Summer Reading program...WWMMD?

[lurknomore]

I signed DD1 (7) up for the summer reading program at the library.  Read X hours, get a cheap prize.  She really really just wants the medal, which awarded at 100 hours of reading.  The program is only 60 days.  So at 7, a kid is expected to read 1.5 hours a day, basically everyday, to earn a medal.  There are in between prizes for less reading.  She only wants the medal.  While I know some rising 2nd graders may be able to read that well, my kid cannot (and will not).  Plus, she's at camp all day, so between an early bedtime (which she NEEDS...after only 2 days at camp yesterday morning she was crying on the stairs that her legs were too tired to walk, lol!) and camp, she doesn't even have 1.5 hours unaccounted for to read that much, even if she could/would.

WWYD?  I control the log.  If she does make an effort to read everyday (we have her doing 20 min a day + math time, which IMO is a reasonable amount for an early reader), would you adjust the log so she gets the medal?  I kind of feel like that much reading is unreasonable for 99% of kids her age, and I was a voracious reader.  For her, 20 min everyday will be a huge accomplishment and she should be rewarded for it (yes, she is earning her own reward at home as well...but this damn medal!).  But, I also feel like I shouldn't be "cheating" the program, even if it is arbitrary and unattainable for many (most?) kids her age.  WWYD?

Does it affect your opinion that DD2 (preschooler) will get her medal at 30 DAYS of reading, which she will get because many days we have DD1 reading to DD2?

[redheadk]

I would not cheat. Do your own at-home program if you must have the medal but she can strive for that next summer and you can talk to them about setting realistic, attainable goals.

[matildasun]

That is a crazy amount of reading. Our program is twenty minutes for everyone. I am a ridiculous rule follower, so I would personally be unable to doctor the log, but wouldn't think badly of you if you did.
Edited to add- in addition to her reading to herself or her sister, can you read to her for a period of time? Our program also allows for this.

[curbsideprophet]

No I would not change the log.

[Deleted]

Maybe look for a medal you can buy online and do your own program, set your own goal for her? I get where you're coming from because I have a kid who is crazy for stuff like that but wouldn't cheat.

[lurknomore]

Jun 18, 2015 10:05:38 GMT -5 matildasun said:

That is a crazy amount of reading. Our program is twenty minutes for everyone. I am a ridiculous rule follower, so I would personally be unable to doctor the log, but wouldn't think badly of you if you did.

This is where I'm at.  I HATE cheating.  HATE IT.  But I feel like 1.5 hours a day is a fucking shit ton of reading for a little kid.  For her, 20 min a day will be a HUGE accomplishment. 

I did just look.  I can get a reading medal for a few dollars.  Maybe I'll just do that.  But it so won't be the same coming from me instead of from the library.  Le sigh. 

[jsillyfun]

I agree with the previous posters. I think cheating sets a terrible example but I think she deserves a medal so I would buy her one after reading 20 min a day

[namasteak]

Don't cheat even if you think the rules are wrong.

[cinco]

That is insane. Do you have any one at the library you can discuss it with? Ours is a sticker every 15 minutes, and you get a prize after 20, 40, and 60 stickers. DD1 reads over an hour a day, so she will finish quickly. DS is 6.5 and 20 minutes a day is plenty for him. He has to work at it still. I think 1.5 a day would be a challenge for DD1 (8.5) and she always has her nose in a book. For DS, it would make reading a chore.

I wouldn't doctor the log (and my kids personally would freak at the thought of it. They are such rule followers). An at home incentive program of 20 minutes a day is a good idea.

[Deleted]

I would buy her a medal for her real effort at reading. Or maybe another treat if you want to.

Changing the log is modeling and normalizing cheating for her. I would definitely not do it.

[jeaniebueller]

That is a ton of reading! DS's school is doing a program where they encourage kids to do 20 minutes of reading, writing or math a day and you turn in your log this fall for a trophy if you get X minutes and we are having trouble finding 20 minutes. I can't even imagine 1.5 hours. I would not cheat. I would do a different program.

[smock]

I wouldn't change the log either. Cheating on a reading program just seems so wrong.

But I agree with setting your own goal, like saying if she reads every day for 60 days, you'll award her with a medal. Or maybe come up with something even more special as a reward.

[SJ]

I wouldn't "cheat" on the log.

