If your child doesn't like the assigned reading...

[HeatherL]

I assign books for literature for my 5th grader.  All other times he may choose whatever he wants to read and has a huge bookshelf filled and library access to choose from.  I have always picked the books and he's always liked them.  This year I showed him my list and am letting his choose which one we do next.  

So last week we began a new book and he chose Peter Pan off the list.  He has read through the fourth chapter and every day he says how much he hates it.  He says its not interesting and not what he thought it would be like (thanks to Disney).  It's an unabridged copy we got from Royal Fireworks Press (that he begged for at Convention), so it has footnotes with difficult vocab words.  This is his first attempt at an actual classic.  Usually I assign more modern classics.

 

What should I do?  There's never been a book he's not liked.  Do I force him to continue on and finish it?  We do one chapter a day, three days a week, so he has about 4 more weeks of it.  He's my kid that I pick my battles with, and I 'm not sure if this should be one of them.  My biggest concern for letting him quit the book, is that it sets up a bad precedent for the future if he is enrolled in a literature class (online or CC) and he doesn't like a book, it will be too bad, so sad.

[HomeAgain]

I would add to the book. Find a way to engage him with the story (crafts, representation table, research..). Encourage him to keep going, but also encourage him to dig deeper into the book and find the good in it.

 

 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

In all likelihood with an online or in person with another teacher class he will understand he doesn't have a choice.

 

Is there some way to make this book more interesting for him? Is the vocabulary really a struggle? If so, could you find some engaging way to review the vocabulary ahead of time, before each reading?

 

What was your primary goal for including this book in his options? Is there another way to attain that goal?

 

Have you asked him specifically what he hates about it? Could you turn that into an assignment? Like, could you ask him what he would do differently after each reading? Not as a writing assignment but as an ongoing discussion of the book?

 

What if you read it together popcorn style so he isn't slogging through it alone? Maybe added things like crafts or something else to make it more engaging?

 

Bottom line, though, is if it is a really bad fit you absolutely can change the book to something more appealing. First I would probably try making it more interesting/helping him see some value in it but if he still Hates it, then go ahead and change.

Edited September 3, 2016 by OneStepAtATime

[Syllieann]

I would let him quit. There are so many good books to read. Since this is the first book he hated, he's clearly not making it up in an attempt to get out of reading in general. In a class he would have to read it because that is the only way the teacher can discuss a book with all the students. It would be impossible to let every kid pick a different book. The schools simply can't customize. It's a benefit of homeschooling. You can choose curricula that engage him. You can choose books that engage him. There are plenty other areas in life and probably in your homeschool where he will need to suck it up and do something he doesn't like. There's no need to create additional situations to practice that.

[Arcadia]

Is this his first book from Royal Fireworks Press? My kids like Peter Pan unabridged by other publishers. While my kids like Royal Fireworks Press Caesar's English and Word Within the Word, they both do not fancy RFWP's version of novels.

 

If he just don't like Peter Pan, then if it's okay with you, let him substitute with another on your list.

 

My kids had enrolled in literature online classes and library book clubs since 4th grade. They read through the assigned books quickly once to make sure they are okay with the books before we sign up for the classes.

[fralala]

If you can't make hating a book fun, I'd let it go. I still hate a beloved children's classic I was forced to read in elementary school, even though it's one I think I would probably enjoy now if not for the negative association.There are a lot of rules we don't emphasize in homeschool that kids will have to follow if they take classes elsewhere.

 

And I hate to say it, but even in a classroom environment kids don't necessarily read every book. Not that it's a habit we want to cultivate in our own children-- the ability to b.s. or research the plot points before heading into a test-- but it happens.

[Rosie_0801]

Practice never made anyone happier about reading books they're hating. Find something else! 

[wintermom]

Did you pre-read the book? I always read the books my dc were going to read to make sure they were appropriate and so that we could have discussions about them. I'd quickly read it, if you haven't already, and see if he's spot on and it's not a good fit for him. Did you pick this particular book out for a specific reason? Could this reason be covered in a different book or could you do it together as a read-aloud? 

Edited September 3, 2016 by wintermom

[ExcitedMama]

What about letting him listen to it?

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0739336908/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

The Jim Dale version is amazing! I read the whole book to DS and wasn't very impressed, until I heard Jim Dale reading it. He really makes it fun and funny. DS still hasn't tired of it and it's in constant rotation.

[Wheres Toto]

I would let him stop and read something else.  I don't force my kids to read something they hate.  

[Guest]

I'd let him read something else at the same level.

 

I hated the Peter pan book too. Even leaving aside all the redskin business, it's just a pain in the neck imo. It's so lovely as a play or movie.

 

A thought... There are other books that have been disneyfied, but remain a joy to read. The rescuers, 101dalmations, and Bambi are all great. Bambi is one of the most wonderful books we have read, ever!

[Mergath]

Let him drop it. Life is too short to slog through books you hate.

[lanalouwho]

He's only on chapter 4? I'm looking at Peter Pan to include on our list this year, and if I remember correctly, they haven't even gotten to Neverland in chapter 4. I would ask that he read a little more and see if it picks up for him. If not, switch.

 

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[Butter]

I'd have him finish.  There's been books I've not liked in the first four chapters and ended up loving them and am so glad I didn't quit.  Other books I never liked, but I get something out of every book I read whether I like it or not.

[lovinmyboys]

I would let him drop it, but I would encourage him to listen to the audiobook with Jim Dale reading it.

