Is summer intended to make us less interested in reading?

I've been thinking about the conspiracy that the public school system tries to keep people form being creative. I've been to a private school system for the last two years where I didn't have to do any summer reading. I also didn't need to do any required reading in English class. So now for college I have to do some required reading. At first I found that the book was really offensive. Now I'm just reading it just to read it. I think I'm right about certain things though. Are summer reading books just there to drain students interests in exploring other good books that they would like to keep them dumbed down enough so they can be taught anything and they would believe it?

is this for real? okay, i guess it's possible; kinda. anyway, the purpose of summer reading is to make sure the kids are forced to do something besides play video games and watch hanna montana. the schools can't depend on parents to do that. nuff said.

I dont buy it. I never had required reading until college, and once I got there, it wasnt about being required or not. It was about the fact that I CHOSE to advance my education, and with that came added responsibilities.

There are a lot of things done to prohibit the creativity of our children...telling them to read is not one of them.

reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic

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It's not so much telling us to read but it's telling us what to read that I'm against. I like my own books. I don't like being told that I should like something because it's literature even though I hate it.

Have they ever told you you HAD to like something? Just because you dislike or disagree with something, does not mean it is not educational to read it.

reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic

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They didn't tell me that I had to like it. I don't know what they're going to do in college yet. But if it's going to be anything that's like the SAT prep course that I took earlier during my senior year I can imagine that the professor will try to get me to like it even though I don't or at least appreciate it for some reason. This SAT prep class teacher tried to enforce her view on the class that High school musical is a modern day Romeo and Juliet-- I tried to tell her that I didn't like it-- but she said her son loved it (which implied she was trying to tell us that it's good). If it's anything like that in college I would imagine it will be more of the same.

Personally? No.

I had a hard time focusing on anything during school or even during summer. It wasn't until my brother-in-law had me do a report for him as a punishment that I was starting to be interested in reading.

I think summer reading lists are just a "guideline" to get kids interested in different types of reading material. Although its a requirement to read those books, the students may find interest in some of the authors or genre of books and go back to the library to look up others.

First of all, you will find that the difference between high school teachers and college professors is huge.

Second, I have found that even those who encourage you or influence you to like something will have nothing but respect for an articulate rebuttle as to why you dont.

reply to post by Frankidealist35

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That is what I like to call the "dumbing down" of America. Not many people read books anymore because TV is so convenient. You can find a movie form of pretty much any book these days.. Think about it like this, back in the day kids read comic books.. Now, they simply put on channel 7 and watch all their favorite super heros on the tube.. It truly is sad.. My husband and brother in law are serious comic book buffs so I know my son will be reading them as well. Good post. A lot of people don't pay attention to these little details.

How many books do you read every summer?

How many books have you been assigned to read by your school?

When I was your age, I read a book a day. I don't expect you to match that rate, but one a week is a reasonable minimum for an educated person, or someone who hopes to be educated one day.

You've plenty of time over an entire summer vacation to read all the books you like and read the books you've been assigned.

And having read your posts on ATS, I cannot recommend the benefits of a formal education to you strongly enough. Deny ignorance, my young friend: do your homework.

reply to post by Astyanax

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I've read a lot of books this summer. I've lost count of the total amount I've read. I can't give you an estimate of how many books I read every summer-- since I wasn't much of a reader until last year. I do not doubt the importance of a formal education. I just think that the public education system wants us to read certain books over the summer that are offensive to try to teach us a lesson.

reply to post by Frankidealist35

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Fair enough. What's the title of the book?

And why do you find it offensive?

Let's get our cards on the table here.

I do believe that the public school system is not of the same quality as private or Home-school, but no conspiracy over summer reading.

Remember, the school year was designed around an Agrarian society to harvest crops. 8-2 daily was for chores before and after school. Summers off for planting and harvest.

During the time period that was designed, people read relatively all the time, as a stated, no mind numbing distractions (TV, V games)

I feel I have an above avg vernacular and I just read my first major book this summer since I left college in the late 80's.........but I do read ~3-4 hrs a day on the various subjects on the PC.

reply to post by Astyanax

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The title of the book is Love Medicine. I can see why I am being asked to study a book of this kind. I like the way the author shifts around various points of view. I'm reading this book for an intro to writing of fiction class.

The thing I find offensive about the book is the author's use of negative stereotypes that the Indians had against the US government. I know that there are many Indian tribes that feel resentment toward our government. I just find that the author is putting too much of a negative spin on the whole situation with our relationships with Indian tribes which could lead readers of the book in my class to believe that all Indian tribes hate us (which is not the case). Also, the author has written a few things in the book that has offended me. As a white myself I find it offensive when the author uses a descriptive vocabulary to make one character appear attractive because she "looks white and is an Indian" or to say some girl character is a "skinny white girl"... as you can see throughout the book the author has written some very racist things against White people... and I find that offensive and I'm sure many other people would too.

reply to post by Frankidealist35

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Okay. Here are a few things for you to consider.

First: the author of the book that offends you, Louise Erdrich, is three-quarters White and one-fourth Native American. I think that gives her every right to say what she wants about Native Americans and Whites, don't you? Either way, she's talking about her own people.

Second: it's just a book, for goodness' sake.

Third, and most important, is that you find the book offensive because the author criticizes Whites and you are White. That's a very primitive way of thinking, and it is certainly not the way to read. The great advantage of reading is that it allows you to see things from a point of view that is not your own, and thereby to learn more about life and the world than you would if you had only your own experience and that of the people around you to draw upon. Reading allows you to find out what it is like to be somebody else. It isn't always a pleasant experience, but it is always educational. So swallow your wounded racial pride and learn. There's no such thing as race, anyway.

I won't remind you of all the hideous things white people did to Native Americans. As I'm sure you know already, these actions amounted to dispossession and genocide. If Native Americans, whom you call Indians, resent Whites, it's hardly surprising. Instead of getting all offended, try to understand. It'll do you good, and do the human race some good too.

reply to post by Astyanax

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It doesn't give her right to criticize whites. First of all, I thought we all stopped criticizing each other about being different races a long time ago. It's not a primitive way of thinking. So what if she's 3/4ths white? I could care less about that. I know about all of the things the USA has done to Indians and I still am proud to be an American in spite of that. I believe there are things like race-- but that rather than looking at racial prejudices-- we should look at racial heritage-- and I don't have wounded racial pride-- I just don't go around boasting about it saying "look at me I'm European" like the author says "I'm an Indian so screw you guys".

[edit on 28-8-2008 by Frankidealist35]

reply to post by Frankidealist35

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Oh dear. It sounds as if it's already too late for you.

Still, I tried. Perhaps you'll learn better as you grow older.

reply to post by Astyanax

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I finished the book and it sucked. I don't know what you're talking about.

[edit on 29-8-2008 by Frankidealist35]

No, not at all do I think so.

I don't read so much anymore, now that my eyes have gone a bit bad and I have my own kids, but back when I was in high school (I'm assuming that's where you are, OP) summer was a welcom blessing because I had the time to read.

My local library had, and still has, summer reading clubs... you don't have to pick all the books for this, and they give the kids some goodies for the books they read. So they are in fact promoting reading, that way.

As far as the summer reading lists, there's really no conspiracy there--it's just a way to keep the students all on the same page, haha, (or the same theme, at least,) and keep the kids' minds in somewhat of an academic groove.