Bringing books home from the school library--wwyd?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the kids in this room are generally unable to remember to bring the books back on time, then I think this policy makes sense. The kids have access to the books in the classroom, but the books are not unavailable to every other kid for weeks or months at a time.

+1 What solution would you have, OP? You admit it is a class of SN kids and admit that your son would have trouble remembering the day books are due. Clearly he isn't the only one with this problem because of the new rule that is being imposed. So the answers are:

a. No checkouts whatsoever

b. No checkouts can go home

c. Checkouts can go home and books are very likely not coming back in

d. Telling the same kids (presumably) each week that they can't check any books out because they haven't been returned

Of those options, isn't b the best option for a class of kindergarteners?

That's a terrible way of putting it, PP. "Admit your child has SN", as if it's something criminal? A child who has a diagnosed issue which makes him forgetful should have equal access to the library and its books!!!

And for your information, schools usually implement rule d. It's the only fair solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else think weekly library check out time at the school is too much time in the library? DS is in FCPS and gets library time weekly just to check out books. Additional library skills are taught during separate class time. Beyond 1st grade, most kids are reading chapter books. My kid gets to take out up to 4 books at a time each week. There is no way, he will read four chapter books weekly as well as his assigned books for homework. If he gets through one book it's a good week. Every other week alternating with Guidance seems much more reasonable. This would open up about 45 minutes per week of instruction time.

This is more of a master calendar issue than a library issue if the library is used to cover teacher planning time.

That said children benefit from having a wider choice of books and try new books

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the kids in this room are generally unable to remember to bring the books back on time, then I think this policy makes sense. The kids have access to the books in the classroom, but the books are not unavailable to every other kid for weeks or months at a time.

+1 What solution would you have, OP? You admit it is a class of SN kids and admit that your son would have trouble remembering the day books are due. Clearly he isn't the only one with this problem because of the new rule that is being imposed. So the answers are:

a. No checkouts whatsoever

b. No checkouts can go home

c. Checkouts can go home and books are very likely not coming back in

d. Telling the same kids (presumably) each week that they can't check any books out because they haven't been returned

Of those options, isn't b the best option for a class of kindergarteners?

That's a terrible way of putting it, PP. "Admit your child has SN", as if it's something criminal? A child who has a diagnosed issue which makes him forgetful should have equal access to the library and its books!!!

And for your information, schools usually implement rule d. It's the only fair solution.

I prefer option d. I'd say 95% of my kindergarteners can handle the responsibility with an occasional slip up. About 5% are chronic forgetters

As for children who are not cognitively capable of being responsible for their books and other school materials it is a tough call if the parents are not taking responsibility for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else think weekly library check out time at the school is too much time in the library? DS is in FCPS and gets library time weekly just to check out books. Additional library skills are taught during separate class time. Beyond 1st grade, most kids are reading chapter books. My kid gets to take out up to 4 books at a time each week. There is no way, he will read four chapter books weekly as well as his assigned books for homework. If he gets through one book it's a good week. Every other week alternating with Guidance seems much more reasonable. This would open up about 45 minutes per week of instruction time.

This is more of a master calendar issue than a library issue if the library is used to cover teacher planning time.

That said children benefit from having a wider choice of books and try new books

I think the librarian should be responsible for more than checking books out. Kids don't need to check out four books a week. Alternate between checking out books and teaching a lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the kids in this room are generally unable to remember to bring the books back on time, then I think this policy makes sense. The kids have access to the books in the classroom, but the books are not unavailable to every other kid for weeks or months at a time.

+1 What solution would you have, OP? You admit it is a class of SN kids and admit that your son would have trouble remembering the day books are due. Clearly he isn't the only one with this problem because of the new rule that is being imposed. So the answers are:

a. No checkouts whatsoever

b. No checkouts can go home

c. Checkouts can go home and books are very likely not coming back in

d. Telling the same kids (presumably) each week that they can't check any books out because they haven't been returned

Of those options, isn't b the best option for a class of kindergarteners?

