This is the sixth post by FedUp Mom, the mother of a fifth grader. FedUp Mom’s daughter used to attend a public school in suburban Philadelphia, but this year FedUp Mom moved her to a private Quaker school, hoping for a more relaxed environment. You can read her other posts here, here, here, here and here.
I Hate Reading Logs
by FedUp Mom
Every time I think we’ve solved the school problem something comes along to bite me in the rear. This week it’s the dreaded reading log. We found out about it from a letter the teachers sent home:
“Your child will be expected to read every night. We ask that you sign the log each night … We will also check the log regularly, in order to ensure follow through on your child’s part… Please sign the form below and return it to school tomorrow with your child.”
And now, the fun part:
“Thank you for your partnership in your child’s education.” (!)
And how does following the teacher’s directions make me a partner exactly? I feel more like an unpaid employee. Wait a minute — we’re paying them!
There was a little form at the bottom of the letter that said:
“I have read the above letter and agree to help my child by signing his/her log each night.”
I crossed this out and wrote in:
“We trust our daughter to do her reading.”
Then we signed it.
Then we sent the following e-mail to the teacher:
Teacher X: we have chosen not to participate in the reading log. We’ve experienced reading logs before and have these objections:
1.) They turn reading into a chore.
2.) They send a message that we don’t trust (daughter) to do the reading without meddling and micromanaging.
(Daughter) will do the reading she needs to do, but she won’t be logging the pages. Thank you.
I’m hoping that will be the end of it. I’m really tired of conferences and I’m sure we all have better things to do with our time.
Stop Homework 
I will kick off by stating that I did not read ALL 500 comments and if what I’m about to say has been said, I apologize for the redundancy.
I’m an 8th grade English teacher in a very high-achieving public middle school in California and yes, I require a reading log. Now, first of all, I will say that it wasn’t my idea but a convention in place at the school long before I arrived. Do I completely agree with it? Not on your life. Do I expect parents and students to complete it? Yes, I do. However, I do so not because I don’t trust the students (in fact, I think the reading log largely encourages academic dishonesty and fibbing) but because the state and federal education board has decided that voluntary independent reading be required (I won’t even get into the sick irony of the requirement itself except to ask: “How can something be voluntary and required at the same time?”). We, as public school teachers, MUST account for this standard and show that the students are reading. The community I teach in is very litigious and the district a bit gun shy due to a couple lost frivolous lawsuits some time ago so the reading logs do provide some accountability. On this point I’ll add that the state of education isn’t really due to the teachers but a government of people who have never stepped into a classroom on my side of the desk.
With that said, I support the idea that parents should be allowed to monitor their students’ progress and independent reading but MOST do not. The 500 comments on this site really do represent the vocal minority. The reading log asks parents to review each book to make sure it’s appropriate (something, I hope we can all agree, parents should do) and to verify that their student is doing this homework. It takes no more than a minute or two and, as an avid reader myself, this is not going to turn me off of reading. It is a small request, all things considered. Furthermore, many parents are NOT the best academic educators for their children–they do not have the expertise in each content area a selection of teachers provides nor are they armed with the theory and technique that best fosters learning. I’m not saying that this is impossible to learn but there’s enough to it that I’ve spent years studying educational theory, psychology, and technique and STILL learn new methods almost daily. Also, many students do not want to learn academics from their parents. They want to learn morality, politics, and, most of all, acceptance, from their parents and there is no better teacher of these than a parent or caretaker who loves their child.
Now, here’s the funny part. Parents started complaining at my school about the reading log and so a teacher decided to make the student write an analytical response in their reading log each and every time the child read. This got the parents off her back and she was even commended for her innovative approach to the log. However, the students complained to me that now they know that every time they read and log the pages they’re also buying themselves an extra homework assignment that night. This has encouraged many students to curtail their nightly reading in favor of large, laborious chunks once or maybe twice a week. And yet, I’VE been asked by my department to implement the other teacher’s method in response to pressure from the parents.
The reading log is an accountability device and I use it as such. It is not meant to offend the parent nor do I honestly believe it will turn a kid off reading. What turns a kid off reading is not being allowed to read what THEY want to read and my logs do NOT do that. “Forcing” a kid to read will not turn them off of reading (research to the contrary is anecdotal at best). If a kid is going to dislike reading, there’s little that can be done to turn that kid into a voracious reader. However, allowing the kid to read what they like for enjoyment (magazines, comic books/graphic novels, scifi, music biographies, etc.) is the best way to encourage reading.
Thank you, FedUpMom, for raising such a provocative issue. Cheers!
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dsLevy says:
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Thank you, FedUpMom, for raising such a provocative issue.
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Hey, you’re very welcome! Also, check out my new blog:
http://kidfriendlyschools.blogspot.com/
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I’m an 8th grade English teacher in a very high-achieving public middle school
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Ah yes, high-achieving public schools. Have you read “Doing School”, by Denise Pope? Also, Google “nominally high achieving schools”.
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It takes no more than a minute or two and, as an avid reader myself, this is not going to turn me off of reading.
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Oh really? Imagine that your principal required you to read for 20 minutes every night, and you had to keep a log that would be signed by your husband every night. Do you think your enthusiasm for reading would remain undimmed? Do you think your relationship with your husband would be unaffected?
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Furthermore, many parents are NOT the best academic educators for their children
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Well, thanks for the vote of confidence there. Look, if you don’t want parents to get stuck with the role of teacher, stop assigning homework. Glad we solved that one.
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a teacher decided to make the student write an analytical response in their reading log each and every time the child read.
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What problem was this intended to solve? You mean this way the parents wouldn’t have to sign?
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the students complained to me that now they know that every time they read and log the pages they’re also buying themselves an extra homework assignment that night.
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Mother of Pearl! Way to encourage love of learning.
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“Forcing” a kid to read will not turn them off of reading
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Yes it will, and it does. It happens all the time.
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After reading this, I realize that many of you hate homework. That is understandable. I agree that children need time to play and socialize after school. So can anyone explain to me the phone calls I’ve been getting about not assigning enough homework?
I assign a minimal amount of homework, and I’ve actually had parents call me to complain! Apparently, I’m not preparing them for the amount of homework that they will have in the future. I should be assigning more things for them to work on at home.
