Bringing books home from the school library--wwyd?

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Oh well -- guess the kids need to return the books on time.
Group punishments like this do not bother me at all, not one bit. It's not as if they cannot borrow them at all, just go no further than the classroom. Perfect compromise.
By the way, I discovered that my kid had a school library book overdue for more than a month -- and it was not the first time.
I now forbid said child from checking out school library books until further notice. Gotta learn to deal with consequences.

[Anonymous]

Collective punishment sucks, and the Geneva Convention bans it. Why not go after only the miscreants and their parents?

The sooner these children learn there is a special place in hell for those who do not return book the better off society and they will be.

I say this only partly in jest.

[Anonymous]

Why would you be mad about this? You said you take your DC to the local library so it's not like your DC is being deprived of books in general. Maybe the school was finding that too many kids would not return the books for a month or so. The kid may not be able to borrow another book without returning it, but it does prevent other kids from borrowing the book the kid hasn't returned, in a month.

At our local library, you can't renew a book if someone's placed a hold on it. There are no library fines in the school library, so some kids may be holding onto books for too long, and maybe not allowing kids to take books home would solve this issue.

Also, maybe too many kids were losing the books.

Either, way, doesn't bother me.

[Anonymous]

What grade? I doubt my kindergartener would be able to read a library book at school, so it would defeat the purpose of checking out school library books. For older kids, not so much of a problem.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Huh? Why would you go up the admin chain?

If the kids are not capable of remembering the due dates, as you yourself say, why would they be allowed to bring books home. If you are incapable of doing something, you don't do it. They are still allowed to read books in the library and classroom. They still have opportunities to go to the library with you.

Now encourage them to learn to take responsibility, follow rules, etc.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

I think this is a great policy. DD is in 3rd and never remembers to take her damn books back. She currently has 8 books out and they let her keep getting more

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What grade? I doubt my kindergartener would be able to read a library book at school, so it would defeat the purpose of checking out school library books. For older kids, not so much of a problem.

Yeah, but this is the problem. If the kid is not able to read what good does having the book available in the classroom do?

[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.

Its not a special needs issue. Its a parenting issue where the parents do not put it in the school back and its also a teacher issue that the teacher does not check. I prefer my kids not borrow books. We go to the library, kindle or buy them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What grade? I doubt my kindergartener would be able to read a library book at school, so it would defeat the purpose of checking out school library books. For older kids, not so much of a problem.

Yeah, but this is the problem. If the kid is not able to read what good does having the book available in the classroom do?

DS is reading, and can read his library books independently. But as far as I know, they don't have enough free time to read, throughout the week. They keep the kindergarteners pretty busy, to keep them out of trouble.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What grade? I doubt my kindergartener would be able to read a library book at school, so it would defeat the purpose of checking out school library books. For older kids, not so much of a problem.

Yeah, but this is the problem. If the kid is not able to read what good does having the book available in the classroom do?

DS is reading, and can read his library books independently. But as far as I know, they don't have enough free time to read, throughout the week. They keep the kindergarteners pretty busy, to keep them out of trouble.

What school? Reading is all my kid does during language arts most days. Meets once a week with the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, the OP's child is in kindergarten. Lots of kids have trouble remembering things in kindergarten.

I believe that books are meant to be read and not meant to be kept on a library shelf. How will a child learn responsibility if the child is not given a chance to practice it? I say that kids should be able to take books home, but not get any new ones to take home unless they bring back the ones that they have read at home. Meanwhile, they should be able to read whatever they want in the classroom.

Isn't this common sense? A blanket rule stating that no one can take books home is ridiculous.