[Farrar]

Another vote to try a few things - audiobook, fun activities, see if he's struggling with it and that's holding him back - but to ultimately let him drop it. I don't think it sets a bad precedent. Doing it several times in a row might, but once in five years of school? I think you're good. You might even give him a pass or two passes or something to skip a required book every year. Everyone should get that option in life when possible. And homeschooling makes that sort of flexibility possible.

[lllll]

nm

Edited October 5, 2016 by Cathi

[RootAnn]

He's in 5th grade, so I'd probably not push it more than one more week, but I would certainly think about trying the audiobook first - especially if my library had it for free.

 

I've made my now high schooler daughter finish books that I assign for school (including Uncle Tom's Cabin & Huck Finn, neither of which she enjoyed). It has been interesting to see which ones she has liked (The Last of the Mohicans & My Antonia). We formerly had a 40 page or 2-3 chapter rule. If you get that far & don't enjoy it, you don't have to finish it. (I usually read aloud a further chapter or two of the book to see if she doesn't mind it when I read it. About half the time, she'll end up finishing it after I read a couple chapters to her aloud. The rest of the time, it simply doesn't get finished.)

 

I thought the Finding Neverland movie was interesting ... and caused me to read Peter Pan for the first time.

[Wabi Sabi]

I would try the audiobook and see if that is better. If not, I'd let him just drop it. 

[Wabi Sabi]

I would try the audiobook and see if that is better. If not, I'd let him just drop it. Quitting a few books here and there is ok, IMO, as long as it's only once in a while and not a regular thing. 

[Tanaqui]

It would be impossible to let every kid pick a different book. The schools simply can't customize.

 

Not technically true, though your attitude is quite widespread and it may be difficult to convince a teacher to try a different approach. (Though my high school English class once convinced our teacher to pick a different book because none of us liked the assigned one, still, that required a group effort.)

 

[Bluegoat]

I don't know that I would be keen to let him drop it.  It sounds like most of the time he enjoys what you choose, and also he chooses lots of his own reading.  So it isn't as if he doesn't get plenty of reading for pleasure.

 

If it's his first try at a classic or older book, it will require him to stretch his reading skills which means it may not be so easy to enjoy as some of the other things he has tried.  But reading really is a skill, not just something to do for content, and improving means trying things that are more difficult or not what we are used to.

 

I do think older or more difficult books sometimes need more support for the student to enjoy, because the book is a little more alien to his experience.  

 

Some books that are really worthwhile are harder, and we don't always enjoy them.  I would not want that to be a student's usual experience of literature, but it also shouldn't be something that they are unaware of or have no experience with.  You could maybe put it off for a few years, and that may depend on how you see his maturity level, but students do eventually need to come to terms with the idea that literature and art may be difficult and involve struggle.

[Clear Creek]

I have that exact version of Peter Pan, and I think it works much better as a read-aloud. I am currently reading it to my 4th grader, as a matter of fact. I think your son might be missing quite a bit of the humor because it is written with rather dry humor that needs to be spoken in a voice that conveys just how ridiculous it actually is. Ask your son why the children have a dog for a nanny. If he doesn't understand that the nanny is a dog or can't explain it is because the mother wants a nanny so they fit in with their neighbors but the father is such a miser that he wanted a dog for a nanny because it is cheaper than paying a human, then he isn't catching the humor. Without the humor, the story is quite boring.

 

I have a deal with my kids. If I assign a book and they think it is boring, then they can ask me to read it aloud to them. If we both find it boring, then we can drop it. So far, the only book we have ever dropped is The Moffats (though I begged to drop The Green Ember, but the kids liked it too much).

[Kathleen.]

I would just read it to him and do all the voices. If he still hates it then say you'll come back to it later.

Edited September 6, 2016 by Kathleen.

[....]

I let mine drop books they don't like, but this doesn't happen very often.  Maybe once a year?  

[RoundAbout]

I would definitely do the audiobook.  My son enjoyed that even at a very young age. I think audiobooks are a great way for children to get a feel for older and more difficult language without having to struggle with it in text right away.

Also, if you are doing assigned reading maybe a little more free choice would be good, for instance pick any 5 out of these 10.  If a book isn't working then he would have some alternates to fall back on.  I was in a gifted program for 5th and 6th grade where they had a great approach: most books were entirely free choice, books for small group discussions were freely chosen but from a limited list of options (mostly modern classics), and then 3 books during the year were whole class discussion books without any choice (mostly classics like Tom Sawyer, Steinbeck, etc.)

[HeatherL]

Thank you so much for all of your suggestions!  I was able to find the recording mentioned above at our library and we are using that.  I am making him follow along in his copy while listening to the recording.  After talking more with my son, I think he was struggling with some of the language in the book.  It's his first unabridged classic and I underestimated the complexity of some of the vocabulary.  He was getting hung up on not knowing how to pronounce certain words which left him confused on what they meant.  He's liking the book somewhat now (still not going to end up being a favorite), but at least we will be able to get through his first classic and he can discuss it well now. :)

[ikslo]

I give my DS one pass per school year, but he can't use it until he gets through at least a few chapters (because usually he ends up liking the books he thought he wouldn't).  There have been a few he just really couldn't get into, even when it was a read aloud where all he had to do was listen.

 

The Book of the Dun Cow was his pass last year.  When he wanted to quit a different book, I reminded him of his pass, and asked if he hated this new book enough to go back to Dun Cow and finish it.  He stuck with the new book.