do you make your kid stop reading to start school?

[Halcyon]

Kind of an odd question, but in our house, the first thing kids do in the am (while i am fixing breakfast or throwing a load in the washer) is read their books. Right now, older is utterly fixated on a series and he doesnt want to put it down. Literally. I feel torn between letting him just keep reading, and beginning our school day.

 

Thoughts?

[mom2boys030507]

I do. I stop my kids from whatever they are doing unless they have chosen to start school. We run best on a pretty set schedule. So we start school at 8:30 and they always get free time at 11:30 before lunch. What happens between 8:30 and 11:30 looks different many days but that is our set school time

[asmall]

My daughter is the same way, she is always in a book when it is time to start school. I have learned to compromise. If I let her just read her book, then we would never get school started or done. But I also want her to keep that reading love she has strong, so I always tell her school is starting, but she can take a few minutes and read to the end of the chapter. This way I am telling her that her book is important, but that school is important as well.

AL

[Esse Quam Videri]

I do but I always feel guilty about it. DD would love to read all day. I'm learning to let go some and trying to simplify science and history to include more reading for her.

[Isinglore]

"My daughter is the same way, she is always in a book when it is time to start school. I have learned to compromise. If I let her just read her book, then we would never get school started or done. But I also want her to keep that reading love she has strong, so I always tell her school is starting, but she can take a few minutes and read to the end of the chapter. This way I am telling her that her book is important, but that school is important as well."

 

We would do this but I have learned that we need to identify which chapter - the current chapter not the last chapter of the book.

[Cosmos]

I don't let mine even start! If he starts reading it can derail the whole day. It sounds awful, I'm sure, but our days go so much better since we instituted a "no reading until after school work" rule. Ds agrees the rule helps him manage his time better so that he has more free time after school.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Same in this house, they wake up and read. I usually let them get to the chapter ending before I make them put the book down (there are times I let them read through a scene if). My kids have gotten smart in regards to reading books and have been known to use it against me. I in return have used not allowing them to read as a punishment, well just the threat of it because realistically I would never do it, but just the idea makes then toe the line.

 

It is a hard thing though, seeing the kids peacefully quiet, reading, all curled up or in one of their reading nooks. You just don't want to mess with the bliss.

[SilverMoon]

Yes, I do. Though for reluctant readers who've been hooked, I've pushed our start time back a smidgeon.

 

Yesterday we started late because my three oldest were sitting at the table, writing furiously in their personal notebooks. They're each writing a book. Just because. After all those years of gnashing and wailing of teeth to get the big two really writing?? We didn't start school until 11.

[Julie Smith]

I would not. That is until the person in question is a big reader.

 

Right now Eldest is not quite a big reader. He will sometimes pick up a book or something to read during the day. But this only happens about once a week for 20 minutes.

 

He does read when I make him, usually happily enough. But till he is reading on his own much more often school will be cancelled or delayed for reading.

[FriedClams]

Yes. Daily. Or we'd never get schoolwork done!!

[basschick]

No I wouldn't. Not ever.

[Dory]

It depends on the child. For my youngest, I just let him read. For the older two though, I stop them and get school going. My oldest ds would read all day if I let him.

[regentrude]

My high school junior: yes.

My 8th grader: depends on what he is reading.

If I had younger students grades 1 through 5: no, reading is educational.

[Kim in Appalachia]

My ds13 will read non-stop, but he has to do school work.

 

I also make them stop building with Lego, K'nects, or playing board games. This morning my 2 youngest were setting up Risk. :001_smile: but I do feel bad about it. :tongue_smilie:

[Jayne J]

The real question for me is, what is he reading? Is it a Sonic the Hedgehog comic book? Yup, put it down it is time for school. If it is something historical, science-based or challenging his reading level, then I will let him read until I absolutely must get him started.

[boscopup]

I tell my son to finish the chapter, and then we'll start school. He would read all day otherwise, and school would never get done.

 

Now my middle son who isn't reading independently yet, I'd let him keep reading if he actually tried to read a book on his own. I don't think either of the OP's kids are reluctant or early readers though. ;)

[Walking-Iris]

Yes. In the morning my older ds will occasionally read in whatever he's reading. Right now it's HP Half Blood Prince. Or he'll draw or (if I'm lucky) straighten up his room. I usually do some morning work with my youngest or play with my dd or clean up the kitchen. I set a limit of one or two chapters in the morning. Other times of the day he can read as much as he wants. I also let him read as much as he wants at bedtime.

 

Actually if he's reading at other times and we have something coming up that needs to get done I warn him to come to a stopping place within 5 minutes.

 

I love when my kids read, but they do need to learn how to prioritize their time as well. I would snuggle under a quilt and read all day if I could too, but I can't, because there are other necessary things that need to get done .

