OT New Random Thread 4

[cheerisloving]

Same. I almost only read YA books (or Chic-Lit). If I'm not reading that I'm reading nonfiction social justice-esque books. I don't know if it's my profession (it is my profession, I do know it actually) but I'm a huge proponent of reading what you want. In my experience people always want to "impress" me with what they've read (like I care...I only care that you read, not what you read ) when they find out I'm a librarian and I'm always like "meh....I finished (insert YA fiction " ‍


Off the top of my head (it's book check out week, kid asked for it ) but Maze Runner is 5.3 (3rd month of 5th grade)

Today at the end of the day a SPED kid checked out Bridge to Terabitha along with the audio book and the teacher sent him back because it "wasn't on his level ". I asked him his level and he said 4th grade and he looked at me sadly and he said "that's really low isn't it". I d@mn near cried. Anyway. It is on a 4th grade level and first thing tomorrow I'm taking that book to the teacher and explaining this crap to her

I honestly hate reading levels and how it drives and also limits children (mainly by teachers )






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Pretty sure I excelled in reading because I literally read books that challenged me. I remember my first grade teacher regulating who could read books from each section of the library based on test score I assume? I remember finagling my way into the chapter book section and never looking back lol I went to an immersion school and I know that it was even harder regulating the English reading level with the Spanish level which were seldom the same in students who were learning either as a second language.

Reading levels is part of the reason why I STAYED in a Borders or B&N. I got to chose what I wanted without someone over my shoulder.

I still read YA because it's what interest me. I love a good HS based novel. It's why I still read Sarah Dessen books. Any recommendations for realistic YA is highly encouraged.

 

[ErinS]

The last YA book I read was The Hate U Give, mostly because I heard good things about it on Twitter and I needed something to read on a 5-ish hour flight. I usually read true crime books, but I'll always have a soft spot for YA books.

I want to start on War and Peace next, so I can make sense of what happened during The Great Comet. (After I finish Andrea Martin's book.)

I have The Hate U Give to finish over spring break next week and I'm reading it for the same reason (Twitter and Huff Post)

It seems (I just started) similar to How It Went Down, so if you liked it, check out that book if your haven't


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[ErinS]

Pretty sure I excelled in reading because I literally read books that challenged me. I remember my first grade teacher regulating who could read books from each section of the library based on test score I assume? I remember finagling my way into the chapter book section and never looking back lol I went to an immersion school and I know that it was even harder regulating the English reading level with the Spanish level which were seldom the same in students who were learning either as a second language.

Reading levels is part of the reason why I STAYED in a Borders or B&N. I got to chose what I wanted without someone over my shoulder.

I still read YA because it's what interest me. I love a good HS based novel. It's why I still read Sarah Dessen books. Any recommendations for realistic YA is highly encouraged.

I excelled in reading because my parents read to me, and would let me read to them. My mom is a retired SLP and my sisters and I all learned to read from her prior to starting school , and to this day she still comes in my school to volunteers to help struggling readers.

Everything here is so test driven. Everyone is teaching for and toward a test. At the start of every semester, they sit the kids down and test their reading level and then limit what they want them to read. I actually sat down and took the test and 1. It was hard af. 2. I took it while people were in and out distracting me and I could tell I needed complete silence, imagine being a kid in a classroom with 100003848 thoughts flying through your head 3. I scored a 12.3, but I'm also a grown woman w/ 2 degrees and I
Still felt anxiety and stress while taking it

Poor kids. Like let them read what they want. If they can't grasp it, they'll put it back and get a new book. I see it time and time again.

I swear tests are why so many kids say they "hate " reading

(ETA: I certainly understand the importance and how they can help, but the levels (the testing itself or the labeling of books) aren't always accurate depictions ....and any time a kid with enough sense to ask me for the print book and audio book of something they want to read only to be turned back by a teacher and ask me that about a reading level ....yeah no. There's a problem
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[nicolee]

Reading should be a joy. It should be encouraged, and supported, and celebrated. It should not be obsessively tested, or treated as a chore. No child should feel locked out of attempting certain books, and no one should be made to feel ashamed for wanting to read certain things.

 

[cheerisloving]

I excelled in reading because my parents read to me, and would let me read to them. My mom is a retired SLP and my sisters and I all learned to read from her prior to starting school , and to this day she still comes in my school to volunteers to help struggling readers.

