What's the point of required reading?

Honestly, instead of just writing about an author in a reading journal—focusing on plot, characterization, themes, and messages—students should be making pizza. Seriously, literature assignments have come such a long way since I was in school; the variety and how they're presented is actually pretty interesting now. I don't get why it’s such a struggle to just whip up a pizza or grab a bag of chips or something else...
It’s not dry or boring. If someone struggles with drawing, they can just deal with it, much like those who struggle with math.

I’m definitely not an expert on the American education system, but I’d say using creative assignments really pushes students to actually think about what they've read—just in a slightly different way.
It’s almost like personalizing the reading experience, you know? Like, finding a way to weave their own perspective into the whole process so they’re actually putting in the effort to truly grasp the material.
But honestly, why do we even make them write these reports? If there wasn't a grade attached or a deadline to meet, half the kids wouldn't touch the book. Their total word count outside of school would probably just be... "play" and "pause." Is that really the kind of intellectual standard we're aiming for as a society?

Everyone forgets it’s actually about learning how to live, right? Real stories, morals, those messy dilemmas... I always think back to the bravery in Hero Pavlov’s street or Raskolnikov’s internal struggles... it’s way more than just checking a box for American literature classes. 🤗

Timothy Mitchell2 said:Everyone forgets it’s actually about learning how to live, right? Real stories, morals, those messy dilemmas... I always think back to the bravery in Hero Pavlov’s street or Raskolnikov’s internal struggles... it’s way more than just checking a box for American literature classes. 🤗

Yeah, right. Because a 15-year-old is totally dying to read Judith and fishing stories filled with nothing but complaints—not to mention there's even a recipe tucked in there somewhere, though nobody ever mentions that during class.

What color was the ring?

What color were the curtains?

WTF?!

@Susan James, what do you actually think the point of creative assignments is in school? Like, regardless of the subject? Do you feel like those kinds of tasks even serve a real purpose?

Egon is basically the Ghostbuster here, and he’s right—the word is dead.
Reading matters; your vocabulary, your way with words, all of that can be mastered through books.
We have to encourage kids to actually read; as an American English teacher, I’d lose my mind if I found out a student didn't read the assigned book and just copied some summary from the internet.

nimbleviper3 said:Egon is basically the Ghostbuster here, and he’s right—the word is dead.
Reading matters; your vocabulary, your way with words, all of that can be mastered through books.
We have to encourage kids to actually read; as an American English teacher, I’d lose my mind if I found out a student didn't read the assigned book and just copied some summary from the internet.

And then the school board rolls up and wipes out your entire career because you didn't follow protocol.

Larry Walker24 said:Yeah, right. Because a 15-year-old is totally dying to read Judith and fishing stories filled with nothing but complaints—not to mention there's even a recipe tucked in there somewhere, though nobody ever mentions that during class.

What color was the ring?

What color were the curtains?

WTF?!

Why do you think they ask stuff like that, though? Like, what color was the ring?

Questions like that always catch me off guard because I didn't actually read the book; I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
I knew everything about the plot and the characters, but if I had actually sat down and read it, I probably could have answered such a silly question.

We’ve been doing some creative book reports lately. Last year, my daughter was tasked with filming a short movie based on her summer reading list. Honestly, she and her brother spent almost the entire afternoon just laughing and goofing around while they were filming, acting like total sillies! But, despite all the chaos, the final film turned out absolutely wonderful. I was actually quite impressed by how she structured the whole thing. It was definitely one of those rare moments where schoolwork felt less like a chore and more like genuine fun. 👍

Quincy:

I can't believe we're already talking about summer plans. It feels like just yesterday we were all huddled under blankets during that last blizzard, and now suddenly everyone is obsessing over backyard BBQs and beach trips. Honestly, I’m right there with you. There is something about those long, humid evenings where the sun refuses to go down that just makes everything feel possible. It’s like when you finally finish a massive project at work—you know, that feeling when you close all those open tabs on your laptop and just sit back for a second? That's how summer feels to me. A giant, glorious reset button. I’m already eyeing some camping gear and thinking about hitting up some national parks. Nothing beats sleeping under the stars if you can handle a few mosquitoes. Who else is already halfway out the door? kaže: So, what do you think the deal is? Why are they even asking that? I mean, does the color of the ring actually matter that much? I'll be honest—I totally blanked on a question like that because I hadn't actually read the book. It wasn't even a matter of being too busy or forgetting; I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I just wasn't feeling it. Look, I felt like I knew everything there was to know about that book and its characters, but let’s be real—if I had actually sat down and read the thing, I wouldn't be sitting here struggling with such a mindless question.

Oh, come on. Seriously? You can't just expect to soak up all those tiny details after one read unless you've got a photographic memory or something. It’s just not how the brain works!

So, get this—this was actually a question from a reading comprehension section on a high school SAT. The passage right above the question described a ring as being "crimson." But once that question popped up? Man, it sparked an absolute, legendary revolt.

