What's the point of required reading?

Most people just fall back on that vague "personal reasons" excuse... but deep down, it’s usually just about someone else having touched the paperwork.
I mean, I’m sitting here in bed reading a book I borrowed from the local library, so I honestly don't have much to add to the debate...

Susan James said:Most people just fall back on that vague "personal reasons" excuse... but deep down, it’s usually just about someone else having touched the paperwork.
I mean, I’m sitting here in bed reading a book I borrowed from the local library, so I honestly don't have much to add to the debate...

So I guess they don't care about using hand-me-down textbooks from last year's class?

Larry Walker24 said:So I guess they don't care about using hand-me-down textbooks from last year's class?

Actually, it still bothers them, so they just go ahead and buy their own copies.

isuse 😂
They're basically the people who sanitize bananas and oranges.

I mean, obviously they aren't going to read on a screen—you'll go blind from that. Just give them a Kindle and they'll read properly 😁

rowdypanther12 said:isuse 😂
They're basically the people who sanitize bananas and oranges.

I mean, obviously they aren't going to read on a screen—you'll go blind from that. Just give them a Kindle and they'll read properly 😁

That’s 👍
Actually, my iPad was perfectly fine for reading too (and I still enjoy using mine even though I own a Kindle), provided you have the settings dialed in correctly. Plus, her highlighting was all over the place, jumping wildly between different quotes in the book, so she just started selecting and categorizing the key sentences while she read (stuff like character development and such) and then emailed the whole thing to herself at the end (or sent it to the printer if needed) so she could transcribe it into her notebook... honestly, it worked out great for her.

rowdypanther12 said:isuse 😂
They're basically the people who sanitize bananas and oranges.

I mean, obviously they aren't going to read on a screen—you'll go blind from that. Just give them a Kindle and they'll read properly 😁

And who would actually need to get one? 🤔

If we're talking about kids who struggle to access certain books, it's unlikely they have a Kindle sitting around at home. Maybe I'm wrong, though. In my own circle, I'm one of the few who owns one (my friends have a few more, but it's still a small group). Most of us use it when we travel because, honestly, you can "pack more books and change your mind along the way." But I don't know anyone who uses *only* a Kindle.
It's the same for a child—or if you're just bummed because you couldn't borrow something in time... maybe I'm totally off base here. But it's such a great little gadget.🙏

I've also tried audiobooks... they're a nice idea if you're walking a lot (and I do quite a bit of walking around town), but I just couldn't really get into them. There are too many distractions around you. Too much noise.
As for listening at home, it feels way too slow for me; I tend to breeze through things much faster than that.
I'm still a paper book person at heart.

So, figured I should probably introduce myself: I'm Sarah Hall53, and honestly, I’ve been strictly an e-ink reader person for about 10 years now. 🤣
I actually ended up getting my kid their own device recently—mostly because it was driving me crazy having them constantly borrowing mine whenever they wanted to read.

As for audiobooks? Yeah, those just never really clicked for me either, and it's for pretty much the same reasons: a) there are way too many distractions and b) everything feels just... too slow. — I mean, let's be real, it's probably just my ADHD acting up. 🤣

I’ve basically lived on my Kindle since I first got it. 🙏
The only way I pick up a physical book is if someone gifts me one.

People always say kids don't want to read on screens, and honestly, they're right—it’s exhausting and just feels off, even if you tweak the brightness.
That’s why I swear by the Kindle; it’s such a clever little invention.

I've been sticking to my tablet lately; my Kindle just feels a bit too small for me.

I found this awesome reading app, though, and honestly, it's super easy on the eyes.

Jason Ortiz5 said:I've been sticking to my tablet lately; my Kindle just feels a bit too small for me.

I found this awesome reading app, though, and honestly, it's super easy on the eyes.

I do most of my reading through ReadEra—honestly, such a solid app. You can tweak the brightness on your tablet and everything else. Super easy!