Everything here is so test driven. Everyone is teaching for and toward a test. At the start of every semester, they sit the kids down and test their reading level and then limit what they want them to read. I actually sat down and took the test and 1. It was hard af. 2. I took it while people were in and out distracting me and I could tell I needed complete silence, imagine being a kid in a classroom with 100003848 thoughts flying through your head 3. I scored a 12.3, but I'm also a grown woman w/ 2 degrees and I
Still felt anxiety and stress while taking it

Poor kids. Like let them read what they want. If they can't grasp it, they'll put it back and get a new book. I see it time and time again.

I swear tests are why so many kids say they "hate " reading

(ETA: I certainly understand the importance and how they can help, but the levels (the testing itself or the labeling of books) aren't always accurate depictions ....and any time a kid with enough sense to ask me for the print book and audio book of something they want to read only to be turned back by a teacher and ask me that about a reading level ....yeah no. There's a problem
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My mom is an educator and worked with SPED kids for years before going into social work. We read early too. We were Hooked on Phonics by the time we started using words.

I've interned for k-12 education companies for the last 5 years and honestly I'm so worried that the new Sect. Education doesn't understand how detrimental testing can be for kids. Especially those of lower income, who don't get that early reading in. Sally may be able to read on level if given the chance. Audiobooks are great ways to help with reading and the fact that he thought to get is good.

 

[blyndreamalum]

Grandma was a teacher, mom was a teacher before becoming a principal, and I was the first local grandchild. I was read to like crazy and then developed the want to read early. My grandma bought me the first Harry Potter book when it first came out, but at the time I think I was a little young and didn't probably wasn't thrilled by the cover art compared to my Babysitters Club and Boxcar Children. When the fourth book came out she happened to be out shopping and saw it and decided to pick it up for me solely because of how big it was. I read it for that exact reason... and then went back and read books 1-3. I also tend to still read more YA books than anything.


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[nicolee]

I'm less than 10 years out of school, but I feel like I didn't have to sit nearly as many tests as kids these days. They seem to have constant standardized testing. While it's clearly important to check on a child's progress, and to compare it against state and country averages, a lot of these tests seem to do nothing other than create anxiety.

Test a child's reading level, but don't then use that one test to stratify them into some sort of group that can then dictate what they're allowed to read.

 

[cheerisloving]

I'm less than 10 years out of school, but I feel like I didn't have to sit nearly as many tests as kids these days. They seem to have constant standardized testing. While it's clearly important to check on a child's progress, and to compare it against state and country averages, a lot of these tests seem to do nothing other than create anxiety.

Test a child's reading level, but don't then use that one test to stratify them into some sort of group that can then dictate what they're allowed to read.

We were always told the standardized test was for the school not for us. Our teachers and school had more to lose if the students failed. I will say one of the cool things that we've done with standardized testing is separating the exams into smaller groups, and most are online.

Interestingly enough, the restrictions on reading I experienced was during the height of No Child Left Behind, so I wonder if there was a correlation. When I started at a new school in the same district, we had no supervision when we went to the library. Our only requirement was one book in English and another in Spanish.

 

[UCFKnights07]

The only testing I remember from school days was the FCAT and the sat/act in high school. We took the fcat in 3rd, 8th, and 9th/10th grade. Then the act/sat senior year

 

[Belinda]

Kinda heavy but there's just been a major terror attack on several places in Stockholm. Please keep us in your prayers.

 

[a_cheer_leaderxo]

Kinda heavy but there's just been a major terror attack on several places in Stockholm. Please keep us in your prayers.

This is so awful and scary. These types of attacks are becoming more and more frequent. We in London are still recovering from a terror attack a couple of weeks ago which again involved driving into people, amongst other things. The fifth victim died today, she was in hospital after the terrorist's car caused her to fall into the Thames.

You're definitely in my thoughts. Here's hoping the death toll doesn't rise further and that those injured recover quickly.

 

[youbetterwork]

Yesterday, at the same time this happened today, I was at the exact place this went down. Very scary. Thank God all my friends and family are ok (some were there when this happened today). Thoughts going out to everyone affected by this attack.

 

[UCFKnights07]

I can't be the only one who is dumbfounded why we are bombing syria right now, and the media's info about syria is absolute garbage.

 

[emo_wifey]

I'm way behind on Degrassi but I just watched the Cam suicide episode. I knew it was coming but I still ugly cried. I wish I had real people here to talk to about this show.

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[TealShades]

I started to watch 13 Reasons Why but only got to episode 6. I don't have Netflix but I watched it while at someone's house. I really liked it. I jumped ahead to episode 13 just to see how it ended and since I can't watch it anymore. So anyone else think that the actor playing Tony looks too old for a high schooler? I swear every scene I feel like he's a undercover cop lol.