September, like winter, is coming. I’m already mourning the end of summer- lazy days of teenagers sleeping late, no 6:30 am lunch prep, and far too many hours of Netflix. The back-to-school packet from the high school arrived a few days ago, which prompted me to ask my almost 18 year old son if he had started his summer reading yet. I knew what the answer would be, having not seen a novel anywhere near his body for the past 8 weeks. (And he hasn’t just been playing video games or chasing Pokémon all day. He’s completed an online class and works 5 days a week.) This query was more of a comical attempt to get him to consider picking a book up – and quickly. He mumbled something unintelligible as he shoved a bagel into his mouth and walked upstairs.
The brilliant folks at Love and Logic had taught me years ago, when my son was in second grade, to not care more about his school work than he did. This has served me well with my second child – the procrastinator and book hater. He gets serious about tests and projects about 10 hours before they are due and still manages to get good grades. This both annoys and delights me.
As a parent, I actually am a fan of summer reading. Research shows that kids’ brain power atrophies during the summer. I loved the years that my children’s elementary school had wonderful summer reading programs with enticing prizes. It was optional though, and if your child didn’t want to earn cheap, plastic toys and Otter Pops, that was their choice. Fast forward to high school where the students are assigned at least 2 books per summer – no choices, and then highly detailed tests on the second day back to class. (What color sweater was Mrs. Bigglesworth wearing in Chapter 4?)
The minute I saw the novels that my reluctant reader was required to slog through this summer, I knew the chance of him completing both of them was about the same as Donald Trump giving up Twitter. One deals with race relations in the 1950’s – still highly relevant today and I’m urging my son to actually read every page of it. The other novel, written and set in the late 1890’s, deals with a wife’s existential challenges in the turn-of-the century South. I actually chuckled out loud at what a hard sell this would be for my son to make it past page 2. He confirmed my suspicion after simply scanning the back cover – not happening, even with bribes or threats.
Before the English teachers start ranting, I fully understand the reasoning behind getting kids to read classic novels, no matter the themes, writing styles and settings. Not every story appeals to every reader. There are always multiple lessons to be learned when reading and analyzing any classic novel – they are classics for a reason. But there are also thousands of wonderful classics. Why don’t we give students a short list to choose from? (If your kid’s high school already does this, then kudos to them!) Yes, testing becomes more complicated, but other types of assessments also prove kids read and thoughtfully considered a piece of literature. And how about other types of reading assignments, for the kids like my son, who are curious about numerous issues, but not into novels. Articles from peer-reviewed journals, magazines or Op-Eds on a controversial topic? Assignments like these would even further prove a student had actually done the reading, not just found Spark Notes online that neatly sum up novels. If we want our kids to read and think over the summer, as they should be doing, give them a say in what they consume and analyze. There’s still an entire school year of English class to assign specific books.
I’ve had some great discussions this summer with my son on a variety of topics – politics, medical issues, behavioral ethics, to name a few. Strangely enough, he hasn’t broached a conversation about maternal psychological angst in the 1890’s. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to have our kids choose and then enjoy their summer reading assignments, rather than feel like they are being punished? Just some food for thought, high school powers that be. Moms, you may now return to today’s episode of Creative Procrastination – Summer 2016 edition.
About the author: Marybeth Bock is a desert dwelling writer, mother of 2 teens, Public Health nerd, keen observer of political theater and iced coffee enthusiast.