It’s just interesting to not the discrepancy between this blog and the reaction to my own low-homework policy.
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Teacher, exactly how many parents have called you to complain about not having enough homework? How many parents did you have total?
I ask because I think a lot of these anecdotes get blown out of proportion. If you had a class of 30 kids and 1 parent asked for more homework, you still don’t know what the other 29 parents thought about homework.
By the way, you’ll get no objection from me if you provide the homework-loving parents with more homework. Just don’t make the homework-hating parents do it with their kids.
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I believe that there are parents out there clamoring for more homework. They are, I suspect, the same parents publicly berating their children for only getting second place in the county-wide science fair (I saw this with my own eyes).
In my county, the official policy is that homework is to be differentiated. No teachers here follow this policy, but if they did that would let the parents who want more homework to get it and those who want less to be happy, too.
I would also suggest that if the student is doing well to try to talk through it with the parent. Say that the student is doing well and doesn’t need more practice, ask if the parent thinks there is a specific area the student needs more practice in to narrow it down, and point out the value of non-academic activities (sports, recreation, hobbies, travel, reading for pleasure) in a child’s development. It may or may not help, but as FedUpMom said please don’t stick the rest of us with more homework just because another parent wants it for their kid.
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FedUpMom says:
Teacher, exactly how many parents have called you to complain about not having enough homework? How many parents did you have total?
I find your comments very acidic. I was just noting a discrepancy. Each year I have 2 to 3 parents that call requesting extra work for their children. If you add those up over the years, that is a lot of parents. And despite those requests for extra homework, I do not give more work to the other children. I get the feeling that you think ALL teachers are unreasonable.
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Teacher, I didn’t mean to be acidic. I was just trying to understand how many parents we’re talking about.
If you get 2 or 3 parents a year requesting more homework, how many parents do you get asking for less homework, or indicating there’s been a problem with the homework?
Most parents don’t say anything at all to the teacher about homework, even if it’s creating problems for the family. It’s much more common for parents to do just do the homework for their kids. Raising the issue with the teacher is a hassle, and most parents avoid it.
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Everyone on this board who is griping, is only complaining because they have a child who performs poorly at school. Don’t blame the school or the teacher. Just blame your kid and yourselves parents.
From
Parent with smart kids
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BUNCH OF HIPPIES!!
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We could go ’round and ’round on the reading log but I wanted to address and clarify one comment:
“Well, thanks for the vote of confidence there. Look, if you don’t want parents to get stuck with the role of teacher, stop assigning homework. Glad we solved that one.”
What I meant was that a mother who is a mechanical engineer is a GREAT resource to teach Math but probably not the ideal Literature teacher. We’re talking generalities here, of course, but there are few exceptions in my experience. Furthermore, an expert in any given field does not a teacher make. I didn’t spend the extra hours (years, really) learning how to be an effective teacher for nothing. Anyone can teach something they love if they take the patience but Teachers have specialized education that gives them tools and insight far exceeding the average parent. What a parent SHOULD be teaching is morality, good study habits, responsibility, accountability, etc. As a teacher, I shouldn’t have to teach a teenager the importance of completing work, meeting expectations, or studying for a test but I not only find myself doing that but also teaching general morality (not to bully, not to lie, etc.).
Also, Teacher said that s/he doesn’t assign much homework and gets complaints. I’m in the same boat. Homework is assigned in my class for independent study and practice. My students are instructed that their parents shouldn’t be bothered by most of what I assign (studying and essaying are a bit different, of course) and I would rather they meet with me before school/class if they have problems. My students also know that I’d rather give an extra day on most assignments if a student requires one-on-one time with me. The point is, however, that I don’t really assign much homework and, wouldn’t you know it, I do get complaints. I would say I have approximately a 25%-30% complaint rate on not giving enough homework. Granted, that might only be six or seven kids out of thirty (sometimes as many as ten) and you can bet I’d get way more for TOO MUCH homework but six or seven emails and/or phone calls about this means I’m spending upwards of two hours per section talking to parents and that’s usually on a monthly basis.
The homework issue is a big one and, getting back to the topic at hand, reading logs pile on top of that. BUT, and this is a big “but”, the reading logs aren’t a significant weight on that homework load. If it weren’t for the three hours of homework most kids average, reading logs would not even register.
I commented: ““Forcing” a kid to read will not turn them off of reading” to which you replied that it will. Again, let me clarify: Of course it will! But that’s why I put it in quotes. Making a kid set aside time for reading will not, BY ITSELF, discourage a kid from reading. This is where I believe parents need to step in and remove alternatives to reading. Kids often don’t like reading because it’s 1. difficult and 2. keeps them from easier diversions such as video games, movies, TV, etc. Every kid in my class who does NOT have any of those things is an avid reader and often reads around 2K-3K words a MONTH. The kids who constantly boast about their new video games or the movies they saw over the weekend are, to a one, NOT reading the required 300 pages a month. They say they “don’t like to read.” And yet the readers in my class are expected to do the same reading log. I hope you can see where I’m going with this. Maybe it’s not the reading log that’s the problem at all. Maybe it’s that Reading is not seen as a reward anymore. I’d much rather parents reward their children with an extra fifteen minutes of reading time than an extra fifteen minutes in front of the television.
OK…back to prepping for the year. Ironically, I’m actually trying to decide how I want to handle the logs this year.
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BUT, and this is a big “but”, the reading logs aren’t a significant weight on that homework load.
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The problem with reading logs is not that they take a tremendous amount of time, because, as you say, they don’t.
The problem with reading logs is that they turn reading into a chore, and make kids less interested in reading for pleasure.
From the teacher’s point of view, there’s also the issue of faking. You may think a nicely filled out reading log proves something, but I assure you it doesn’t. Maybe the kid actually did the reading, maybe he didn’t.
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Oh believe me, I’m not fooled by those reading logs. I think it’s pretty funny when a kid reads EXACTLY the required amount.
I disagree that the logs make reading a chore. Not at all. What makes reading a chore is that it takes time–time away from TV, from friends, from family, etc.–and not every kid is good at it. Some kids have a basic grade-level proficiency but that does not mean they enjoy the actual act of reading. It is a chore for those kids to read, reading log or no.