[Chrysalis Academy]

Oh man, I struggle with this one all the time!! I feel guilty (and silly) for making her stop reading to "do school" but I've also realized two things: first, she really needs to do her skill subjects (math & writing) in the morning, because she doesn't have the mental energy and focus to do those well later in the day, whereas the content subjects can be done any time. Second, I make myself fully available to help her during the hours when dd6 in is school, 8-2. So for subjects that she needs my help, or wants to do together, she needs to do them when I am available, rather than reading all morning and then needing my help when Mo gets home. That isn't fair to Mo.

 

So yes, I do stop her in the morning so we can start math (I do let her finish her chapter). But I am also flexible with our day's plan: if she is really into a book and doesn't want to put it down, I will sometimes skip one of the content subjects for that day to give her extra reading time.

 

Math and Writing happen every day around here - for the other subjects, some days we do them all, some days we don't, usually depending on the length or complexity of the lessons (so if we're doing an involved science project, it takes longer and we won't do history, for example). I allow engrossed reading to bump something I have planned - tomorrow is another day, after all!

[JennyD]

Of course. Otherwise DS7 would never get dressed, brush his teeth, or eat breakfast, much less start schoolwork. "Put the book down. Walk away from the book." It has never occurred to me to feel guilty or torn. There is ample other time during the day to read.

 

I do let them read during breakfast and lunch (DS2 cannot read, obviously, but even he likes to have a book or newspaper section in front of his high chair. Presumably it makes him feel included :) ), and on weekend mornings everyone is free to sit around in their PJs reading until we have to be somewhere.

Edited November 8, 2012 by JennyD

[daffodil]

I do, even though my daughter is only a first grader. It's great that she loves to read, but she also needs to eat, bathe, play outside, and yes, do math. I would probably feel differently if I had a reluctant reader.

[RootAnn]

He would read all day otherwise, and school would never get done.

 

Of course.

 

"Put the book down. Walk away from the book."

 

:iagree: As long as you don't have a reluctant reader.

 

When my dd#2 was just starting to really REALLY read (big thick books :hurray:), I'd let her have more time to read. Now, she sneaks time in all the time. So, I cut her off to "do school."

 

Last week, we did math & read. All week. Reading would be all that oldset would do on cold days if I didn't put a time limit on it.

[Miss Tick]

Asking my dc to stop reading was something that I could never imagine saying before I had kids. Now, I realize it is all a balance.

 

I call, and they know they have a couple of minutes to get to a good stopping point.

[Trillian]

Mostly he has to stop, but rarely, he's captivated and it's one of the luxuries I have, that he can go long on reading and catch up on other things a different day.

 

It's a rarity though, not a habit.

[ccolopy]

Yes, because DD reads to put off anything she doesn't want to do. She would read until dinner some days if I allowed it.

 

DS is more likely to be reading something of value, so I would let him start his school work a little later. He's fairly independent, so it wouldn't inconvenience me.

[Arcadia]

Yes, older boy reads from waking up until dinner time if I don't stop him. I used to let him read while I make breakfast and hubby's lunch but he gets cranky when stopped so now reading has to wait until school is done.

 

He is trying to finish the boxcar children series now and is halfway done.

[OK Family]

I do. I stop my kids from whatever they are doing unless they have chosen to start school. We run best on a pretty set schedule. So we start school at 8:30 and they always get free time at 11:30 before lunch. What happens between 8:30 and 11:30 looks different many days but that is our set school time

 

Same here. Even though I encourage reading, my kids do best on a schedule. If I don't get them started on school early, we will never get started.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Absolutely! Even if it's her out-of-class assigned reading for the subject we are getting ready to do. Out-of-class means on her time--not mine. ;)

[Penelope]

The real question for me is, what is he reading? Is it a Sonic the Hedgehog comic book? Yup, put it down it is time for school. If it is something historical, science-based or challenging his reading level, then I will let him read until I absolutely must get him started.

 

Yes, this. Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling get the kibosh at age 10. Most non-fiction or better-written or more educational novels would get a pass for a while.

[Halcyon]

he is reading the James Patterson series Maximum Ride. Not classic lit LOL. He did put it down after about an hour, so we are good.

[zenjenn]

Depends. When my children were first learning to read, NO. They could read books all day long if they wanted. They did have to get their math and writing practice in - but at that point that was maybe 60-90 minutes of work so that left plenty of time for reading.

 

Once they developed complete fluency, I started setting up *reading achievements* that qualified as school-appropriate reading. Such as Newberry award-winning books, children's classics, or genres they don't normally read. (My kids tend to read fantasy & mysteries exclusively, so I set up a bunch of categories for them to choose from: biographies, historical fiction, science fiction, etc - even if fluff.)

