Throwback Tuesday: Why I Always Let My Boys Read "Fluff"
*Originally posted on August 30, 2017 when my boys were 13, 11, & 9.
There seem to be two schools of parenting or teaching when it comes to encouraging kids to read: One camp wants to see kids reading quality literature and frown upon " fluff " (books of little substance or consequence that are superficially entertaining) while the other camp is just happy to see their kids reading.
In case you couldn't tell by the title of this post, I'm one of those moms that is just happy to see her kids reading.
Out of my three boys I only have one that LOVES to read and the other two tend to shy away from it. I usually have to cajole them into reading for just 15 minutes.
Having struggled to raise two reluctant readers I have found so much value in allowing them to read fluff that I'm not even sure I can see the validity in the argument that kids should read quality literature! (Kidding!)
Any books that make my non- readers happy to read is just fine by me! I have always let my boys choose their own books and we count whatever they are reading as part of our schooling.
Evan has struggled for years to learn to read and kept insisting he did not know how long after I thought he really could read. In the past month or so he has read an entire chapter book by himself and asked if I could request book 2 in the series when he still had two chapters to go.
This made me so very happy!
Did I love the book? NOPE!
Did I think it was quality reading? Not even close!
The book series he has fallen in love with is all about Terraria. I have such a hard time listening to the story and we found a few grammar and spelling errors (which I did explain and point out)... but he LOVES them and that has always been my goal when teaching reading.
I want my boys to fall in love with reading; to look at books and remember having fun with them.
I want them to want to read and not have to force them to read just because it's part of our school day.
I love when they come bounding over eager to tell me about what they read, begging to see if I can find more books like it, and watching them recommend the book to their friends.
So I will always allow my boys to read "fluff."
That doesn't mean we don't read any quality literature; we do. I read books aloud to the boys, we listen to books on CD, and I often suggest books for them to try reading that I think they'll enjoy. Often I can get them to read books with me by taking turns reading pages or chapters together.
Right now my middle son is working his way through Watership Down and Ian is giving Animal Farm a try; both at my suggestion and both books I remember reading myself in school.
I try to make sure they are exposed to a variety of reading materials, authors, genres and styles but I will always encourage them to read books they enjoy; even if it means allowing fluff.
In case you couldn't tell by the title of this post, I'm one of those moms that is just happy to see her kids reading.
Out of my three boys I only have one that LOVES to read and the other two tend to shy away from it. I usually have to cajole them into reading for just 15 minutes.
Having struggled to raise two reluctant readers I have found so much value in allowing them to read fluff that I'm not even sure I can see the validity in the argument that kids should read quality literature! (Kidding!)
Any books that make my non- readers happy to read is just fine by me! I have always let my boys choose their own books and we count whatever they are reading as part of our schooling.
Evan has struggled for years to learn to read and kept insisting he did not know how long after I thought he really could read. In the past month or so he has read an entire chapter book by himself and asked if I could request book 2 in the series when he still had two chapters to go.
This made me so very happy!
Did I love the book? NOPE!
Did I think it was quality reading? Not even close!
The book series he has fallen in love with is all about Terraria. I have such a hard time listening to the story and we found a few grammar and spelling errors (which I did explain and point out)... but he LOVES them and that has always been my goal when teaching reading.
I want my boys to fall in love with reading; to look at books and remember having fun with them.
I want them to want to read and not have to force them to read just because it's part of our school day.
I love when they come bounding over eager to tell me about what they read, begging to see if I can find more books like it, and watching them recommend the book to their friends.
So I will always allow my boys to read "fluff."
That doesn't mean we don't read any quality literature; we do. I read books aloud to the boys, we listen to books on CD, and I often suggest books for them to try reading that I think they'll enjoy. Often I can get them to read books with me by taking turns reading pages or chapters together.
Right now my middle son is working his way through Watership Down and Ian is giving Animal Farm a try; both at my suggestion and both books I remember reading myself in school.
I try to make sure they are exposed to a variety of reading materials, authors, genres and styles but I will always encourage them to read books they enjoy; even if it means allowing fluff.
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I'm from your camp- I think reading is a wonderful way to open up their little minds to new worlds and cultures and ideas and get those imaginations going!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely!