I’m a big believer in Krashen’s work on the subject and his theory of FVR (Free Voluntary Reading) is spot on. If a kid is allowed to read what they WANT to read, they’ll read it and filling out a reading log at the end of the day, week, or month won’t be big deal. It’s like when I worked at Disneyland. We were required to clock out using this really inconvenient and tiresome computer system but it never once made me not want to work there! The job was fun. Reading can be the same. If a kid wants to read Jane Austen, let the kid read her but if they want to read AC/DC’s band biography, I say go for it.
I’m sorry, but you just can’t convince me that reading logs are the only, or even the strongest, contributing factor discouraging reading among our students. It doesn’t gel with any of my practical experience on the subject.
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test to see if my comment will go through
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dsLevy says:
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I disagree that the logs make reading a chore.
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When I say that reading logs make reading logs a chore, I’m not just spinning a theory. I’m describing what I’ve seen happen in my own home. Reading logs had no effect on my daughter except to make her less interested in what had been one of her favorite activities. They had no positive effect at all.
If you won’t take my word for it, there are many other parents reporting the same phenomenon.
I’ll put my list of anti-reading-log sites on my own blog, because I can’t get the comment through on this site. You can see the list here:
http://kidfriendlyschools.blogspot.com/2010/08/join-chorus-against-reading-logs.html
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Here’s another voice of experience, from a teacher who is also a parent:
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I quit reading logs, too, a few years ago. I’ll tell you why I quit them: my (then 3rd grade) son, who LOVES to read (we’re talking the whole flashlight under the covers, can we PLEASE go to the library today-love to read) was doing his homework one night. He’s pretty self-directed, so I wasn’t paying much attention to him, but I noticed that he set the oven timer. Then, he sat down on the couch to read. When the timer went off, he slammed his book shut and announced, “Whew…glad that’s over!” I said, “Is your book not good?” and he said, “No, done with my reading homework!” This is the kid that I have to TELL to go outside and play and please put the book down for a little while. That was literally the last day I required reading logs. If reading logs do that to a reader,what do they do to a non-reader?
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http://blogs.proteacher.net/discussions/showthread.php?p=911908
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As a retired teacher I have this to say: I am glad I am retired from one of the lowest paying jobs with a degree. And I am glad I don’t have you as parents of my students. You should have thought of all the work parenting requires before you had kids and you should try being a teacher sometime.
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I think I see where my misunderstanding has been.
You’re talking about teachers who require a set time requirement of reading each night. That’s not what I do at all. I only require that they log the pages they have read so I can see what their reading habits are. Nowhere on my logs does it ask for which days they read or for how long. If they read three pages in a sitting, they log three pages. If they read a hundred, log a hundred. If they don’t read that night, they don’t log it and there’s zero penalty. I set a requirement of 300 pages per month in line with my department’s expectations.
The idea that “requiring” a kid who likes to read will dissuade them from reading is absolutely ludicrous and tells me that the parents in those circumstances have, quite honestly, failed. If you know, as their parent, that your kid reads more than the required time, simply sign off on the log and move on with life. The log is their to assist parents who can’t get their kids to read, no matter what. The kid who WAS an avid reader but stopped reading once it was required needed to be sat down and conversed with. The poster admitted that they were not monitoring their child. Sorry, but that’s your job.
The sad thing is that if a kid DOESN’T read, blame falls on the teacher. However, the posters here don’t want the teachers to instill any system of accountability. It’s funny that NO alternative seems to be offered.
When I was a student, my parents explained that certain things in school were simply required and that there is a difference between doing things for fun (reading, for example) and studying or doing the required work (you know…reading, for example). That ability to separate served me well in college AND in my professional life. I can hope that you aren’t poisoning your children with an inflated sense of entitlement because you think an exception should be made. You’d probably be happier in a private school but I would urge you to ask your child what they want first.
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dsLevy says:
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The idea that “requiring” a kid who likes to read will dissuade them from reading is absolutely ludicrous and tells me that the parents in those circumstances have, quite honestly, failed.
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Well, thanks for the support.
My experience of reading logs is that they caused my daughter to lose interest in reading and created stress in our home. I posted a list of links to other sites describing the same problem. I quoted a *teacher* who saw her own son lose interest in reading because of a log.
And you say that your reading logs couldn’t possibly cause a problem, and if they do it’s the parents’ fault. I give up.
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FedUp Mom,
Thank you very much for your persistence and strong voice for parents who work hard nurturing readers and nascent readers.
A few issues have been missed or ignored here by supporters of reading logs:
1. Parents are writing in that they have seen with their own eyes unintended, negative consequences of well intentioned reading-log requirements, only to have those concerns dismissed and even ridiculed.
2. Compelling students to track their at-home reading sends the message that reading for pleasure is the school’s business, even outside of school, and must be monitored because students and their parents can’t be trusted. Put another way, the message is that reading is always work that must be checked and verified. I and many other parents disagree that self selected, at-home pleasure reading is the school’s business.
This is different than reading literature in preparation for class discussion. We are talking about students’ rights, at home, to choose when and what they reading — without being monitored.
3. Where exactly is the boundary between school and home? Parents can raise questions about what is a reasonable boundary and still be “team players” and “partners.” Schools and individual teachers really have no inherent right to dictate how the healthy habit of reading for pleasure ought to be nurtured in the home.
By all means, suggest, urge, cajole, promote, advocate for your favorite method, sure. But dictate, no.
No teacher or school department has the magic formula for creating and sustaining a lifelong reader. In my home, that has been my job since my kids were born, and it’s been going great except for when a well meaning teacher-for-one-year imposes a one-size-fits-all at-home reading “solution” on them. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Trust me when I tell you I know what works and what will just create a problem where there wasn’t one.
It’s okay to back off when a parent says, “Enough.” Please consider that the parent’s concerns just might be genuine.
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Oh great, now we’re poisoning our kids. Another teacher declaring me a lousy parent because I don’t legislate reading at home. I’m the parent with the child who stops reading every January when books get assigned and 6 questions per chapter have to be answered in Grades 1, 2, 3 and I’m certain, the impending 4 as well.. dsLevy is suggesting the answer to my child’s problem is a further reiteration of the RULES by me. The conversation should go like, how? “Listen, dear, you read because you have to, enjoyment and interest doesn’t matter. The teacher knows what kind of books you like..and she wouldn’t assign boring books or books that are above your ability to read.”
