Not Being Allowed to Read

DeleyanLee said:

To make a long story short(er), my children were immediately allowed to check out any book they wanted in that library. Within a month, the school board discontinued the policy city-wide.

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Yay for crusading parents! Seriously though, nicely done.

misslissy said:

So I was talking with my boss the other day, who has a very bright son who loves to read. We were discussing libraries and she mentioned to me that her son wants to read books above his level and he's capable of reading books above his level, but they have very strict policies about it. He's a second grader and he can only check out second grade books at the library. Even if he can handle the third grade books, his school librarian won't let them check them out.

Now two questions and one statement: First question, why not let the kids read books above their grade level if they can handle it? It's not like he wants to start reading 6th grade books, he just wants to read the third grade books.

Second question, does this seem discouraging to anyone else? Because it does to me.

And for my statement, for the record, I think this is dumb.

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The answer is quite simple actually. As with all things bureaucratic, the rule must be written for the LEAST COMMON DENOMINATOR. That means the school must enforce rules to protect those students who would be exposed to something, maybe do something inappropriate because of it, and then the school would get SUED like crazy for letting them near books deemed too mature for their age group. Its why they put labels on bleach tellling people not to drink it..... because somewhere, someone, at some time did it, then went to court and said the lawyers dream "no one told me not to"

Just my 7 cents worth

misslissy said:

Actually it's a he. Not all people who try to get books thrown out are women.

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Sorry, I honestly thought I read the word "she" in your post. My bad.

I think I have an extreme example of this here ... LOL. In first grade, my first grade teacher (who apparently told my mom I was "retarded" as well -- told my mom I had very LOW IQ and needed to be in a special ed class) refused to let me check out a Black Stallion book. I responded with tears and got a week's worth of lunch detentions for "having a tantrum."

(Trust me, if she'd wanted a tantrum, I could have given her a tantrum. I'm probably an Aspie. Tantrums, I could do as a kid. That wasn't a tantrum. That was just heartbreak because I'd been waiting for months for that book at the public library and found it there and she wouldn't let me have it.)

Shortly thereafter my mother moved me to a different school, where they tested me -- and the scores showed an IQ way above average and reading skills on an extremely high level (I can remember reading my mom's college textbooks at that age.)

Apparently, I knew every vocabulary word they showed me and did pretty good on a college placement test!

That was, however, the only time I can remember anyone actively refusing to let me check a book out above my grade level. Mostly, librarians tended to suggest books to me once they figured out just how high my writing level was and/or I mentioned I wanted to be a writer and was already submitting stories to 'zines. I think a elementary aged kid who would willingly read Shakespeare pleased the librarians.

-- Leva

I'm not going to have a chance to read the whole thread before 5pm. A few thoughts.

Haggis said:

It happened to me as a kid. I was encourage to go back and re-read the stuff I had already re-read before. It wasn't long before I was staring out the window, daydreaming.

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Oy I was so bored in school. I read everything but what I had to read for school. ANd I always read above my grade level.

donroc said:

I guess it depends where one lives.

1938-1940, I attended Frederick Burke Elementary in San Francisco, which was attached to SF State Teachers College, with one master teacher and several student teachers per classroom. We stayed in our grade but advanced by subject at our own speed or slowness depnding upon the subject. As an example, in the 2nd grade I was reading 5th grade books and had 1st grade motor skills for handwriting. Normal for the latter because I was a year ahead and a left-handed guy.

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This is brilliant! I wish my schools had been like that.

lol Yes it is dumb. (just replying to the OP!!)

It was done to me too, but not in such an extreme manner (3rd grade books forbidden to 2nd graders!! OMG!!)
I was forbidden to read The Little Prince by St Exupery as the school librarian said it was for 7th graders. Mind you, I read Hemingway in 7th grade. lol

Then my Mom & I just went to a bookstore & bought it. lol
I'm pretty glad I read it then & there & didn't wait till 7th grade, cause I might have found it silly in 7th grade...
I really liked it at the time I read it...

I did get some books easily from the primary school library later on that I wish I hadn't. Like Bradbury's Martian Chronicles (totally scared me), & another terrible book, & I think the Maid's Tale... (totally not appropriate for 7th graders too, IMO...)

Luckily the 'ordinary' library wasn't so strict... Though I did get one book from there too when I was in my teens that I wished I didn't!!