DeleteI totally agree, I was always just happy to see my boys reading pretty much anything. As long as we kept things mixed up and there was the odd thought provoking or classic novel in amongst the graphic novels I was ok with that. My daughter on the other hand - I used to have to demand she stop reading occasionally and do something else! I loved reading aloud to them, it was such a great way to end the day. If we had a book they loved they would even get ready for bed early so we'd have time for 2 chapters! I miss that :-D
ReplyDeleteI was the kid that my family threatened to take their books away and would have to force me to go do something else! I still kind of am! I definitely miss reading aloud before bed.
DeleteReading is reading.. once they develop the love for it then they can maybe chose more quality reading.. My kids are both readers so while they read what they want most of the time I also encouraged them both to read a few books out of his comfort zone this summer. You never know when they might like something else.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly how I felt! Reading is reading.
DeleteAs a retired high school teacher, I would encourage kids to read what they enjoyed. It seemed to me there were kids who loved to read and others who just didn't- no different than those who loved math and those that didn't and those that loved art and those that didn't. We all have to learn to read and read well to be successful but not everyone enjoys reading for pleasure. Fluff is fine with me too!!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree; not everyone is going to love to read just like not every will love math or history and the like. As long as my boys were competent and could read if they needed to it was really all I could ask of them.
DeleteI 100% agree. There will always be books they "have" to read for school, but they should have the freedom to read what they want. My son took off on reading on his own when I couldn't read The Boxcar Children to him fast enough, LOL! Once they find books that motivate them, they will read.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! I love when they fell into a series and just could not seem to read fast enough!
DeleteI taught reading for many years and I'm a firm believer in let them read whatever keeps them engaged in the process, especially in the beginning when they are building skills...chapter books, comic books, graphic novels, you name it.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was too afraid to kill that joy/love of reading!
DeleteI totally agree with you! I let my kids read "fluff" and it counts as reading. I worked as an elementary school librarian for a few years and some teachers were adamant that their students couldn't check out certain kinds of book (i.e., "fun"). I felt bad for those classes (not too many of them, fortunately) as if you don't enjoy reading, will you want to do it? I appreciated the teachers who had the kids choose 2 chapter or educational books and also one fun book.
ReplyDeleteI would have felt bad for those students too! I always felt like it needed to be enjoyable too.
DeleteI still read fluff. I need an escape sometimes.
ReplyDeletersrue.blogspot.com
Me too!
DeleteI am right there with you. Enjoying what you read is so important. I read stories from almost all genres and every now and then I read fluff too.
ReplyDelete-Soma
I absolutely do too!
DeleteAs a retired homeschool mom, I can relate to the debate on fluff and "classics." I will say we did a mix. I had a daughter with severe dyslexia and it was important for her to feel she was accomplishing a book. So, if it was fluff then it was fluff!
ReplyDeleteWe tried to do a mix too but mostly I read the classics out loud as school and then left to pick what they wanted for "fun"/other times.
DeleteYour approach makes so much sense! Any reading is better than screen time or fighting with siblings or being bored, etc.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely!
DeleteAbsolutely-yes to fluff! Whatever makes them want to read!
ReplyDeleteYep!
DeleteThis takes me back to when I was teaching spec ed and fourth grade. I told all my students to read what they wanted because it was important to read. Most of my fourth graders would pick something on grade level or a little above or a little below. Of course, my spec ed kids struggled with reading. So, I told them to make sure one of the books they were checking out from the library was one they could read (and wanted to) as well as one that was grade level so they wouldn't lose face with their peers. We also read with second graders so my fourth graders got their share of "fluff." I think you were very wise!
ReplyDeletehttps://marshainthemiddle.com/
Aw, thank you!
DeleteI always let my kids read whatever they wanted. As long as they were reading actual books or magazines, I wasn't worried. A variety of topics and reading material is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI think so too! My boys were huge fans of graphic novels and got me to read quite a few of them too.
DeleteI fall into the same camp as you when it comes to reading!! Mason has educated me on so many things that he has read about that I would never have checked out for myself. I enjoy those conversations with him!
ReplyDeleteYes! My boys were often my teachers about topics I would never have thought to read about on my own.
DeleteYES! YES! YES! I couldn't agree more and, in fact, in my opinion, we all need a little fluff once in a while! Nurturing a love of reading and the joy found in spending time on your own with a book and discovering that adventures await is what I always find is most important, especially when young children are learning to read. It's what I loved best about teaching - seeing the excitement of learning something new!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely think we can all benefit from a little fluff now and then too!
DeleteI"m like you: I'm happy when my children read. I read a lot, but that didn't rub off on my children as much as I had hoped.
ReplyDeleteI am quite an avid reader too but it seems like only one of my boys picked up that habit.
Delete