What were they thinking????

[ett]

fill the chart quickly, but DC is very much a rule follower and will actually declare books ineligible for the chart if they are graphic novels or not long enough for them to be in the correct "readng level"...

I would try to use this opportunity to help your DC be more flexible. Graphic novels or shorter books certainly count as a book. Graphic novels have their own section in our library's children's room. There are many advanced picture books that are geared for older kids.

[randomkid]

I'm sorry - that is so frustrating! I have the opposite problem here. DD goes to a private school and they gave REQUIRED summer work. We have a big booklet with 8 weeks of reading, writing and math assignments. She is supposed to read for 20 minutes a day, 5 days/wk. I think she has read about a total of an hour so far! DD likes to read and she's good at it, but she is also a very active kid and will choose doing cartwheels and playing in the sprinkler in the backyard over sitting down to read. DD will be entering 3rd grade and is reading at almost 6th grade level. I'm not too concerned about her reading, but she HAS to do it. I am worried about her math and had planned to set her up with tutoring, but now we have this book to do as well. So, I am having to resort to a reward system to get DD to sit down long enough to do this stupid book! Sorry to hijack, but I understand the stress of summer homework, but from the opposite side. Summer is not supposed to be stressful! I think about this everyday. When we go to a movie, I'm not enjoying it as much as I could if I wasn't thinking "DD needs to be doing her work!" I WOH, so setting aside time to do this has been a challenge. I'm sorry you haven't been enjoying your Summer due to the reading - that sucks! Educators need to think about the parents once in a while, don't they?

[OKKiddo]

I had just read something about this on a blog I follow. My kids have already completed their summer library program with books that they chose (and no pressure from me). I think after having read the blog though I'll watch more carefully what I feed their brain. http://lerheims.wordpress.com/2013/0...ng-good-books/

[hbridge]

Thank you all for your replies. I KNOW there is nothing I can do to improve this issue since much of the difficulty lies in my child's rigid interpretation of the "rules". I am simply frustrated at the "assignment" that the school has given the kids. Reading is important, but that quality is much more important than quantity; which simply increases my frustration with the homework. Oliver Twist is a much more involved book to read than a Puppy Place book, yet the school is telling the kids that they will be rewarded for quantity!!! Of course, my child thinks that they all need to be "classics".

The other part is my rigid, high anxiety child; I'm not going to get in a battle over a reading program. However the school will be hearing from me about it later in the summer when the principal is available.

[123LuckyMom]

Thank you all for your replies. I KNOW there is nothing I can do to improve this issue since much of the difficulty lies in my child's rigid interpretation of the "rules". I am simply frustrated at the "assignment" that the school has given the kids. Reading is important, but that quality is much more important than quantity; which simply increases my frustration with the homework. Oliver Twist is a much more involved book to read than a Puppy Place book, yet the school is telling the kids that they will be rewarded for quantity!!! Of course, my child thinks that they all need to be "classics".

The other part is my rigid, high anxiety child; I'm not going to get in a battle over a reading program. However the school will be hearing from me about it later in the summer when the principal is available.

I do think it's a good idea to speak about it with the principal. It's good for them to know that their very well-meaning assignments has had negative and in intended ramifications for your child. This could all have been avoided if the directions had been more clear.

[Cam&Clay]

It's a shame that the school didn't make it clear that 1 book = 1 chapter. For our summer reading programs, we explain to the students that reading a chapter book counts for way more than reading a picture book. It's only fair.