What's the point of required reading?

Peter Doyle2 said:But to whom? Maybe some shrink, I guess, because that aversion was just too deep—books literally made me feel sick. If I couldn't even bring myself to read stuff like *The Outsiders*, which is, you know, a timeless classic, then it's pretty obvious. I tried, but it just wasn't happening. Brrr, thinking about it now gives me the chills.

Let's be real, the "popularity" of books and reading culture is tanking.
A huge percentage of kids and teens aren't reading. And honestly, the exhausting, confusing, and totally unnecessary grind of high school required reading isn't helping at all—especially in high school. Wouldn't it be better to actually encourage young people to read by giving them literature that actually speaks to them? Instead of pushing them away from books with "too heavy" works? I mean, what does it even matter if these works are "great classics" if, in 90% of cases, they stay unread anyway because kids just use SparkNotes or the internet to get by? 🤷
As I said, you can cover all that fine through a history textbook or a lecture. For required reading, maybe stick to light teen fiction—stuff that's actually accessible. I'm not saying the entire current curriculum is bad, but most of it is.

steelskipper5 said:Man, that is the million-dollar question right there. And honestly? I’m not sure you’re gonna like my answer. 😁

See, the whole point behind most of our school systems isn't just pure education or even "character building"—it's about enculturation. Or, if you want to call it what it really is, indoctrination. The goal of teaching history isn't so kids learn facts, but so they soak up those national myths that keep the country feeling like one big, homogeneous unit. Even the required reading list? It’s not about making kids love books; it’s about cementing a specific canon that supposedly serves as the foundation for our entire culture.

That’s why, for instance, a classic like Marley's Judith stays on the curriculum. In certain parts of Western culture, apparently it's vital to know exactly how to poison someone or kill them in their sleep. ☕

Look, putting my cynical side aside for a second—these reading lists fail even by the standards of "enculturation," and the way teachers force students through them is just terrible.
But hey, that just brings me back to my usual whining about semi-literate Americanists...

Peter Doyle2 said:But to whom? Maybe some shrink, I guess, because that aversion was just too deep—books literally made me feel sick. If I couldn't even bring myself to read stuff like *The Outsiders*, which is, you know, a timeless classic, then it's pretty obvious. I tried, but it just wasn't happening. Brrr, thinking about it now gives me the chills.

Let's be real, the "popularity" of books and reading culture is tanking.
A huge percentage of kids and teens aren't reading. And honestly, the exhausting, confusing, and totally unnecessary grind of high school required reading isn't helping at all—especially in high school. Wouldn't it be better to actually encourage young people to read by giving them literature that actually speaks to them? Instead of pushing them away from books with "too heavy" works? I mean, what does it even matter if these works are "great classics" if, in 90% of cases, they stay unread anyway because kids just use SparkNotes or the internet to get by? 🤷
As I said, you can cover all that fine through a history textbook or a lecture. For required reading, maybe stick to light teen fiction—stuff that's actually accessible. I'm not saying the entire current curriculum is bad, but most of it is.

Peter Doyle2 said:Well, I'll weigh in too...

I HATE ASSIGNED READING!!! 😠

There, I finally said it. 🤣

The story goes like this:
Ever since my mom signed me up for a card at the local public library back before first grade, I basically spent my entire childhood with my nose stuck in a book. Elementary school reading lists were actually fine—they weren't enough for me, though, so I just read whatever else I could find.
I used to love books and reading; I was never late returning anything. In fact, I’d probably be sprinting to the library a month before my books were even due because I’d already finished everything and needed something new. 🤣

And then came high school. 🙂

It killed me. Literally. They aren't sane!!!! It completely soured books for me. I mean, how are they supposed to encourage eloquence or literacy by essentially torturing us with works written in some archaic, regional dialect we can't even grasp?! I hated those assignments (they were at their worst in junior year—just total gibberish). I never understood them, and they absolutely crushed my desire to read. I mean, how are you supposed to get into a story, or a character, or even follow the plot when you have to flip to a glossary for every second word?! Honestly.
Okay, look, these are important works. Historical masterpieces. I get that.
But are we really going to stay this broken if we just cover them through a quick lecture in class instead of making them mandatory reading?

Anyway, it took me nearly ten years to recover from the trauma of high school reading lists before I could pick up a book again.
Isn't that sad?!

Now, I'm devouring books again. I love reading; I spend almost every spare moment doing it. I probably could have read a mountain of books if it hadn't been for that cursed high school curriculum. 😠 So, yeah, I truly feel scarred by those assignments. They basically robbed me of ten years because of the intense aversion they caused me. 🙄

Kate Cox2 said:oh, I am right there with you..
I was exactly the same way in grade school, flying through anything I could get my hands on. My English teacher used to hold onto my books for weeks just to check if I had copied them from somewhere—she simply couldn't believe how fast I read or how well I wrote..