Is that the conversation I’m supposed to have? I’m really curious…what is this “sit down” supposed to communicate to my child?
I give up too.
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The more I read this thread, the more convinced I am that the so-called problem is not in the reading logs.
I have approximately 100 English students a year (down from 200+ now that I teach Drama). A generous estimate would be that 75% of the students DO NOT read outside of class. Period. If you can honestly sit back and tell me that’s because I ask them to spend thirty seconds writing down how many pages they read (and that’s ALL I ask), I just don’t know how to respond. The effort is honestly akin to stopping for a few minutes to put gas in our cars. It’s inconvenient to some of us when we’re running late but we don’t suddenly stop driving!
The REALITY is that most kids do not read outside of class. I’m not sure what kind of reading logs your kids are expected to fill out but because you, at home, have made a big deal of them, your kids see them as more than what they are.
This year, I’m going to expect my students to complete reaction logs for their reading as well as journal responses to the character, author, and personal values reflected in their reading. This will be in their own books. My job is not to make them fall in love with reading. I can’t do that. My job is to teach them how to analyze a novel and write TO that novel. Students will ultimately have to present their analysis to the class much the same way an English major does in college. I’m so tired of people complaining about the thirty seconds it takes to write down that you read ten pages in a sitting. If I’M supposedly the reason kids aren’t reading, well then I guess I just have to “cajole” them to develop good reading skills, interpretative analysis techniques, and show them that ALL reading is a learning experience.
I will expect my students’ parents to support that and set aside time for their child to read instead of shuttling them between far too many sports practices, dance lessons, or letting them watch TV. Again, I think all of that contributes far more to a child not reading than a simple log does.
Instead of looking at why YOUR child doesn’t read, start asking yourself why a child in the same class DOES read.
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dsLevy says:
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My job is not to make them fall in love with reading.
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Actually, that is your job. If 75% of your kids don’t read outside of class, that means you have failed to inspire them. Stop blaming the parents.
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My job is to teach them how to analyze a novel
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There is no point in teaching kids how to analyze a novel if they never willingly read a novel again.
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“Everyone on this board who is griping, is only complaining because they have a child who performs poorly at school.” Really? You know this for a fact? My daughter is a National Merit Scholar. Just sayin’. Since you brought it up.
You sign yourself a Parent of Smart Kids. You remind me of that bumper sticker I saw the other day: “Your kid may be gifted but you’re still an idiot.”
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Pat writes: “You should have thought of all the work parenting requires before you had kids and you should try being a teacher sometime.”
Let me get this straight. I wanted less homework (none in elementary and none or little in middle) because I wanted MORE time with my child. Your comment is laughable, were it not so sad. I know many parents who don’t mind homework precisely because they DON’T want to spend so much time with their children and mandatory homework becomes a convenient babysitter.
I’m going to scream the next time some teacher comes along here and accuses us of being lazy parents because we have serious issues with homework. Huh? I don’t get it. I wanted (I say wanted because for better or worse, my daughter graduated K-12 in June) less homework because Learning Is Everything in our household. I wanted less homework so daughter had time to do the one thing she’d rather do more than anything in the world, including food and sleep, read. We’re talking Wuthering Heights in 5th grade. We’re talking high quality literature. This is how we all wanted her to spend her childhood afternoons, not filling out some useless tedious worksheet that took a calm vibrant household and turned it into a nightly battlefield. Until I put my foot down and muttered, my house my rules.
I wanted no homework to keep that fire burning, the passion of reading and writing novels. I wanted more time for museums and bike rides and literary discussions. Where on earth do you see evidence of lazy parenting here? Good grief, I homeschooled my child for a year. You think that was easy? You call that uninvolved?
For the record, I did teach. And the first thing I threw out was denying recess as punishment.
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“It’s funny that NO alternative seems to be offered.” Frankly, after being utterly wrung out from the system, the only alternative I see, if I could turn the clock back, was to homeschool. There’s your alternative!
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Homeschooling is indeed an alternative–one with which I don’t agree but that’s not the topic at hand–but it’s not what I was suggesting.
I can ONLY speak for MY English class. I assign VERY little homework (I’d say it averages an hour to two a week, if that) and it is NEVER simply spillover from classwork (which is always the result of a teacher who didn’t time themselves well). Homework for my class is independent study on a particular topic that I want the child to do without the interference or input of their peers and without me as a safety net. If you can argue with that philosophy, I’m not sure we can have a productive conversation at all.
I never said parents are LAZY by not wanting homework. Not sure who said that but that’s an asinine comment. Granted, homework is often a chore for parents to contend with, I’ll give you that, but it shouldn’t be. As a teacher, I can honestly say that I’d rather see the child NOT do an assignment because they didn’t understand it, come to me and ask for clarification, at which point I’ll grant them extra time. I give up each and every break and lunch time to meet with my students because there is simply not enough time in the class period when I have 33 students. I stay, on average, 45 minutes after school to meet with students. I also arrive no less than thirty minutes early to assist students on the previous night’s homework so they have enough time to complete it before school starts. I’m only stating these facts to explain to you that I definitely want to do my part in a child’s education and I’m not shirking any of my responsibility. My colleagues do that same and I’m fortunate to have such an environment at which to work.
So, when I said that it is NOT my job to instill a love of reading, I meant it. If you look at the California State Standards for English 8, it does not state that I’m to make kids love reading. My job is to teach them how to analyze literature in preparation for their high school and college English and Literature classes. Reading for escapism does NOT enter into that. The outside reading requirement, as defined by the state education board, is to increase fluency and proficiency. The state couldn’t care less if your child actually likes to read. I do my job because it’s what’s expected of me.
With that said, I read like I was a thirsty man in the desert and books were water. I bring in my books and share them with the students. I lend them out if I think they’re appropriate. I rave about authors and a great number of my students have thanked me for inspiring them to read. ALL WHILE STILL REQUIRING READING LOGS
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Sorry, my last message got cut off.
The point I was trying to make is that despite the reading logs, I still inspire kids to read. They are not connected. I groan with my students about the logs (I’ve already stated I don’t like them) but my students, within the first couple months of school, get used to them and move on. I have NEVER gotten a complaint about those logs from parents and I’ve taught well over a thousand students so far.
