SAS-SAF: Leisure Reading vs Homework

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For Day 4 of Share a Story, Shape a Future, the topic of Leisure Reading vs Homework was tackled.  I know that some of my personal assigned readings growing up were detested simply because I was told to read them.  One such example is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.  I wonder to this day if my rebellious years had a greater impact on my feelings for this book more than just my current age and stage.  I really don't know . . . but someday, I vow to re-read that one to determine if my feelings for the story changes.  It will no longer be homework afterall.  It will simply be reading a book that I want to read . . . for leisure.

Anyways, let's move on to some of the articles that really stood out for me on this day . . .

Franki Sibberson shares her experience of shopping for books with her daughter and what really constitutes a "just-right" book. What really is "just right" . . . only those books that an early reader can read every word, one that expands their reading ability just a bit more, or do other things come into consideration as well?  Very thought provoking!

Lisa Koch then takes on a hard topic of those level books being "just right."  She discusses her son and how his reading waned because it became all about the level and nothing about the love.  The letter her son wrote and asked her to sign was simply heart-breaking and I sincerely hope that my son doesn't experience this same thing when he enters first grade in the fall.

In Real Reading, I discovered a great way to sort books!  We are one of the homes that is filled with books and I think it could be a great way to provide reading options for my children.  And, it really gets me thinking of what I may want to be looking for in my son's current and future classrooms!

A refreshing perspective is shared in Repent . . . At Reading Homework Taketh Another Look.  I love the ideas of sharing reading instead of assigning it!

Carol shares her personal views on Reading Homework . . . a VERY moving piece and one that I can relate to as it was books and writing that personally helped me through those extremely rough high school years.  Imagine what they can do with the youth these days with the mighty books that are currently out there floating around waiting to be read.

The Reading Zone takes a step away from reading and looks at writing . . . writer's notebooks to be exact.  The ideas shared in this article are ones that I may even use myself!!

Those are just a few of my favorite posts (okay, there are more than a few there!), but I highly recommend you click on the link above for the full list of literary love!