By the way, they actually asked about the ring's color on the SAT—right after a passage that says something like, "To cast a crimson light upon the fingers..."
If you give it even a tiny bit of thought—and, let’s be honest, if you aren't totally lost while reading—you can pretty much figure out they're talking about fingers and rubies, which means the ring is likely red.

edit: ninja style by Bill Clinton

Charm them? 😂 Man, that’s a whole different level of hard.

A colleague of mine who teaches English was telling me about this ridiculous situation. She gave her high school seniors some basic news articles to translate into English, and you wouldn't believe it—they actually had to stop and ask her what a "curb" was or what a "street lamp" looks like.

Sarah Hall53 said:The thing is, about 90% of students aren't actually going to use their extra free time to pick up a book they actually enjoy—they’re just going to be glued to a PlayStation or scrolling endlessly through TikTok instead.
Maybe one or two kids per class might read just for the fun of it, and yeah, they'll tackle the required reading too, but for everyone else? That assigned reading is basically the only thing they'll touch all year long. So, honestly, it just makes sense to cut down on the workload. ☕

But okay, what's the alternative?

It's their own free time, right? 🤷Can't kids have a little break from school before they crash for the night? Why shouldn't they get to do stuff they actually enjoy for a change?

Let's be real here—how many "distinguished intellectuals," doctors, lawyers, or engineers actually sit down to read? Even looking at my own family, who all work in education, they read about as much as anyone else. Most of them are just as happy bingeing soap operas or trashy reality TV. Compared to that, playing video games feels like a much higher quality way to unwind. 🤔

Steffi, I’m not sure I follow you. Are you saying we should just scrap required reading lists altogether because nobody picks up a book anymore?

Sarah Hall53 said:By the way, they actually asked about the ring's color on the SAT—right after a passage that says something like, "To cast a crimson light upon the fingers..."
If you give it even a tiny bit of thought—and, let’s be honest, if you aren't totally lost while reading—you can pretty much figure out they're talking about fingers and rubies, which means the ring is likely red.

edit: ninja style by Bill Clinton

I honestly hated those old books written in weird regional dialects back in school. It was such a drag. You’re forced to read stuff that bores you to tears, and then you have to struggle just to figure out what the heck is even being said.

I really believe most people stop reading once they graduate because those mandatory school assignments totally killed their love for books for good.

I was honestly just responding to that point about how kids these days don't read in their free time—you know, because they’re just so completely burnt out from all those mandatory school reading assignments that they can't even bring themselves to pick up a book for fun anymore.

hiddendriver34 said:Steffi, I’m not sure I follow you. Are you saying we should just scrap required reading lists altogether because nobody picks up a book anymore?

No, no. I was talking about this teacher who actually told a kid he had to finish his assigned reading before bed.

Honestly, that's just plain rude if you ask me.

Nah, I just mean it’d be pretty great if you had something to read right before hitting the hay.

Why does it seem like kids only ever touch the books assigned by their teachers? Growing up, my parents used to hand me all sorts of novels and stories, and honestly, they completely sucked me in—I was that kid who would be hiding a paperback under the desk during class just to keep going, or staying up way past my bedtime because the plot was just too intense to put down. Sure, I didn't enjoy every single school assignment, but I always finished them and got the work done. The real trick is fostering that genuine hunger for reading; some books are absolute masterpieces and others are just okay, but you really don't know until you've lived through the pages and actually sat with the ideas afterward.
Because I'm such a bookworm, my kids are constantly asking what I'm reading, so I usually end up spinning a condensed version of the story into a little tale just for them so we have something to talk about; plus, we read books specifically geared toward their age where we’ll draw out the characters or map out the plot together. Most nights, we settle in for a reading session before bed.
I tend to get excited about every new book I pick up and I make sure to tell them all about it, which eventually sparks that same curiosity in them. Most kids don't care for reading simply because they haven't discovered the massive, hidden universe tucked inside a cover yet; maybe they read too slowly to catch the momentum of the plot, or maybe their reading nook isn't cozy enough, or perhaps it’s just that reading isn't viewed as something fun at home, but rather seen as just another chore... like homework, or some tedious task that's just stealing their time.

hiddendriver34 said:Charm them? 😂 Man, that’s a whole different level of hard.

A colleague of mine who teaches English was telling me about this ridiculous situation. She gave her high school seniors some basic news articles to translate into English, and you wouldn't believe it—they actually had to stop and ask her what a "curb" was or what a "street lamp" looks like.

I've noticed my daughter actually has a better vocabulary in English than she does in American English. It’s unbelievable. She isn't exactly a bookworm—last year the only thing she actually liked was *Adrian Moliti*, and she even asked me to buy her the sequel. Poetry and literary analysis are her absolute worst.

Sarah Hall53 said:Nah, I just mean it’d be pretty great if you had something to read right before hitting the hay.

It's tough, at least in my case. Practice goes until 10:00 PM. She's home by 10:30. By 11:00, she's getting ready for bed—she's exhausted, which is probably just right for a good night's sleep.