Other things I take them time out of my very heavy and tightly wound curriculum to do:
1. I play music every Friday and we look at the lyrics as if they were poetry. By the middle of the year, the kids are reading Shakespearean sonnets and writing their own (two years before they’re expected to).
2. I assign graphic novels as extra credit to encourage kids who wouldn’t normally read to find a new way to connect to Literature.
3. I READ WITH THE KIDS. That’s HUGE and I wonder how many of you do that. What I mean, is that I read the same book as they do so we can talk about it. I’ll sit at lunch and we’ll read, stopping when we find something cool. At the end of the lunch period, I have everyone write down their pages on their log and I keep one myself. NONE of those kids hate the logs and a number of them have become better and more avid readers as a result. They like that they can connect with other people about their book (The Hunger Games trilogy was last year’s favorite, btw).
See, I’m doing my part. My job is definitely not to tell a parent how to do theirs. Sometimes, parents ask me for advice on how to educate their child at home and I’m happy to give it (I taught a parent how to write an essay last year over the course of two, 45-minute meetings so she could better help her daughter at home). But how to actually RAISE your child…not my job and not interested in it, honestly. My job is to inspire and considering I’m one of the most requested teachers at my school and students routinely come back to tell me they’ve aced English in high school and are considering making it their college major, I can confidently say I’m doing my job.
OK…I HATE being self-centered (no, seriously, I really do) but felt the need to make my point.
Bottom line: us teachers are NOT against you, parents. On average, we all want to help your kids make a difference in this world. We’re not blaming you for anything. If anyone, we should blame the state education boards because they long ago forgot what the “product” is.
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Response to dsLevy:
The lengthy comments above seem to illustrate well your struggle with the contradictions and pressures you experience in your role as an English teacher. Is it your job to inspire, or to get quantifiable results out of your students?
You mention that California has a state standard for outside reading. I wondered about that, so I looked up California’s standards.
Under 8th grade English standards, it states that “students read one million words annually on their own, including a good representation of narrative and expository text (e.g., classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, online information).”
Do you interpret that as reading to be done at home or in the classroom? I’m not sure that that passage refers to reading as homework. I would think a standard that stipulates that volume of school-assigned work to be done at home would be challengeable. That is not curriculum.
How can a teacher be held accountable for work done in a student’s home and not under the teacher’s supervision? It’s absurd. Why do teachers even tacitly accept that demand?
Saying you are just following orders doesn’t cut it.
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dsLevy says:
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I groan with my students about the logs (I’ve already stated I don’t like them)
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Then why are you still assigning them?
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So, when I said that it is NOT my job to instill a love of reading, I meant it.
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That’s so classic I made it into a post at Kid-Friendly Schools:
http://kidfriendlyschools.blogspot.com/2010/08/not-my-job.html
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FedUp Mom,
If you are so “FedUp” with teachers, and are taking so much time to let them know what you will and will not do, why don’t you just save them and yourself the energy by homeschooling?
Then you can do what you want to do without having to waste time writing a book to justify it.
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Anonymous, how did we even get to a point where teachers think they can tell parents what to do?
My motivation for writing is as a public service. I am not the only parent to be frustrated with the state of education these days. I can lend my voice in support to the many others, and hope that together we can make some changes.
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I’m so thoroughly disgusted and incensed right now that it’s probably unwise to even post this.
Use of my quotes, without my permission, is not only rude but also bordering on illegal. That you used my words out of context is also irresponsible.
You twisted my quote and did not provide me with fair and respectful consideration. Had I known how self-serving you’d be, I would not have posted in this “discussion” (really, this blog is little more than teacher-bashing rather than a cooperative effort to improve education). Take a look at my job description and it says nothing about “making” kids love reading. I’m to give kids an appreciation of literature. Whether they love it or not is not within my power, plain and simple. I can do everything I know how to do to encourage kids to read (and I think I’ve detailed ways in which I do that which, I noticed, you didn’t bother to mention on the other site). So that brings me to the question no one seems to ask YOU:
What the hell is YOUR job, then?
Because, I doubt you’re very good at educating your kids to live in this Society. If I’m to understand you correctly, you teach your kids to disrespect their teachers for following rules put in place by the people who pay them. You teach your kids that it is NOT important to learn how to question the great writers and to learn from their work. You teach them that critical thinking is nothing more than jumping through hoops and playing games. And you teach them that reading is a passive exercise that requires no accountability or forethought.
You quipped: “Ah yes, the preparation theory of education: the purpose of school is to teach kids how to go to school.”
Did I ever say that? Did I even SUGGEST it?!?! NO! I stated that it is my job to teach them to analyze literature in preparation for High School and College. This is like a flight instructor teaching someone to fly a plane in preparation for a job as a commercial pilot. I’M teaching kids to write essays and think critically so they can take the next steps in high school and college when their intellectual maturity and cognitive development are solid enough to allow them to take those next steps with the ultimate goal of prepping them for whatever job they choose (especially those involved with rhetoric but not limited to such pursuits). How DARE you say that’s nothing more than teaching them to go to school which is, by its implication, suggesting I am teaching them to how to jump through hoops.
Parents like you prevent any kind of real substantive growth in our educational system and whether you know it or not, you’ve thoroughly exposed your ignorance of education as a whole. You see, I stated earlier that sometimes parents aren’t the best teachers in content areas they aren’t comfortable with. Seeing as how you obviously don’t understand HOW a child learns and what a child needs cognitively, I am beginning to understand why you’re so angry.
In short, I pity you and the children you think you’re helping.
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You know, after reading that last line, I want to add something and, really, be the bigger person here. I apologize for saying I “pity” you. That’s not really how I feel. I was angry but let me tell you why:
I read the other blog and the comments there and something has become clear:
You’ve got tunnel vision.
I get it, I really do. You’ve settled on an opinion and it’s probably been rooted in your heart for years. I can respect that. But WHY attack me?! Let me tell you why I don’t put much time into the whole reading log issue:
1. Last year, a student of mine came into my room at lunch and sat down. It’s a common enough occurrence for kids to come in and chat about whatever but something told me this was different. This young lady took a deep breath and then burst into tears. It turns out her entire group of friends were ignoring her despite her constant support toward THEM. She asked me for advice and, the first thing I said, was that she should talk to her parents. What a mistake! She almost closed up and walked out but I thought to ask her why she was reacting that way. She said it was because she had already talked to her parents and they said that she should just deal with it because her friends’ parents were her parents’ friends as well. So, we talked and I gave her some advice (the advice being to talk it out with those friends she cared most about). She thanked me and by the end of the week she was smiling again and happy.
