" that I think are just previous eras' twaddle, with little redeeming literary value.

 

I love Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, but I don't think it's the only thing my daughter should be reading. I make a special effort to seek out children's books published since I grew up. I think you might be better off starting there too. Your children's librarian might be able to make some good recommendations.

:iagree:

 

We started having DS10 read Treasure Island, and quickly realized that he was being tortured . . . and I picked up the book and then remembered that I HATED that book too! It's fun to have the Wyeth illustrated one on-hand since I grew up in Chadds Ford (Wyeth country) but that fun only extends so far, and the book has been shelved.

 

My son is a voracious reader-- he eats books for breakfast-- and skipping this one isn't going to kill his education. We're not sweating it. For that matter, he probably won't read a full copy of Moby Dick, either. If my husband and I, who both consider ourselves to be fairly well-read, can't stand it, we'll have a hard time making him read it and discussing it with him just because we were forced to read it.

 

Jen

[MissKNG]

I read plenty of "fluff" books while growing up and I was always an advanced reader. Reading fluff books never held me back from becoming a great reader or being interested in non-fluff books.

 

I never thought of fluff books as being an issue until I came to this board. If a child is tearing through a series and reading daily, that is wonderful...even if the series is about Sweet Valley or the Babysitters Club. There are too many kids NOT reading and playing video games or watching TV instead.

[ChandlerMom]

THere is a middle ground here.

 

I'm amazed at the notion of letting our dc's read whatever they want. After all, I wouldn't let them watch whatever or go wherever. To me reading is a doorway into another world and, esp for the under 12yo crowd, those world form the child's impression of the REAL world. So, I am darn well responsible for what doors my child is allowed to open! For me the issue is more content over quality of writing.

 

That doesn't mean every book has to be a literary masterpiece or written over 100 years ago. I had no issue with my new reader reading the whole MTH series. But Junie B Jones? Ah, no. :D (badly behaving kids or kids being mean to each other are on my "no" list because they aren't experiencing that IRL).

 

DD is almost 8yo, a voracious reader (over 1,000 pages per week), and I never make her read a book she doesn't like. But I only give her choices between books I am ok with. Each book (which on shorter books may be 3 a day) we discuss if she liked it and why. I try to use those preferences to find more books she'll like. Since she feels some control over her choices she in turn reads books I bring home that on the surface aren't her "thing".

 

To me books are a lot like food. I won't make my kids eat something they hate, but I won't let them eat all junk food just because they like it. And, if we don't bring foods full of corn syrup into the home, they don't even know what they are "missing". :D If they love oatmeal without butter and sugar, why start putting it on? But I'm not afraid of a cupcake or treat here or there, either. ;) It's a lot easier to control their access to crappy books than crappy foods. :p

[Free]

I know that a lot of people think that any reading is good reading and that letting kids read a lot of junk is not problematic because, "At least they're reading," but I do not subscribe to that theory.

 

My theory is that if kids develop the habit of reading shallow, unchallenging junk literature, that's what they will continue to seek out.

 

We started having DS10 read Treasure Island, and quickly realized that he was being tortured . . . and I picked up the book and then remembered that I HATED that book too! It's fun to have the Wyeth illustrated one on-hand since I grew up in Chadds Ford (Wyeth country) but that fun only extends so far, and the book has been shelved.

 

 

:iagree: I agree with both these views. You will not raise a child who loves great books by just letting him read junk. Neither will you do so by requiring him/her to read difficult classics which are considered a "must read" by the experts.

 

In my case, I let my son read pretty much what he wants. But I also check out some of the better literature and read to him/ read with him. The result is that he does not balk at reading more challenging books. He has rejected some of the classics (The Secret Garden for example), but he has loved and read some of the others (Charlotte's Web, Alice in Wonderland).

 

And then there is the question of reading level/ age appropriate literature / area of interest. My son loves Adventure, and I know I will not be able to push Jane Austen on him no matter how much I try, at least not until he has matured a little more. Also requiring him to read language he barely understands is only going to put him off a great book. He will always remember it as a book he hated. I would rather wait till he matured emotionally, his comprehension and language skills developed and then he will pick those classics himself.

 

Until then I find it best to find a balance between great literature and books that can hold his interest.

[cindergretta]

I know too many people who have read fluff and twaddle and also been heavily into "classics" to buy into "if they read fluff/twaddle, they will never read the 'good stuff.'" I honestly don't buy it.

 

My sister and I grew up reading Trixie Belden and Sweet Valley High. We also devoured the Anne of Green Gables series, Heidi, Little Women, Little House on the Prairie, anything Jane Austen, etc. My dd(14) is exactly the same. She reads Harry Potter followed by "Sense & Sensibility."

 

My ds(16) is not a reader, never has been, resists with all his teenaged heart. :( It is very sad to me because I just LOVE books and reading. OTOH, he is a documentary dude! If I am watching a sitcom and leave the room, when I come back, the History channel is on or some far reaching documentary on animals of the arctic or some such thing. ::giggle::