Sherry in OH Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Do you think it is harmful to allow a young child to coast in reading? For example, using Magic Tree House or Andrew Lost books as readers even though you know the child is capable of reading higher level materials? These series are age and content appropriate and interest the child but in no-way challenge that child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I let my son coast. Reading is no longer a "subject" and hasn't been since... oh, first grade. Once he was around a 4th grade reading level, I just let him read to learn. He was no longer learning to read. So as long as he is reading to learn, I'm good with it! He reads history and science and literature and learns from all of it. That's the point of reading, right? I don't need to challenge his reading by giving him a college text, unless the content at that level is what he needs (which it isn't at this point). What would be the point, ya know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Maybe for "school reading" but I certainly wouldn't police what they read in their own time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I wouldn't worry about "assigning" challenging literature to a young child. I make lots of wonderful children's books available to my kids -- the vast majority things I consider "worth" reading -- but I also allow some book-candy, especially when they're young. Reading books that are below their level can help with speed and fluency, not to mention just being a pleasant way to spend time! I'm an adult, and I've enjoyed reading, for instance, the Harry Potter books as an adult. Sure, I *could* be reading more challenging, thought-provoking literature meant for adults -- but there are times when it's just *fun* to read something a wee bit fluffy. :) At the same time, it's great to continue reading *aloud* to kids from books that are a bit beyond what they can and will choose to read on their own. ... And, you know, sometimes the laundry needs to be dealt with right away at a very exciting moment. ;) So you set the book down and see if it tempts them... If it does, great, if it doesn't, that's okay too. :) I don't start assigning books for school until my kids are a little older (maybe 8 or so). We start with history-oriented things that aren't particularly challenging for their level and move from there. They end up moving from simple, formulaic easy readers to more challenging children's lit well before that time anyway, without my influence (other than creating the right environment). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Right now I am not even listening to my 5yo read most days. I am too buried in helping her sister keep up in school. I felt guilty about this for about a half hour. ;) She reads whatever she wants and feels no pressure, and that's probably a great thing. If I'm pushing her to read at her "ability level," when her 1st grade class isn't even divided into differentiated reading groups, all I'm doing is widening the gap between her and her classmates. I don't really see a benefit to that. Besides, she's more concerned about being the most kick-ass kid on the monkey bars. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Do you think it is harmful to allow a young child to coast in reading? For example, using Magic Tree House or Andrew Lost books as readers even though you know the child is capable of reading higher level materials? These series are age and content appropriate and interest the child but in no-way challenge that child. Yes and no.... For 90-95% of DS's reading, he reads at a comfortable level -- not challenging. This has been true all along since he learned to read... most of his reading has been reading to learn (or just because he enjoys it). However... I do think it's useful to stretch that, even once reading is entirely fluent. For us that has meant either texts that were challenging to decode (when he was a new reader), or that had challenging comprehension issues or particular subtleties... There were a couple things that struck me along the way. When he first started reading books where characters weren't honest, even to themselves.... it required a different kind of understanding, and although he didn't have trouble with it, we went slowly through that first book and double checked that he was picking up the little clues along the way. When he started reading scientific papers with his robotics team project it was definitely a different kind of reading, that some kids "got" much more easily than others - getting the big picture from an abstract, going straight to the section that has the relevant information - and my favorite bit... there was a difference of opinion between two scientists whose articles we were reading, and some very pointed comments in both directions. It never said "he's an idiot" but it was in there. Picking up on that was a challenge of its own. Not specifically for test prep, but it goes right along those lines... the comprehension exercises where everything depends on having not missed the word "not" (or a more subtle implication of a change in direction) Speed and reading aloud. Not "speed reading" but checking fluency and increasingly difficult vocabulary, being able to interpret dialog on the fly, read with good expression and pronunciation and pace. We're a long way from any kind of challenging decoding, but I do like to keep raising the bar just a bit for a small portion of DS's reading. It's a bunch of little things, but I do think a little challenge is good exercise.. if that makes any sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 To clarify, I am not referring to leisure reading. He reads what he wants outside of lessons. His leisure reading choices are how I know he is capable of more challenging materials. He also listen to a wide variety of read aloud materials. I read a minimum of an hour a day – readings for content subjects, current chapter book, and bedtime readings. We are not using a phonics or a reading curriculum. Buddy reading two chapters of a Magic Tree House book daily is our reading lesson. We began the series in January, mid-way through his kindergarten year. We will finish book 27 this week. His read aloud stamina has increased. I am pleased about that. He says he wants to finish the series. At our current pace we could accomplish this by the end of the current school year. I’m just not sure this is the wisest choice. On the one hand, I feel that he is young and that school does not always have to be challenging. On the other hand, I do not want him to get complacent and start to think reading will always be easy. Then there is the added challenge of a younger brother who reads as well as he does. (I have no idea what I am going to use for his kindergarten year.) My choices seem to be 1. Finish the Magic Tree House series with the mindset that it is first grade and that we will read more challenging materials next year. 2. Switch to more challenging materials after our winter break. If I did this, I would give him the option of reading Magic Tree House on his own or buddy reading it after reading our new reading material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 We began the series in January, mid-way through his kindergarten year. We will finish book 27 this week. His read aloud stamina has increased. I am pleased about that. He says he wants to finish the series. At our current pace we could accomplish this by the end of the current school year. I might just finish the series as planned... not because it's challenging but because there's a certain feeling of accomplishment in setting out to read the whole series and then doing it. In general? I like to challenge. But when you have a goal, and it won't do any harm, go ahead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I would definitely let him finish the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mélie Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I would let him finish the series. If you want him to read something a little more challenging aloud, can you hand over some of the content reading to him? Today, my 5yo read SOTW aloud while my 4yo and I colored. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YourFidgetyFriend Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 If I allowed it, my daughter would only read Calvin and Hobbes and Babymouse. I do give her other books to read, but not so much because I need her to read at her ability level (as books I pick are generally at her interest level rather than ability level), but because there is a wide variety of wonderful books for children aimed at elementary aged children that I don't want her to miss out on. She usually enjoys my choices as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I'd let him, and maybe try to integrate some more challenging reading in other subject areas. History has been good because there's a wide range of historical fiction and biography out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.