Nubze

First week of school: new teacher, new class, and new homework. I have to admit, I do not look forward to the battles to get Spencer to do his homework, especially the reading assignments.

Spencer’s school focuses on improving reading skills of the students, and consequently, every class from first grade to fifth, requires daily reading at home by the students. By fifth grade, the minimum is 30 minutes a day.

Last year, Spencer’s teacher disallowed comic books, magazines, etc. The only acceptable books were what they call ‘chapter’ books. I thought most books had chapters. Well, what do I know about the lexicon of public education?

Apparently, a chapter book is a book sans pictures or illustrations, i.e. only words. Well, Spencer acted as if it was a prison sentence everyday when I pushed him to do his reading assignment. “But, there is only words in this book,” he would complain. Ms. Sharkly had to approve each book the children in her class were to read and that meant no Captain Underpants or Spiderman or Fantastic Four.

What it did mean was nine months of pushing and cajoling and arguing every day.

Those last few months of the school year, Spencer referred to his teacher as Ms. Meany, especially when I prompted him to read his ‘chapter’ book. Not because she was mean, but because she held the kids accountable for doing their work, including the reading assignment for ‘chapter’ books.

The first day of school this year, Spencer bounded home exalting praises for his new teacher. She said the children can read anything they want, as long as it is 30 minutes a day. I asked if that meant Spiderman comic books, too. “Comic books, magazines, Captain Underpants, anything,” Spencer told me with a smile.

I am not sure how reading DC comics will help him improve his reading skills, but I am relieved I won’t have to wrangle with him to read each day. I guess this means we will be taking a trip to the comic book store.