But high school.. it destroyed me.. I avoided as much as I possibly could (which was quite a lot) by using all sorts of tricks, but I couldn't escape Kafka. Even today, I feel nauseous just thinking about *The Metamorphosis* and *The Trial*. I honestly cannot wrap my head around what kind of moron decided to include that in a high school curriculum???
🤮
Is that stuff still being assigned in high schools?

brisktiger56 said:I’ve been daydreaming about this ideal parent-child dynamic—one where a kid comes home, cracks open a book, and actually feels comfortable enough to complain. Like, "Ugh, I really don't get this one. Why did you pick this for me?" And instead of getting hit with a lecture about how important the classics are, or some tired monologue about why the Secretary of Education insists this specific title belongs on every middle school syllabus, the parent actually listens. Imagine if the conversation stayed focused on the actual book—building a genuine, critical opinion about the story itself—rather than spiraling into a debate about the educational system or why we shouldn't question the "approved" reading list. It would be about the literature, not the bureaucracy. Honestly, I think that kind of approach might have done you some good too.
Quincy:

Let’s be real here—the whole idea of a book being "popular" or the general culture of reading is basically in a death spiral. It seems like a massive chunk of kids and teenagers just don't read—and honestly, can you blame them? We aren't exactly helping matters by forcing this exhausting, incomprehensible, and frankly unnecessary pile of high school reading assignments down their throats. It feels like we’re actively pushing them away from books by shoving these "heavyweight" works at them before they're even ready. I mean, shouldn't we be focusing on actually sparking an interest in reading? Shouldn't we be handing them literature that actually speaks to them—stuff that feels relevant to their lives? Instead, we lean on the prestige of these "great classics." But let's be real—what does it actually matter if a book is considered a masterpiece when 90% of the time it just sits there unread? Most kids just end up skimming SparkNotes or searching for some quick summary online to get through the assignment anyway. It feels like a lot of wasted effort. 🤷

Yeah, tell me about it. It’s definitely easier to just copy-paste than to actually sit there and strain your brain—classic teenager behavior, really. They always seem to have much more important things to worry about than, say, actual comprehension.
Quincy:

Look, like I was saying—it’s all perfectly doable if you just handle the heavy lifting during class time using the textbooks. As for required reading? Just give them something light, like some teen fiction. You know, books that don't feel like pulling teeth to get through. I’m not saying the entire current reading list is garbage, but let's be real—the vast majority of it is.

I honestly wish we could just let people skip the classics if they wanted to—like, if someone wants to dive into some light, fun beach read instead, let them. It would be great if they could just talk about that in class, maybe write a quick review or something. Instead, you always have those specific types of kids who act like they’re absolutely obsessed with Tolstoy, getting all worked up over discussions about War and Peace... It would actually be way more engaging for them, and honestly, they’d probably learn more from those debates than anything else. But hey, what do I know? I’m not exactly a teacher. 😛

steelskipper5 said:Man, that is the million-dollar question right there. And honestly? I’m not sure you’re gonna like my answer. 😁

See, the whole point behind most of our school systems isn't just pure education or even "character building"—it's about enculturation. Or, if you want to call it what it really is, indoctrination. The goal of teaching history isn't so kids learn facts, but so they soak up those national myths that keep the country feeling like one big, homogeneous unit. Even the required reading list? It’s not about making kids love books; it’s about cementing a specific canon that supposedly serves as the foundation for our entire culture.

That’s why, for instance, a classic like Marley's Judith stays on the curriculum. In certain parts of Western culture, apparently it's vital to know exactly how to poison someone or kill them in their sleep. ☕

Look, putting my cynical side aside for a second—these reading lists fail even by the standards of "enculturation," and the way teachers force students through them is just terrible.
But hey, that just brings me back to my usual whining about semi-literate Americanists...

Peter Doyle2 said:You know, I guess my transformation was actually pretty cool—it really turned out well. 🤣 If Pajcekica had been a guy, I guess Gregory would probably be in my top 10 names—maybe. 🤣
I mean, even if it is totally absurd, the book is still somehow readable and easy to follow—plus, it’s pretty short. 🤣
Well, regarding that whole process—I guess it’s just how things work. 🙂
The issue—and the whole process, I guess—is still being worked out. Maybe we'll see some clarity soon. 😲 🙂

Could any of the teachers, professors, pedagogues, or psychologists hanging out here on Reddit please explain what a 17-year-old—which is junior year of high school, if I recall correctly—is actually supposed to get out of this book? I mean, besides the realization that LSD is a total disaster. 🤷 😂
And don't even get me started on the Proust and those little pastries—honestly, it’s a whole other conversation.
All that talk about Judith, the equinoxes, all those debates and complaints—honestly, I don't even want to get into the weeds with it. It’s just not accessible for a high schooler. Not even close. The Bible, the Iliad, the Odyssey?! Give me a break. For a fifteen-year-old—which, if my memory serves, is when you tackle these in freshman year—it's just total nonsense. It’s a complete turn-off, and honestly, probably just a total reading trauma.

Let's be clear—I’m not against reading. I guess I just see it as an idea where kids could maybe pick up one book a month.
I really am not.