 

So yes, if they are reading yet another book about wizards and fairies, I'd stop them, but they have an abundance of books they can choose from for extra reading during school time. They just have to be willing to expand their horizons if they want to read during school hours - AND - we still have to hit the basics every day - math & writing/spelling/grammar.

Edited November 8, 2012 by zenjenn

[DaffodilDreams]

If I had a child who read all the time, I think I would stop her in order to get other work done. As it is, I have a child who would rather do than read, so when I do find her reading (very rarely), I definitely DON'T stop her for anything!

[Farrar]

No. But my kids aren't obsessive readers, so it only happens occasionally I want to encourage it. Maybe once a month or so for a couple of days I'll come down and find someone really engrossed in a book and not wanting to stop. So I let that go.

 

If it was every day, all the time... something's got to give. Our schedule wouldn't allow for that. I think I'd say, "Finish the chapter," and that would be it.

[coffeegal]

I would not. That is until the person in question is a big reader.

 

:iagree: My readers will be interupted otherwise they will do nothing but read. If my "reading's okay when I have to but otherwise won't crack open a book" child is sitting down and reading, I don't interupt him. :001_smile:

[ocelotmom]

Yes.

 

It's kind of a tough call. DS was a late reader and has only recently really started reading independently and voluntarily. However, he's now voracious, and would quite happily read all day if allowed. So I make him stop and do his math and so on.

 

However, if he's reading something that is actually a stretch for him, I'm more likely to let him keep going than if he's reading an A-to-Z Mystery for the 60th time.

[3Blessings]

I do but I always feel guilty about it. DD would love to read all day. I'm learning to let go some and trying to simplify science and history to include more reading for her.

 

Yep to the bolded. I feel guilty about stopping them reading no matter what time in the day it is. But we have other things to do, too, that are pretty important as well!

[ScoutTN]

Sometimes. DD would read for three or four hours every day, if I let her.

I try to keep a balance. Some days (or weeks! ;)) we do more informal schooling and learn through reading, playing games, real life and hands-on

activities and other times we do more orderly, structured schoolwork.

Math, Bible, piano, RA and free reading (phonics for DS) happen here almost every weekday. Other things are less consistent.

[Sahamamama]

Yes. If I didn't, my oldest wouldn't do anything else but read. ;)

[mathnerd]

Yes, I do. Mine reads before school and also before dinner. I will interrupt at both times to stop him. But, I do it gently, and in stages - by telling him that he has 5 more minutes to utilize to get to the end of the current chapter and that he could pick up where he left off later. We need to get on with studying other subjects which are important too and the whole family eats diner together, so it is not an option to let him read uninterrupted at both times. And I am OCD about schedules :D

[Colleen in NS]

Kind of an odd question, but in our house, the first thing kids do in the am (while i am fixing breakfast or throwing a load in the washer) is read their books. Right now, older is utterly fixated on a series and he doesnt want to put it down. Literally. I feel torn between letting him just keep reading, and beginning our school day.

 

Thoughts?

 

Reading is incorporated into our school day for two hours after lunch, so if they are reading when I need to start other subjects in the mornings, they have to stop reading til after lunch.

 

But, they also have another hour at bedtime for reading, as well as before breakfast if they wake up, and then free time in the late afternoon if they want to read then, too.

[Moniksca]

I do. DS does his hour of independent reading first thing since he's not a morning person. If I let him, he'd read all day.

[Pen]

DS usually does read also first thing in AM and seems to need it to get going.

 

Last year no, didn't stop it, because he was not reading much and getting him to read well was the main goal for the school year.

 

This year, yes, (or nothing would happen until the current series is done) but with some flexibility. And reading breaks are allowed as are exercise breaks. Also if the reading is, as today it was, something like one titled The Civil War, then, no, I did not stop that, but rather mentally considered it history for the day (or maybe for the week, since it was a rainy day and the Civ War reading was a lot of the day). Math and writing are absolutely required (and are the subjects where this year's key goals are), but other things can be student initiated.

[fraidycat]

It depends on the day, and preceding days really. My kids go in spurts where they'll read non-stop, then spurts where they won't touch a book unless I tell them they have to. Quite often, they will try to use reading as an excuse to not do school because reading is more fun than math.

 

So, on those days, it goes something like this: "If you weren't looking at that book 5 minutes ago when I said it's math time in 5 minutes, then you're not so engrossed that you can't set it aside to do the math first."

 

Other days, if they are completely engrossed, I'll let them go until they naturally stop (usually because they get hungry) and work one-on-one with the other, or I'll take the opportunity to do housework or hang out on The Hive :tongue_smilie:.