[Oz-gifted] Encouraging active participation

[Ellen Hrebeniuk]

At 9:14 AM +1000 3/8/06, Lisa wrote:

>But after the take-home readers (at our school) comes the homework sheet
>with the 'please have your parents sign here that you've done your 15
>minutes reading each day'. This stage is just annoying.
>
>I mean, my kids (and probably all of yours) READ. They read in the car,
>they read during meals, they try to sneak-read after bedtime on school
>nights. We have more trouble *stopping* them from reading to get some
>sleep (or get dressed, or eat, or all those other boring chores).

<wince>  Our elder boy gets into trouble most mornings for reading 
instead of getting dressed.  No idea where he got that from <cough>

>I don't *time* them for 15 minutes each night, and their reading is not
>associated with homework, so I *never* remember to sign their homework
>books. [...] You'd think they'd learn. But no. A few weeks later, I 
>am again being berated by the teacher for not *making* my child 
>complete the obligatory
>15 minutes per night.

LOL -- could you get the kids to present their homework books to you 
at tea-time or something, or with the notes?  Sounds to me like the 
teacher is a bit anally-retentive, or possibly that there is some CYA 
going on; in either case you can't do much.  I suppose you could ask 
the teacher how to STOP your children reading -- that'll get you some 
attention!
-- 
Ellen Hrebeniuk
Sydney, Australia

Being a librarian is how you change the world.
Nancy Pearl