I'm just generally against forcing kids to read total nonsense—you know, those incomprehensible, useless books that only serve to leave them traumatized or, at the very least, staring at the page with a massive "WTF?" expression.

The sad thing is—even though I was kind of a slacker and a bit of a troublemaker back then—we didn't actually sit down to write out our literature assignments. We just worked through them during study hall periods. It usually involved shuffling from desk to desk while the teacher threw out random questions... like what color the wallpaper was, I guess. 🙄So, I basically read about 99% of all that stuff assigned for high school reading—and honestly? I can't remember much of it today. All I really recall is that Gregory was some kind of bug, Raskolnikov killed his grandmother, and in Anna Karenina, everyone's just a miserable family member in their own unique way. Or something like that, I guess.
I guess I can't even begin to describe how much baggage I brought with me from high school.
That’s why, for instance— Sadako wants to live—I guess. I remember my elementary school reading list almost perfectly—honestly, I still remember more than half of those books even now. I won't bore you by listing every single title and author, though.

not at all. The Bible, the Iliad, the Odyssey?! Give me a break!! For a 15-year-old—which was freshman year, if I remember right—it’s just pure nonsense. It's a total turn-off and a complete trauma when it comes to reading.

steelskipper5 said:It’s almost like you’ve never had to deal with American bureaucracy before. 🤷
The whole process is basically a masterclass in how life works.

Personally, I’m bummed that Animal Farm wasn't on the required reading list, along with a few other dystopian stories. They actually help you make sense of the world, even if they are pretty dark and depressing. And honestly? That’s exactly why people end up loving them.

not at all. The Bible, the Iliad, the Odyssey?! Give me a break!! For a 15-year-old—which was freshman year, if I remember right—it’s just pure nonsense. It's a total turn-off and a complete trauma when it comes to reading.

If they’re taught correctly, they aren't traumatic at all. But then we run into the issue of teaching competence, which seems to be hitting new lows every day. And things might get even worse once teacher salaries take another hit.

Peter Doyle2 said:🤣 The whole process is, I guess, basically a perfect snapshot—not just of the bureaucracy, but of our entire American system of government. Beautiful.
Orwell is a total legend—honestly, I’d put him on every required reading list, and not just for Animal Farm.
But I guess that's just my take on things. 😢

It’s a bold move—and honestly, that’s exactly my point. I mean, how are you even supposed to properly process something like the Bible, the Iliad, or the Odyssey... on a watch? ☕ Maybe you could just give the kids specific, interesting chapters or small excerpts—rather than making them tackle the entire epic at once. I guess that might be easier. 🙄
It’s honestly kind of ridiculous—back in high school, they only gave us a few select chapters of the Iliad for our reading assignment, whereas my cousin, who went to a vocational technical school, had to read the entire thing from start to finish. I guess the curriculum is just all over the place. 😕 To what end, I guess?

Honestly, Orwell is a total legend—I’d put him on the mandatory reading list in a heartbeat, and I'm definitely not just talking about Animal Farm.
Look, maybe that’s just my take—I guess I could be wrong—but that’s just how I see it. 😢

Look, that’s exactly my point—it's about being bold. I mean, how are you even supposed to tackle heavyweights like the Bible, the Iliad, or the Odyssey? It's a massive undertaking—not exactly something you can just breeze through during a lunch break. ☕ Maybe you just give kids specific, interesting chapters or short excerpts instead of forcing them to slog through an entire epic? I mean, who actually has the attention span for that anymore? 🙄
It’s honestly ridiculous—we only got stuck reading a few random chapters of the Iliad back in high school, but my cousin? He’s in vocational tech school and they handed him the entire damn thing to read. I mean, seriously? 😕 What's the point?

brighteagle86 said:well, Animal Farm is actually part of the high school reading list

rowdypanther12 said:Man, I’ll organize books like Judith or Shakespeare—works that are basically unreadable because of the archaic language—but Kafka? That feels different.
Well, I’ve been an avid reader since elementary school!
The list definitely needs some tweaking, but we shouldn't just toss out everything that isn't a massive bestseller.

Daniel Gomez10 said:We could probably wrap this up by tomorrow. I think this looks great, though I'm not totally sold on it myself...

And that's exactly why having required reading in school is such a thing. 😳 😁

steelskipper5 said:It’s almost like you’ve never had to deal with American bureaucracy before. 🤷
The whole process is basically a masterclass in how life works.

Personally, I’m bummed that Animal Farm wasn't on the required reading list, along with a few other dystopian stories. They actually help you make sense of the world, even if they are pretty dark and depressing. And honestly? That’s exactly why people end up loving them.

not at all. The Bible, the Iliad, the Odyssey?! Give me a break!! For a 15-year-old—which was freshman year, if I remember right—it’s just pure nonsense. It's a total turn-off and a complete trauma when it comes to reading.

If they’re taught correctly, they aren't traumatic at all. But then we run into the issue of teaching competence, which seems to be hitting new lows every day. And things might get even worse once teacher salaries take another hit.