"1. From an educational standpoint I choose not to give too many reading choices at the beginning of the year because I find, even though we review "just right books," that students tend to want to read harder books. This does not apply to all students, as some are ready for the challenge. Some students desperately want to read a chapter book but are honestly not there yet. They might see peers who are ready for that step and then decide they do also. This limitation allows me time to asses students and then accurately guide them with their bin suggestions. Eleanor05
Eleanor - I have seen kids act with way. In fact my son got into a 'reading duel' with a boy in his 2nd grade class over the 'Series of Unfortunate Events' books, which had no intrinsic appeal to my son, but one boy was braging about how far he was in the series, and my DS felt that this was a good oppertunity to show off.
((It's been a long and difficult process to wrap my mind around my son's orrientation to peer attention. He is very different from me in some ways.))
Anyway, I think Ioconco's advice is excellent. And I think what is really needed is a reading assesment ASAP. I can't believe that it takes 4 weeks to see where the children are reading, but I don't know anything about the inside of classrooms.
Try tomorrow to get an agreement that the assesment will continue to find DS's actual level, and not just stop when he reaches the highest level in the building or some artificial ceiling. Try to get them to be excited about providing him with some peer in reading so he can get the same opportunities to learn in a social context as everyone else. You might want to steer it towards looking for a skip or subject accel, with some temporary relief from the current teacher while the testing is being done.
Best Wishes,
Grinity
