DD's class reading log rules- way off??

[cdlamis]

DD#1 is in 2nd grade and recently moved to a new school. She just informed me (in tears) that she had her card turned to yellow because she did not read for the required 20 minutes one day last week. I thought the 20 minutes/day was a guide- as in "read approx 20 minutes each day during the month. If you skip a day, read more the next". I figured she should read at least 600 minutes/month to make sure she was on track. Right?

She read over 900 minutes last month yet she is being docked for missing one day even though she read more the next day to make up for it. I already emailed the teacher asking for clarification and explaining our viewpoint.

What does your school do? Are we way off base? TIA!

*Mini update on page 3.

[SnuggleBuggles]

BS. I think that is extremely nit picky. At my ds's school we only turn in the log at the end of the month. They tried weekly last year and it was a flop w/ getting people to remember the logs. It is an honor system so if I know he reads more some days than others, I feel ok switching around the totals. Then again, at our school the 20 minutes is a goal not a requirement.

Beth

[ellies mom]

Yeah, that is nitpicky. My daughter's is collected weekly and they get a sticker on the folder. Sometimes it doesn't get sent in or I don't fill it in but if I fill it in the next week she gets credit. For the first week or so, I'd religiously fill out the exact time. Now, I just put in some average number.

[sariana]

Do you sign her reading log? Are you sure she didn't read 20 minutes every single day? I thought for sure she did...

That sounds totally unreasonable to me (a former language arts teacher). It sounds like a terrific way to make kids hate reading.

I always learned that academic progress and behavior were different things. Isn't a yellow card a behavioral system? Why is it being used in association with academic work? That seems very wrong to me.

[lalasmama]

Yellow Card is for in-class behavior management!! You don't get to use Yellow Card for homework! It makes no sense to have a yellow card for homework. That's automatically starting the day off on a bad foot, for no reasonable reason.

We count our weekend reading as our Monday and Tuesday reading, because I'm useless after work those two days. She's supposed to aim for 10-20 minutes nightly, M-Th, so as long as we are getting an hour in over the course of the week, I'm okay initialing it as done.

[sunshine873]

That's ridiculous. I have a few years before having to worry about school, but if those are the kinds of things we have to deal with, I'm afraid I'm going to be "one of those moms." I agree with a pp who said that's a great way to get kids to resent reading. Another example of a good idea (reading log) that went bad (too demanding/pushy.)

[kransden]

Ours is daily, but honestly I just flat lie about it. My dd is a fantastic reader. She reads a lot, but might not get all the reading done that night. Collectively, she read way over what is required for the week. I just don't sweat it. I know at least half the class doesn't do the required reading either.

[Globetrotter]

This sort of thing makes me crazy! Let's take the fun out of reading, shall we? We just make up the reading log as my kids read a lot. I see no reason to document it all, though I can understand why some kids might need the motivation. This is still uncalled for, IMO, to be so persnickety.

[funda62]

What a nice way to turn a child off reading forever. I would throw the damn card in the trash and take your daughter to Barnes and Nobles for hot chocolate (or chocolate milk) and a few good books. And that is my nice response.

[egoldber]

Do you sign her reading log? Are you sure she didn't read 20 minutes every single day? I thought for sure she did...

Ours is turned in weekly and was still a HUGE source of angst until I told older DD "we estimate at the end of the week how much we read each night". She always underestimates and is a huge reader so I don't care.

Everyone, and I mean everyone lies on the reading log that I know of. It's just stupid. In second grade we opted out. Her third grade teacher is a stickler and hence, we lie.

ETA: Unfortunately if you don't do it, the teacher doesn't let them participate in "special" class events, so not doing it this year is not an option for her.