That's a terrible way of putting it, PP. "Admit your child has SN", as if it's something criminal? A child who has a diagnosed issue which makes him forgetful should have equal access to the library and its books!!!

And for your information, schools usually implement rule d. It's the only fair solution.

I prefer option d. I'd say 95% of my kindergarteners can handle the responsibility with an occasional slip up. About 5% are chronic forgetters

As for children who are not cognitively capable of being responsible for their books and other school materials it is a tough call if the parents are not taking responsibility for them.

This isn't 95% of your kindergarteners. It is a class of largely or wholly SN kindergarteners and presumably many have the issue of not returning the books, related to their SN or not doesn't really matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else think weekly library check out time at the school is too much time in the library? DS is in FCPS and gets library time weekly just to check out books. Additional library skills are taught during separate class time. Beyond 1st grade, most kids are reading chapter books. My kid gets to take out up to 4 books at a time each week. There is no way, he will read four chapter books weekly as well as his assigned books for homework. If he gets through one book it's a good week. Every other week alternating with Guidance seems much more reasonable. This would open up about 45 minutes per week of instruction time.

This is more of a master calendar issue than a library issue if the library is used to cover teacher planning time.

That said children benefit from having a wider choice of books and try new books

I think the librarian should be responsible for more than checking books out. Kids don't need to check out four books a week. Alternate between checking out books and teaching a lesson.

If you read the original post the librarian is doing that already

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I just got an email that my kid and his classmates will no longer be able to bring home the library book they choose due to poor book returns. The book they pick will be available in their classroom to read for the week. I am not sure at this point if it's just his classroom or a new school-wide policy. This strikes me as punitive and bothers me on a lot of levels. We already go to the library on our own so I'm not sure how much it impacts us but not allowing kids to bring home books seems to defeat the whole point of the library. Would you be mad about this? Especially if it's only his room? Would you go up an admin chain? FTR, we have only been late returning once and the kids can't get a new book if they don't return the old one so it's not like there's a whole pile of books at students' homes.

I think this is either the teacher or the librarian being overly concerned about losing books. The books are there for the students to use, but some people get so worried about losing them that they end up defeating the purpose by not letting students use them in the first place. It's not a library if the kids can't take the books home. Some kids have no books at home. I would point that out, but I wouldn't be angry - it's a common problem and usually resolves itself when the staff changes and the library dragon goes elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else think weekly library check out time at the school is too much time in the library? DS is in FCPS and gets library time weekly just to check out books. Additional library skills are taught during separate class time. Beyond 1st grade, most kids are reading chapter books. My kid gets to take out up to 4 books at a time each week. There is no way, he will read four chapter books weekly as well as his assigned books for homework. If he gets through one book it's a good week. Every other week alternating with Guidance seems much more reasonable. This would open up about 45 minutes per week of instruction time.

This is more of a master calendar issue than a library issue if the library is used to cover teacher planning time.

That said children benefit from having a wider choice of books and try new books

In my last school, library was just a way for teachers to get more planning time, because there was none in the schedule. Guidance was too understaffed and didn't have a classroom. Fairfax is broke and desperate as always, with insufficient planning time, not enough classroom space, and not enough staff. So library is the planning period of last resort. Welcome to the wealthiest district in the country that is always broke.

[Anonymous]

Find a real problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I just got an email that my kid and his classmates will no longer be able to bring home the library book they choose due to poor book returns. The book they pick will be available in their classroom to read for the week. I am not sure at this point if it's just his classroom or a new school-wide policy. This strikes me as punitive and bothers me on a lot of levels. We already go to the library on our own so I'm not sure how much it impacts us but not allowing kids to bring home books seems to defeat the whole point of the library. Would you be mad about this? Especially if it's only his room? Would you go up an admin chain? FTR, we have only been late returning once and the kids can't get a new book if they don't return the old one so it's not like there's a whole pile of books at students' homes.