I would definitely talk to the program about your concerns though.

[hermione]

Well, IMO that's a terrible Summer Reading Program but no, you shouldn't cheat. Are you positive you are interpreting the "rules" correctly? You SHOULD talk about your concerns to the librarians.

Our program is designed like this:

Each reader sets a goal with their parents and it's by number of books, not minutes or pages. No one wants to keep track of that nonsense. So an 8th grader might decide she's going to read 2 books this summer while a 1st grader might choose to read 100. Summer Reading should set each child up for success not struggle.

ETA: Also, any and all reading should count. Reading she does, audio books she listens to, and books read to her. Magazines etc.

[Ashley&Scott]

I agree with the others - set your own goals & rewards, talk to the library.

I also think reading to her should also count towards the daily reading total. (ie - story time at camp, bedtime stories)

[Deleted]

No way. Don't cheat.

But feel free to set what you feel is a reasonable goal and give her your own prize. Especially if she needs encouragement to read. Hell, buy her a trip to Disney World if you want to, but I wouldn't teach her to cheat just because the goal is really hard.

At that age I read way more than 10 hours a week. Maybe this is a special prize for kids who don't get to go to camps all week.

[flamingeaux]

You can listen to audio books in the car, that would be an easy way to pick up time. Can you read with her at bed time, so it's a special activity for just her and mom? Another thought is you can check out 3 books about different activities that you can do on the weekend. For example: "Curious George" Goes to the Zoo, "" Goes to the Ice Cream Shop, ""Goes to the park. And then do whichever activity is in the book she chooses to read.

Since she's not a great reader, I would probably work the system a bit if you really feel like getting the medal will encourage her to read more. Is she having to read word problems for her math time? If so I would count some of math time towards her reading time. Are you churchy? does she have a children's bible that she reads during church? If so I would count that too.

Honestly though, if you fudge the log, you won't be the only one. Libraries depend on Summer reading programs to increase their circulation, and they need good statistics in their summer reading programs help them get grants for more funding....

[cricketwife]

Don't cheat, but do talk to the library to see if there are substitute (perhaps less time consuming) literacy activities. Also, audio books count so could you play them in the car as she goes two and from camp? I would sit down with her and have a conversation about what she needs to do to earn the library medal and what she needs to do to earn your medal.

eta : DS, 17 mo, is enrolled in the under 3 summer reading program. There are 30 activities for him to complete with a caregiver. Pom the sheet it says that each one is equivalent to 20 min reading and you can sub out the reading for any if them. I would have no qualms about having her do those with her younger sister and crediting her for 20 min reading. Most of them take 5-10 min tops, less with the attention span of a toddler! 

[lurknomore]

Jun 18, 2015 10:47:09 GMT -5 hermione said:

Well, IMO that's a terrible Summer Reading Program but no, you shouldn't cheat. Are you positive you are interpreting the "rules" correctly? You SHOULD talk about your concerns to the librarians.

Our program is designed like this:

Each reader sets a goal with their parents and it's by number of books, not minutes or pages. No one wants to keep track of that nonsense. So an 8th grader might decide she's going to read 2 books this summer while a 1st grader might choose to read 100. Summer Reading should set each child up for success not struggle.

ETA: Also, any and all reading should count. Reading she does, audio books she listens to, and books read to her. Magazines etc.

I was hoping you'd chime in.     Yes, I'm positive that this is how it works.  I don't want to cheat (and she doesn't quite understand how the program works...just that need she needs to read but not specifics, so I'd be the only one to know), but I do feel like this goal is unattainable for 99% of kids this age, and I do feel like the set up is not fair to younger kids (prob the only ones who really care about a medal anyway).  I will bring it up.  Your program is much better.  I may suggest something along those lines for next year.

And yes, everything does count. 

Thanks tons!!  I hate the idea of cheating, but also can't stomach the unfairness of the program as is. 

[sparkythelawyer]

Yeah, no. I would not be cheating here.

This is a medal for the overachievers. Everyone else who meets success in this program along the way gets something, even it if is not a medal. If she wants the medal, she will have to earn it herself. Or you guys can set your own goals for the two of you.

I know it is a lot of work, but this to me is one of those times where not every kid gets the trophy.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't cheat.

