Reply to APS -- Want to return but spouse resistant -- please clarify curriculum 5th grade

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have a 5th grader. How many novels were assigned to read at home:  ZERO. [/quote]

I don't really understand the focus on how many novels are assigned in 5th grade.  More appropro would be how many books are students encouraged to read on their own during down time in class, over the summer, at home, etc.  When I was in elementary school, we were encouraged to read whatever books we chose from the library and then give a verbal presentation (summary) to the class for extra credit.

If I were OP, I'd be far more interested in the ELA curriculum in middle and especially high school.  I wouldn't even be that concerned about # of novels in middle school, more concerned about the overall content and instruction and encouragement/incentives for reading. Unfortunately, our experience, and what I've read on here so far, indicate an extremely low production output in the high school curriculum. 4 seems to be the number to beat -- anyone?  anyone?

If you look online for the Wakefield recommended summer reading lists for each rising grade level, your student will be encouraged to read any books of their choosing EXCEPT the listed books.  Those listed pieces are apparently the pool of potential readings to be covered in an English class.  "Potential pool" because they clearly do not read them all, do not even read half of them.  That means these students are most likely to NEVER read MOST of the literary works designated for high school ELA curricula.  Seems to me, that's the opposite of what you would want in preparing students for post-secondary education.

Unless some folks come on here and tell me the classes at their kids' high schools cover triple what's been indicated so far, and OP is in that school's attendance zone, I urge OP to stay at Langley. Save in any other areas of your budget you can.[/quote]

APS has a summer reading list of books NOT TO READ????  WTAF??[/quote]

I assume they don't want the kids "reading ahead" because when my kids have a book assigned for class, they always say the teacher doesn't want them reading ahead.   To a limited extent, I can see a point in that.  For the most part, however, I think it's stupid.  1. If the student is actually engaged and wants to read on, don't discourage it!  2.  The class moves slower than a snail's pace; so if reading it faster keeps the student's interest, let them read it.  3.  You usually get more out of a book having read it, discussed it, and reviewed it.  Let them read it v. risking their not reading the assigned parts by the assigned due dates.  4.  If you're going to ask them NOT to read a list of books, then be sure to cover them ALL throughout the course of the year - not just a handful of them.  If you're only going to cover 5, then just ask them to not read those 5 instead of giving a list of 12-15 things not to read.[/quote]

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