2. Another young lady hobbled into my room on crutches having broken both her ankles and heels jumping out of her second story bedroom while trying to run away. She had recently been diagnosed ADHD and her mother was being less than understanding. I talked briefly to the kid because, as a teacher, I have to investigate and report on any situation in which a child might be endangered. I conferenced with the mother. She asked for my advice and I told her that I too was diagnosed with ADHD around the same age as her daughter. The parent asked how my parents “dealt with me.” I smiled and said, gently, that all I needed them to do was love me. The parent looked me in the eye and said “Yeah, easier said than done.”
3. A young man was doing poorly on his homework and essays. He wasn’t reading at home (both the required and independent reading). I pulled him aside and asked him what was going on. He told me his dad had told him that he was stupid and would never get into a good school so why bother? I told him his father was wrong and that I personally believed he was a smart kid who just needed to learn how to work differently (the kid had some mild processing issues he needed help with). He almost started crying and I realized he’d probably never had anyone have a little faith in him. He graduated this past year and is going to UCLA.
These are isolated incidences but, honestly, I deal with emotional, social, and educational issues in equal measure. In this age of double-income homes, I sometimes see kids more hours each week than their own parents (that is NOT condemnation, just observation). And when I have a dozen or more kids with terrible parents each year, it’s sometimes hard to listen to parents at all. I’m not saying I don’t (although I feel you’ll twist all of this) but I AM saying something very important.
I’m NOT on the parent side. I’m NOT on the district or state side.
I AM on the kids’ side. THEY are what matters, not our own opinions or puffed up sense of ourselves.
This whole issue was about the reading log. I’ve offered up ways in which I address the issue but NOT ONE PARENT has offered up a solution for the kids who DON’T read! I get it: YOU’RE only concern is for YOUR kid. That’s fair.
My concern is for ALL kids.
Sometimes that means I have to use tools and techniques that are suitable for 99% of the kids but not the other 1% and sometimes that means I have to use theories and practices that are good for 10% but not the other 90%. It’s a constant battle but I have 30+ awesome kids I want to see succeed. I am ONE person and I’m doing my best. I ask the kids to understand and have compassion. I talk to them and ask them for alternatives (some good ones have become my standard practice over the years). I let students, not their parents, guide how I teach because it is the kids who benefit.
Misquote me all you want. Misunderstand and twist all you want. Complain all you want that I’m not on your side (you’re right). But NEVER miss the fact that I am doing everything in my power to help YOUR kids be happier, smarter, and more productive. If you don’t get that, there’s nothing more I can say.
OK…I’m done. Let the flaming and bashing recommence.
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You teach your kids that it is NOT important to learn how to question the great writers and to learn from their work. You teach them that critical thinking is nothing more than jumping through hoops and playing games. And you teach them that reading is a passive exercise that requires no accountability or forethought.
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I don’t do any of those things. I just don’t allow reading logs in my home.
Well, I do teach them that reading doesn’t require accountability. Why should it?
Look back on your own descriptions of what you do. You teach kids to do well in high school English. Right?
Then you give me 3 examples where you defended kids against their bad parents. You say:
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And when I have a dozen or more kids with terrible parents each year, it’s sometimes hard to listen to parents at all.
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So do you understand how parents become frustrated with teachers, when they’ve had to deal with several bad ones?
Also, if you feel attacked, how do you think us parents feel when you accuse us of “poisoning” our kids with a sense of entitlement?
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dsLevy says:
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NOT ONE PARENT has offered up a solution for the kids who DON’T read!
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You don’t have a solution for the kids who don’t read either. You said yourself 75% of your students don’t read outside of class. Your reading logs don’t solve the problem.
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I think with passion like mine, it’s often difficult to keep confrontational phrasing in check. I apologize for that but I hope you understand the intention (and frustration) behind it.
I TOTALLY get why you’d feel frustrated at teachers. I guess I was simply taking this personally. Goodness knows there a lot of teachers out there who just shouldn’t be allowed in a classroom, let alone near kids! But, in my experience, they number in the minority as I’m sure the “bad” parents do.
And anyways, I strayed from my point with those anecdotes. My point was that a teacher does so much more than teach academics. We’re confidants, sometimes parents by proxy (parents actually ask me to talk to their kids when communication breaks down at home), and often times surrogate/foster parents as well. It’s emotionally exhausting because, on the secondary level at least, we have upwards of 200 students pulling on us. I personally LOVE it but when a “nightmare parent” jumps down my throat for doing what I honestly think is best for their kid without first trying to DISCUSS the issue, it gets hard. And yet, the one constant–and this we should remember above all else–is that the kids will still need us, all of us, teachers and parents alike. I truly believe that and I really hope you do too, homework issue aside.
OK, on to a couple things you said:
“Look back on your own descriptions of what you do. You teach kids to do well in high school English. Right?
Then you give me 3 examples where you defended kids against their bad parents.”
I’m not sure how these two things are related. Honestly. I’d like to respond but I’m not sure to what I’m responding.
You said:
“Well, I do teach them that reading doesn’t require accountability. Why should it?”
FVR (again, using Krashen’s term) should NOT require accountability, that’s true. Recreational reading should be fun and unrestricted. However, that’s NOT what the outside reading requirement is about (at least not in my class). Let me illustrate:
When I was in my senior year of English at a university. I could not get into a class I needed to graduate. Instead, I took a graduate level course that would apply to the same requirement. It was a challenging class on early American literature with a focus on Puritanism. I was in HEAVEN! And then I got the reading list. I was required to read approximately 500 pages a week. I was also taking two other literature classes that quarter which each required about 100 pages. Now, it’s nearly impossible to read 700 pages a week but I did it and received high marks (As, I think) in each class. I did it by scheduling my time and how many pages I’d need to read each day. Remember, this wasn’t pleasure reading but required reading that, after the actual reading was done, I still needed to analyze and write essays about. It was my hardest quarter and had I not held myself accountable for the reading, I would NOT have completed it.