I put my newborn in a summer reading program. We just had to fill out a sheet of books we read together and then show up at the end. I would also suggest asking the librarian if you are looking at the right rules.

If those ARE the rules then I'd tell your daughter that you participated in the program which is awesome but that the medals are for kids who read 100 hours, which maybe she can do next summer, etc. But don't give up. There may be some rainy weekends this summer, who knows.

[hermione]

While I usually agree wholeheartedly that not every kid gets a trophy, I think that's a terrible philosophy for reading. SRPs exist to help curb summer brain-drain, foster a stronger love of reading, and promote library use. Not everything has to be a competition.

[Deleted]

I would write it down as is. Let her win the middle prize then at the end get your own medal.

I don't want to advocate the message cheating sends, but I don't want to advocate working hard for unattainable goals either, kwim? There's a high goal to set and then there's impossible and that's not fair either.

Then I'd also make suggestions for next year's reading program. It definitely needs to be tiered more.

[barefootcontessa]

I assume your daughter is a rising second graders. My seven-year old is reading for 60 minutes, 30 minutes in morning and 30 minutes at night, which is pretty much the max I can see him doing at this age. So 1.5 hours seems like a major stretch. I do not think my nine-year old could that and have meaningful comprehension. 

[auntie]

Jun 18, 2015 10:47:09 GMT -5 hermione said:

Well, IMO that's a terrible Summer Reading Program but no, you shouldn't cheat. Are you positive you are interpreting the "rules" correctly? You SHOULD talk about your concerns to the librarians.

Our program is designed like this:

Each reader sets a goal with their parents and it's by number of books, not minutes or pages. No one wants to keep track of that nonsense. So an 8th grader might decide she's going to read 2 books this summer while a 1st grader might choose to read 100. Summer Reading should set each child up for success not struggle.

ETA: Also, any and all reading should count. Reading she does, audio books she listens to, and books read to her. Magazines etc.

I agree with all of this. It's so child and family dependent.

For some of my nieces, the award should have been for putting down the book after 3 hours and interacting with a friend or getting some physical activity. For others, it should have been for branching out of a single genre or author. 

DS was a struggling dyslexic reader, he had ESY or summer school until middle school to the tune of 4 hours a day because that's what was best for him. Plus a book-on-tape to and from school and an hour of Harry Potter read aloud each night so he was reminded that reading is fun. 

I wouldn't lie for my child, I'd find a better program. Maybe at a local indie bookstore or different library? Maybe you could set your own goals and reward.

[lurknomore]

Jun 18, 2015 12:17:27 GMT -5 hermione said:

While I usually agree wholeheartedly that not every kid gets a trophy, I think that's a terrible philosophy for reading. SRPs exist to help curb summer brain-drain, foster a stronger love of reading, and promote library use. Not everything has to be a competition.

This is EXACTLY where I am.  And I think by setting an unattainable goal, they're sending a horrible message.  My DD takes things very personally.  If she works her ass off all summer to try to get the medal, she's going to be SOOOOOOOO disappointed if she doesn't.  And if I tell her now she probably won't get it, to try to cull the disappointment, she's going to decide not to do the reading at all (now, we have other rewards in place for her...hopefully she will work towards a trip to the water park regardless of the metal).  It's a lose-lose for me.  Which is the only reason, assuming she does a job that I think warrants this medal, that I would ever dream of fudging it for her. 

Thanks for the input.  I hate to see my kid sad but I guess that's what will happen this year.  I'm going to see if I can find another program for her to participate it.  Maybe another one will a stupid metal! 

[lurknomore]

Jun 18, 2015 12:44:52 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

Is the medal supposed to be a ridiculous target? Thinking of things we did as kids like Jump Rope for Heart or selling girl guide cookies where the upper prizes were for truly ridiculous amounts of work, aka they didn't actually expect many people to get there.

Apparently not.  She said they handed out lots of medals last year.  Which to me, means everyone cheated. 

[darnkatz]

My now second grader could and does manage that most days, but she doesn't go to camp or any other scheduled activities. I admit that she's the odd ball out. Our library's reading program does prizes at 5 hours, 10 hours, and 15 hours total of reading, in addition to bonus activities. I feel like that works out a lot better. I wouldn't cheat the program but would talk to the librarians about it to make a change for next summer. Perhaps you could find a different medal, set your own expectations with her, and have her work toward that.