Summer Reading

September 4, 2018
Summer reading is DONE.

That's all I really want to write.  However, I know in the future I will have forgotten the details and will wish for more info.  UGH.  Summer reading.

Overall it is really good project.  The pre-AP and AP (Advanced Placement) English students have to read an assigned novel over the summer and then write about it.  The writing portion is very specific and creative and varies by grade level and year.  It's a good project.  I like having my kids read over the summer.  We have a 30 minute reading time M-F.  I also like having to take the time at home to review their writing and help them with revising etc...

There are some downsides to summer reading.  Sometims the the book isn't appropriate.  It's the middle of the summer and there is no one administrator to bring concerns to.  For instance, when Parker was in 7th grade, one of the books had terrible language throughout and a mental date rape scene.  It was awful.  Luckily I read it beforehand and had him read the second book offered as a choice.   It's also frustrating when most kids read the book early in the summer but the teacher doesn't give the test until October so the students who didn't do the reading in the summer can catch up.  It seems the students who read it in the summer don't remember as many details and don't do as well on the test.  The students who procrastinate and are given extra time have itu fresh on their minds.

This summer I decided to have the boys wait until August so they wouldn't get zapped on not remembering the nitty gritty details from the book for the test.  That made getting the writing finished on time a little trickier.  Tanner had to divide the book into five sections and then write a prompt, at least a page long, for each section.  He finished a couple of weeks ago but we didn't review it until Monday.  (Mom Fail.)  He also had a newspaper project he hadn't quite finished.  It took about four hours on Monday of revising and finishing the project.  Neither of us had very much fun.  However, he did good work and he turned it in today.  Yahooooooo!

Parker's book was a little longer and he reads a little slower.  About a week ago Brian and I declared there would be no more Fortnite until his project was completed.  He took it like a champ and worked really hard last Monday and Tuesday after school.  Wednesday and Thursday were trickier because he had church and a football game.  He also chose to watch football and play volleyball.  Unfortunately he did not start writing his paper until this weekend. It was also tough because I had taken the time to read most of Tanner's book but did not end up reading Parker's book so I couldn't offer as much constructive criticism.  It made for a long weekend and a very long Monday evening (and night) trying to help him get his paper up to par.  We both hung in there, and I think we are still friends.  (That is touch and go with teenagers on an hourly basis as is.)  The good news: Parker turned in his paper.  The bad news: he hasn't started his project which is due in a few weeks, and he wants to wait until the weekend before it is due to start it.