If anyone’s interested, I was actually reading this on my old Nokia 6600 🤣

I actually own a Kindle, but I never touch it. I do all my reading on my phone (a Samsung) or just on my laptop 😁

Required reading is such a joke. Seriously. If someone actually wants to pick up a book, they’ll do it, and if they don't? Let them be. Why force it?

Nicholas Wilson2 said:Required reading is such a joke. Seriously. If someone actually wants to pick up a book, they’ll do it, and if they don't? Let them be. Why force it?

Well, I find myself unable to agree with that sentiment... I mean, if someone tells you your nose is growing like Quincy's in a few years, you might just stare at them blankly—unless, of course, you've heard every cliché under the sun already. Every book teaches you something, I suppose... even if it's subtle.

neonnomad18 said:Well, I find myself unable to agree with that sentiment... I mean, if someone tells you your nose is growing like Quincy's in a few years, you might just stare at them blankly—unless, of course, you've heard every cliché under the sun already. Every book teaches you something, I suppose... even if it's subtle.

With our politicians? Yeah, you bet.

I’ve come to the conclusion that summer reading lists mostly just serve as a way to pick fights with your kids, usually by threatening them with punishments because they haven't finished their books yet ☕
Honestly, I think we’d see a lot fewer family arguments if these mandatory reading assignments didn't even exist 😁

neonnomad18 said:Well, I find myself unable to agree with that sentiment... I mean, if someone tells you your nose is growing like Quincy's in a few years, you might just stare at them blankly—unless, of course, you've heard every cliché under the sun already. Every book teaches you something, I suppose... even if it's subtle.

It’s the exact same vibe as us old folks watching teenagers talk about Snapchat, "vibing," and whatever other slang they use. We’re totally out of touch as parents, and don't even get me started on the stuff they teach in school nowadays.

So, my kid has officially completed the cycle—moving from reading extra books for fun, to only touching required school reading because he’s "too busy," to finally reaching that stage where the sheer boredom has completely broken his spirit. He can't even face the assigned stuff anymore, let alone the list of soul-crushing classics coming up next. Apparently, these were supposed to be "engaging." Huge thanks to the American education system for fostering such a deep, lifelong passion for literature 😍

I honestly just need to vent for a second because my kids haven't caught the reading bug yet.
My oldest is actually pretty great about it—but hey, if they only want to touch a book during summer vacation, fine—but the other two? It’s like we’ve never even owned a single book in this house.

The school reading list gets nothing but massive resistance from them, whereas I personally make sure to finish every single one. I guess it's my way of staying sharp, or maybe just a way to get to know all those stories I missed out on back when I was just a kid growing up in the States.

Reading assignments... what a headache. My daughter is a great student—she’s in 7th grade, works hard, hits all her deadlines, and stays on top of everything. She doesn't have issues with schoolwork in general. Her problem is these "reading assignments" and the weird little philosophies the English teacher keeps coming up with. It’s not enough to actually read the book, understand the plot, or finish a worksheet anymore. Now, they turn every book into these massive projects that feel more like college-level coursework, taking weeks to complete. Honestly, she can't tackle most of these demanding tasks on her own. As parents, we're stuck. How much help is too much? If we step in to help her meet these crazy requirements, the teacher claims she didn't do the work herself and won't give her credit. But if she tries it solo? She fails.
At this point, it doesn't even matter if she read the book. It's more about how tech-savvy you are, how well you use digital tools, or how creative and articulate you can be with whatever gimmick is being assigned this week. Trust me, picking a book from a library bin is fun and motivating, but this? This is something else entirely.
We actually spoke up and told the teacher she was overdoing it with these assignments. The response? We were told not to interfere since we aren't "professionals." Is this happening in other schools across the US too? Who are we supposed to go to for an actual expert opinion? Not everyone is aiming for an Ivy League education, and certainly not everyone is headed to a four-year university.