Now, I’m not saying that all kids are going to become English majors. It’s a hard major and besides, some kids are more interested in Science and Math which are still a mystery to me! Hehe. But the point is that in all their majors, they’re going to come up against a hellish quarter like the one I experienced; if not in their undergrad work, at least in graduate studies. If they do not develop certain habits now and if they do not develop a healthy outlook (respect) on homework and study, I fear they’ll be ill-equipped to handle college. We call the outside reading for class “independent reading” at my school, not “voluntary” reading because it’s not. It is a required expectation no different than any other reading. The only difference is that they can choose their book. This is indeed in line with any state’s requirement to read so many words/pages a year (we honestly don’t have time to satisfy this requirement in class nor would I want to try).
Reading logs may or may not encourage or discourage kids to read (I asked some students today and they said they don’t really mind the logs at all and that the reading requirement is probably too low to begin with…ask a different set of kids and you can probably get a different response). However, they DO reinforce study habits and scheduling.
One of the students I asked today said that they weren’t concerned about the reading log itself but instead on the 300 page per month requirement. They pointed out that if a book is especially challenging and a student only reads 200 pages, they shouldn’t be penalized. I’m going to have to think about that because it’s a very good point. THAT comment is from a 13-year-old! This same kid said that they don’t really think it’s a big deal and won’t discourage them from reading–oh, and that they think it should be time-based instead of page-based which parents on this blog have said should NOT be the case.
I think it comes down to the fact that you can’t cookie-cutter education. Each student should be handled individually to the best of the teacher’s ability and supported by their parent.
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I only require that they log the pages they have read so I can see what their reading habits are.
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This year, I’m going to expect my students to complete reaction logs for their reading as well as journal responses to the character, author, and personal values reflected in their reading.
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Ouch. You’re requiring more this year, after this whole discussion?
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I did it by scheduling my time and how many pages I’d need to read each day.
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Okay, you were in college and you did what you needed to do to succeed. And notice that this was a class that you picked in a field that you’re passionate about.
One of the big problems these days is that teachers assign college-type workloads to younger and younger kids, who are not developmentally ready, and also don’t have anywhere near as much unscheduled time as college students. And your middle-school kids don’t get to choose classes that especially interest them, unlike college kids.
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If they do not develop certain habits now and if they do not develop a healthy outlook (respect) on homework and study, I fear they’ll be ill-equipped to handle college.
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See, we’re back to the “preparation” theme. In my experience, too much focus on the next year(s) of school results in burnt-out kids. Let’s focus on this year, and only assign work that is manageable and useful for the stage of life the kids are in right now.
You said you teach 8th grade, right? Your kids are at a completely different place, developmentally and also logistically, from a college student. Work that might be appropriate for college is not appropriate for 8th grade.
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I’m not sure how these two things are related.
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I was kind of thinking out loud there — sorry if it’s not clear. I really have two unrelated points:
1.) There’s a “preparation” issue running through your remarks — see above.
2.) You give anecdotes about bad parents. Do I think there’s bad parents out there? Sure. Am I a perfect parent myself? Undoubtedly not. But it’s not really relevant to the reading logs discussion.
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They pointed out that if a book is especially challenging and a student only reads 200 pages, they shouldn’t be penalized. I’m going to have to think about that because it’s a very good point.
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Yes, it’s a reasonable point. The problem is that it’s very difficult to quantify reading in a useful way. Wouldn’t it be better to just encourage reading?
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I asked some students today and they said they don’t really mind the logs at all
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That’s hardly a ringing endorsement. Are there students who say the log is helpful?
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My anecdotes were more in self-defense but yes, off-topic they may have been.
You said:
“See, we’re back to the “preparation” theme. In my experience, too much focus on the next year(s) of school results in burnt-out kids.”
I agree that next year prep shouldn’t be such a heavy focus but you can’t ignore it nowadays. School was different when I was a kid, to be sure, and some of what is different isn’t for the better. However, one thing I really like (and get positive feedback from students about) is the “new” educational philosophy of foundation and scaffolded learning. Nothing we do is without looking to the future. It works well for I’d say 95% of the students I teach but one fundamental difference is that I TELL them what we are doing. They respond much better and are FAR more relaxed about education when they know WHY you are doing something.
You said:
“Wouldn’t it be better to just encourage reading?”
But I’m still waiting to hear a suggestion from anyone else that applies to the kid who reads one or two pages a week and says they “just don’t like reading.” You’re really telling me that that kid isn’t reading because of the log? No way, I simply will not budge on that one. After more feedback from students today, the general consensus is that “most” kids would rather watch TV, get on Facebook, or hang out with friends then read. They do not set aside time to read. Let’s take parents out of that (too much back and forth has been done about that and it’s not really something I care about anyway). What can I possibly do to “encourage” that kid to read at home? I can tell them about the intrinsic benefits–increased comprehension and fluency, sharpened critical thinking, wider base of knowledge from which to approach other content areas–but the reality is that that kid doesn’t care about any of those things. Unless it’s “homework/required” the kid won’t do it. Hate to tell you this but that describes the majority of my students. So, what’s your solution?
You said:
“Are there students who say the log is helpful?”
Yes, there were a few. They stated that the logs help them remember to schedule time in their busy lives to sit down and read. Two of them also said that they treat it like a rest period or break from all the dance recitals, practices, sports, etc. they do while not in school. One of them also said that the log reminds them that reading is not only an escape but something that will help them in their thinking and academic growth (their words, incidentally). The others asked said it’s no different than getting a permission slip signed and for them it usually results in a discussion with their parents about the book they’re reading. The two negative comments I got were that they just don’t have time to read. I asked them if the log affects that and they said that no, with or without the log, they just don’t have time. I followed this up with this question: “But if it’s homework and part of your grade, won’t you make time?” They both replied that yes, they find time (in the car, at the dinner table, etc.) but they were honest and said they don’t always read the full requirement. One has lied on their log while the other simply puts down what they read. I remember talking to that kid about this one time before (they’re VERY involved in gymnastics and dance on an Olympic level) and lowering the requirement for them out of consideration for their individual need (again, something a teacher should do when able).