I think this is either the teacher or the librarian being overly concerned about losing books. The books are there for the students to use, but some people get so worried about losing them that they end up defeating the purpose by not letting students use them in the first place. It's not a library if the kids can't take the books home. Some kids have no books at home. I would point that out, but I wouldn't be angry - it's a common problem and usually resolves itself when the staff changes and the library dragon goes elsewhere.

Shouldn't the school be concerned about lost books. What would happen to the library if kids never returned the books?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. This is K, and if it makes a difference, for a classroom where all the kids have SN. My kid, for example, is not capable of remembering he needs to collect the book for a certain day and I doubt the other kids can either.

Huh? Is that considered a special need for a k student? I have a SN child and didn't know…. My K student doesn't even understand the concept of time yet…. I am the one who sends the books back by Wednesday so she can get a new one on Thursdays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I just got an email that my kid and his classmates will no longer be able to bring home the library book they choose due to poor book returns. The book they pick will be available in their classroom to read for the week. I am not sure at this point if it's just his classroom or a new school-wide policy. This strikes me as punitive and bothers me on a lot of levels. We already go to the library on our own so I'm not sure how much it impacts us but not allowing kids to bring home books seems to defeat the whole point of the library. Would you be mad about this? Especially if it's only his room? Would you go up an admin chain? FTR, we have only been late returning once and the kids can't get a new book if they don't return the old one so it's not like there's a whole pile of books at students' homes.

I think this is either the teacher or the librarian being overly concerned about losing books. The books are there for the students to use, but some people get so worried about losing them that they end up defeating the purpose by not letting students use them in the first place. It's not a library if the kids can't take the books home. Some kids have no books at home. I would point that out, but I wouldn't be angry - it's a common problem and usually resolves itself when the staff changes and the library dragon goes elsewhere.

Shouldn't the school be concerned about lost books. What would happen to the library if kids never returned the books?

You didn't highlight PP's second sentence. The books at the library are to be read/used, not to stay on the shelves, safe from the perils of getting lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I just got an email that my kid and his classmates will no longer be able to bring home the library book they choose due to poor book returns. The book they pick will be available in their classroom to read for the week. I am not sure at this point if it's just his classroom or a new school-wide policy. This strikes me as punitive and bothers me on a lot of levels. We already go to the library on our own so I'm not sure how much it impacts us but not allowing kids to bring home books seems to defeat the whole point of the library. Would you be mad about this? Especially if it's only his room? Would you go up an admin chain? FTR, we have only been late returning once and the kids can't get a new book if they don't return the old one so it's not like there's a whole pile of books at students' homes.

I think this is either the teacher or the librarian being overly concerned about losing books. The books are there for the students to use, but some people get so worried about losing them that they end up defeating the purpose by not letting students use them in the first place. It's not a library if the kids can't take the books home. Some kids have no books at home. I would point that out, but I wouldn't be angry - it's a common problem and usually resolves itself when the staff changes and the library dragon goes elsewhere.

Shouldn't the school be concerned about lost books. What would happen to the library if kids never returned the books?

You didn't highlight PP's second sentence. The books at the library are to be read/used, not to stay on the shelves, safe from the perils of getting lost.

Wrong, I did read the second sentence. The two purposes of a library are necessary: books being available to kids AMD kids having access to them. Not letting them go home by those who can't reliably return them solves the problem if they have tine in school to read them. If it is so bad, ask the teacher to ask the parents to donate books (used ones at library book sales could be a dime each) to start a free library for the class.

[Anonymous]

What would I do?

Not a damn thing. This "collective punishment" isn't all that painful, especially since you seem to be a family with access to books in all sorts of other ways.

[Anonymous]

This is why SN parents get a bad rap. You think that because your child "can't remember" that it's fine for books, which are property of the school, to just trickle out all year? Take some responsibility. If your kid has SN your job is going to be harder. Deal with it.