Another Graphic Sex Book Assigned to 14 Y.O. Public School Students (laws, murder)
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The problem with "opt out" is that the book is still read by the rest of the class, who discusses it and gives oral presentations and book reports on it. This can go on for weeks. So the "opt out" kids are still subjected to it or the school needs to find an alternate room with supervision to send these kids to, who are missing out on what could be valuable learning time.
And to blame the parents because they "missed" the permission slip is not fair. Who is to say the teacher gave the permission slip? Perhaps she forgot to give it to this student. So, while I don't think this reading material is suitable for school reading at all, in cases where there are legitimately questionable school assignments, the schools should adopt an "Opt In" policy, so that the parents must sign a permission slip of approval rather than merely opting out, which opens the door for erroneously implied approval.
If they provide permission slips for not reading the book then they cannot discuss it as a class. Each child is due equal education.
The teacher would have to do something else besides class discussion.
Maybe group discussion because there would be a second book for those whose parents didn't want them to read the book.
Just like when parents opt kids out of watching a movie. There is a second activity provided for those kids.
Btw, I just started perusing the book, and it's definitely geared towards a teen reader - almost like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or TTYL in terms of formatting & language. I haven't seen the "graphic" passages yet, but I don't see how this could be marketed to anyone BUT teens.
You do realize that Diary of a Wimpy Kid is read by third graders and the TTYL series is read by middle schoolers and found in their school libraries? So kids as young as 10 are deliberately being exposed to novels that include girls texting about b#@w j*bs, group sex, and semen flying across the room. For those not familiar with this series by Lauran Myracle, these "literature" (and I use the term loosely) books were written for teens, but are now being read by tweens. The series is written almost exclusively in texting language so the justification heard frequently of "Well, its getting them to read and whatever content will help improve their reading skills..." doesn't work.
If they provide permission slips for not reading the book then they cannot discuss it as a class. Each child is due equal education.
The teacher would have to do something else besides class discussion.
Maybe group discussion because there would be a second book for those whose parents didn't want them to read the book.
Just like when parents opt kids out of watching a movie. There is a second activity provided for those kids.
I had my child "opt out" of a particular assigned book in a public school. She and a couple other students had to go to the library and read an alternate book with assignments on their own while the rest of the class read the assigned book and discussed it. This went on for several weeks.
You do realize that Diary of a Wimpy Kid is read by third graders and the TTYL series is read by middle schoolers and found in their school libraries? So kids as young as 10 are deliberately being exposed to novels that include girls texting about b#@w j*bs, group sex, and semen flying across the room. For those not familiar with this series by Lauran Myracle, these "literature" (and I use the term loosely) books were written for teens, but are now being read by tweens. The series is written almost exclusively in texting language so the justification heard frequently of "Well, its getting them to read and whatever content will help improve their reading skills..." doesn't work.
I agree..this is not "literature" by any means and probably won't stand the test of time.
"But it gets them to read" is not good enough for education.
I've been in a middle school where the 7th graders just finished reading Tuck Everlasting and then they got to see the movie.
I guess we're just not as hip out in the country (rural school).
Btw, I just started perusing the book, and it's definitely geared towards a teen reader - almost like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or TTYL in terms of formatting & language. I haven't seen the "graphic" passages yet, but I don't see how this could be marketed to anyone BUT teens.
This is a trend I'm disappointed with - "young people's lit". It's easy, breezy reading that I suppose is ok for casual reading, but as school assignments? It seems to be the accepted answer to the question, "how do we get kids to read?"
I always loved to read and in high school we read books that were published with an adult readership as the target (not "adult-themed", but still, books adults read and enjoyed). Crime and Punishment. Last of the Mohicans. Red Badge of Courage. Not the equivalent of Junie-B-Jones, The Teen Years.
My junior year in high school included Catch-22. Profanity! Whores! Mutilated bodies! The horror! Protect the children!
The hell with diversity. Keep the stone age religious crap in your house and the church house. The rest of us don't want to deal with it.
You know, if you replace "religious" with "gay" and "church" with "bath" you'd sound just like a bigot. Well actually you already sound like a bigot but don't realize it.
Free speech, but only if I agree with it and where I say it should be allowed. Congrats, it should be your new tag line.
I agree..this is not "literature" by any means and probably won't stand the test of time.
"But it gets them to read" is not good enough for education.
I've been in a middle school where the 7th graders just finished reading Tuck Everlasting and then they got to see the movie.
I guess we're just not as hip out in the country (rural school).
Maybe Diary of Wimpy Kid is not great literature, but there is nothing wrong with it when it's just one part of a child's personal general reading collection.
This idiotic slippery slope argument is on par with "If we let gays marry, then people will want to marry their sibling/dog/goldfish!!!!!"
What a crock.
That slippery slope is really not that far removed.
Where do you draw the line and at what age level is that book appropriate for ?
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