So, in short, I go back to my original statement: Reading logs will NOT discourage reading if the student understands that it is simply a catch-all tool to teach accountability and to allow the teacher an efficient way to monitor reading habits. An avid reader will still read…you can’t stop them. A poor or reluctant reader will find an excuse not to read. BUT filling out a quick log that says “I read thirteen pages today” and asking parents to sign it isn’t enough to turn a kid off reading. I posit that there is ALWAYS another reason or two.
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Oh, and you said:
“One of the big problems these days is that teachers assign college-type workloads to younger and younger kids, who are not developmentally ready, and also don’t have anywhere near as much unscheduled time as college students.”
Wow, I wish I went to YOUR college! LOL 🙂
I had a full-time job, 16 units (so, roughly 32 hours a week spent on school between classes and study), and was helping my single dad with my two younger brothers. And I’m not even unique! Sure, there are students who ONLY go to school but they often still have sports, meetings, committees, relationships, etc. that make scheduling an important part of their lives. I long for my younger years when my parents scheduled everything for me and I just had to wait for them to pick me up.
As for what an 8th grader can do? I think you’d be surprised. My students write full MLA-formatted essays on topics ranging from the cycle of revolution to human experimentation and they often raise questions and have opinions that catch me off guard. Cognitively, middle school kids are like sponges and they process at awesome levels. This summer, I taught two sixth grade kids (both aged 12) to identify conventional and contextual symbolism in a poem, and to identify said symbolisms in objects they deal with every day. They struggled at first but got it after two hours and said they thought it was really cool. I was able to do this and STILL encourage them to read poetry! I had poetry shoved at me in such a fashion that I did not enjoy it or read it until college. These two, independently and without prompt, found poems to share with me and then went on to tell me what the symbolism is. They asked if they were right–that was the only sign that they were still kids who needed their teacher’s approval.
So, do I think I’m giving work that my students can handle cognitively? Yep. I think most teachers are if they’re adhering to the state standards (despite their flaws, they’re often a fine guideline).
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to identify said symbolisms in objects they deal with every day.
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Out of curiosity, what does this mean? What’s an example of symbolism in an everyday object?
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BUT filling out a quick log that says “I read thirteen pages today” and asking parents to sign it isn’t enough to turn a kid off reading.
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All I can do is repeat that in my home, reading logs had an entirely negative effect, and I’m not the only parent who had this experience. I refer you again to my list of anti-reading-log sites.
http://kidfriendlyschools.blogspot.com/2010/08/join-chorus-against-reading-logs.html
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So, do I think I’m giving work that my students can handle cognitively?
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It’s not only a question of whether they can handle it cognitively, it’s a question of how many hours there are in a day, and whether the students are just plain overloaded (sounds to me like many of your kids are).
I highly recommend “Doing School”, by Denise Pope, for a closer look at these issues.
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With all due respect, dsLevy, much of this discussion has been covered here previously, above.
There’s seems to be a pattern where teachers who vehemently defend reading logs acknowledge a belief that they must make students prove that they read at home. (Again, this is separate from at-home reading of literature in preparation for in-class discussion.)
Such teachers seem to end up insisting that there is no other solution. Please note my previous response, number 63, copied below.
“Linda (above)–I too do not know what teachers are to do when there are some students who don’t read, but the Book Whisperer (linked by Sarah on this site) and many other literacy experts do.
What are teachers to do about some parents who don’t support education? Isn’t this a societal issue?
Such students and their families are everywhere, among those who are privileged and those who are not.
I do know, as a parent, that clamping down by giving all students one-size-fits-all out-of-school assignments is not the answer.
I’m no education expert, but it’s become crystal clear to me that I cannot stand by and watch the love of learning driven out of my children by deadening projects, mind-numbing reading logs and inane AR quizzes.
There are other, more thoughtful and meaningful approaches to reaching non-readers.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:19 pm”
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One of them also said that the log reminds them that reading is not only an escape but something that will help them in their thinking and academic growth (their words, incidentally).
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Holy cow.
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@dsLevy, you said “the general consensus is that “most” kids would rather watch TV, get on Facebook, or hang out with friends then read.”
Did it ever occur to you that one of the reasons students prefer these other activities is because the the schools turn reading into a chore? If I had to think about the symbolism in everything I read, to analyze the plot, to ponder character development then I would turn on the TV, too. I read books because I enjoy the experience of reading them; if I don’t like the book I toss it and move on to another one or something else.
One of the problems with reading logs requiring “x” pages of reading is that every teacher seems to think that they can have an on-going assignment that only takes up “y” minutes of time a day so pretty soon every kid has 100% of their free time allocated to school. What happens in September – November when my son is in cross country or April when we have a lot of family birthdays and the weather turns nice so we want to go outdoors on the weekends? He may not read much at all then, but he certainly makes up for it at other times of the year. I don’t feel like we should have to justify our life activities to the schools.
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I am a third grade teacher who found this site as I was searching for information on reading “blogs” instead of logs. In the past, I have passed out a weekly reading log on Friday and it was due the following Friday. Students were asked to read at least a little bit each day and their goal was to try reading a variety of genres. Real-life reading, such as the menu at a restaurant, could be included as part of the log. I assessed the student not on how much they read but the variety of texts they tried.
Has anyone tried/experienced using a blog format instead? I’m considering asking the students to sign onto a class blog and write about personal reading 2 times a week. I would give ideas for the entries, but almost any response to reading would be acceptable. Any thoughts or suggestions on this? Thanks in advance!
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Anne, if your question is “logs or blogs?” my answer is neither. Third grade is too young for homework. Your kids are exhausted by the end of the school day, and it’s not reasonable to assign them work to do at home.
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Unfortunately homework isn’t an optional assignment in my school. I’m attempting to lessen the load on my students by potentially having them write about their home reading in journal format once or twice a week instead of the more tedious “log.” While I don’t have children of my own, I completely understand and agree that kids need a break after school. This is why I’m attempting to decrease what is given to my class while still abiding by the administration’s policies.
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Anne, if you have to do homework why don’t you just have them write whatever pops into their heads instead of writing about what they’ve read? It seems to me that creative writing (in whatever format that means to the kid…fiction, poetry, comics, journal entries, etc.) is a much more valuable use of time than turning reading into a chore.
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