Merflerher Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Today was the first day of term, and I opened the school library at lunchtime to our new yr 7s. They haven't got their log on details for the computers yet, so instead of sitting Googling they were lounging on the new beanbags and reading...the Deputy Head came in and said to me 'Are they real or dummies? and he went over and prodded one to make sure they were real:lol: Just goes to show what an unusual sight it is...*sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyanddandy Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Fantastic - long may it last Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I love to see young people coming into our library to choose books - so many of them are there to use the computers so it's lovely to see keen readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louiseog Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Brilliant, I love kids reading, I make mine do it! (that's at home and at work) My littley LOVES the library, all the books he can look at and when he knocks over the massive book display they give him stickers!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carm Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 it's abeautiful thing to see young people reading- carm:readingtwo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Brilliant, I love kids reading, I make mine do it! (that's at home and at work) My littley LOVES the library, all the books he can look at and when he knocks over the massive book display they give him stickers!! Did he do the Big Wild Read this summer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louiseog Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Did he do the Big Wild Read this summer? He was too little but middley did. He read three books from the library and then we went away and he read three books on holiday (he had to read 6 to get the certificate) so we set off to claim it and he would not because the books he had read on hols (including Harry Potter 2, Magyk) were not from the library... so we read one before we went, one in the car and one in the library hence the display!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 It's been very satisfying writing out the certificates for the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louiseog Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 He has enjoyed it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oblomov Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Extremely heartening to know that today's kids can actually be made to read books. Congratulations and I sincerely wish that the library is used regularly. As I have said before, curling up with a good book with a glass of chilled lemonade to hand has a charm that no computer can ever match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I limit the time my girls are allowed on the computer - one reason for this is so that they don't forget that there are other things to do - my eldest reads a lot in between and uses her bus journey to college to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 It's been very satisfying writing out the certificates for the children. Kate is on the Bookstart bookcrawl. I can't help thinking it is me collecting the certificates:lol:. She does enjoy her books though. I limit the children's computer time too, but they never want to do aything else. They do read, but before long they want the computer games again. They are the same with their toys and the won't play outside anymore, but what can you do when they are not yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Put them on limited computer access and they might read more often - LOL! If they only have a total of, say, 20 mins a day, they might pick upa book to fill the rest of the time and they can't complain they don't get computer time. Seriously though - wonderful to hear they were reading of their own volition. I hope it continues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I am sure it will.The little boy has three of my Harry Potter books. Hence my need to change them quickly, especially as I am reading one of them to his sister. They just sit and sulk and slouch on the sofa then after exhausting all options of what to do they ask if hey can watch tv. No hope! NExt time I am not going to feel guilty for their stupid sulks. I don't want them to be unhappy but they need discipline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted September 6, 2007 Share Posted September 6, 2007 I'm not saying I'm forcing them to read Laura, just not to play on the computer so much. They can have 1 hour a day and 30 mins TV then they have to find other things to do. They like reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted September 6, 2007 Share Posted September 6, 2007 I agree IceCream - the thing about computers, computer games etc are that they are very addictive and that's the reason why I set limits for my girls. It was very satisfying to see my daughter choose to read after I set the time limits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merflerher Posted September 7, 2007 Author Share Posted September 7, 2007 You can't force kids to read cos if you do it less likely there read in future. One those children get there log on there be on the comp most of lunchtime. We used to have 'computer-free Wednesday' at school - no computers available all lunchtime - and a lot of kids came in to the library to read. But the sixth form objected because they have coursework all the time and can't guarantee that a teacher won't insist on them using the computer that day, so we had to stop doing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beef Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 I would just like to add my 0.02p to this. I dont have kids yet (thank god!) but when i do i would never dream of allowing them a set time on the computer as i have spend a huge part of my life in front of the thing, and i *never* read as much as when im at the computer, whether that be in irc, reading the BBC news, reading digg, or just general articles. A lot of people seem to forget how much of computing actually requires good reading skills and say its stopping kids from reading, its not, they just are not reading books. I even got back into the habbit of reading proper books due to being in front of the computer and seeing a lot of books i was interested in on sites. P.s As for the headmaster guy prodding a student, that constitutes assault! had my head master done that i would have blackmailed him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 Beef, that is all very well, but the reason for limiting children's computer time is not to get them reading, it is because it presents severe health and psychological problems. Being on computers for too long is not good for you reyes or your brain. It can lead to poor conentration. Children are completely different to adults. As adults, we are capable of limiting our own computer time, or otherwise, of suffering the consequences. Children are not equipped to deal with the effects of too much computer time, and it can lead to severe problems with homework and schoolwork due to lack of concentration levels or lack of time spent on work. I used to spend a lot of time on game consoles and when I got my PC at uni it was just the same. I never cold concentrate well until recently. Kids need to learn these skills early. There is plenty of time for them to run their own lives when they are old enough to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beef Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 Beef, that is all very well, but the reason for limiting children's computer time is not to get them reading, it is because it presents severe health and psychological problems. Being on computers for too long is not good for you reyes or your brain. It can lead to poor conentration. Children are completely different to adults. As adults, we are capable of limiting our own computer time, or otherwise, of suffering the consequences. Children are not equipped to deal with the effects of too much computer time, and it can lead to severe problems with homework and schoolwork due to lack of concentration levels or lack of time spent on work. I used to spend a lot of time on game consoles and when I got my PC at uni it was just the same. I never cold concentrate well until recently. Kids need to learn these skills early. There is plenty of time for them to run their own lives when they are old enough to do so.Not sure i could aggree with that as of all the people i know who are terrible at concentrating they all spent childhood out playing etc and i spent a fair old chunk of time in front of a computer and i can concentrate more than most people i know. as for psychological effects..id be interested in reading about that if you have any good links? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 My issue that led me to limit computer time was that I simply didn't want to see everything else be excluded because they had become too addicted (and it is addictive) to it. I know for a fact that by setting those limits my girls found other things to do (reading, drawing etc) - still things of their choosing but they wouldn't have done them had I not set those limits. I believe absolutely in what my gran used to say "Everything in moderation". It's good for creating balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 Exactly Judy. I agree with that. Beef, it is a well known fact that too much computer time has an effect on concentration, mainly because, as Judy says it is addictive. Your mind is with the game you are playing rather then with what you are doing at the time, and it is also widely known that it has other effects too. I am not saying this is the case for everyone. There are different brain structures and some allow for these things to not have much effect (which is actually a male part o the brain - of course that is not to say it cannot be found in women). My partner is like you in that respect, however, it is a parental responsibility to give children the best start, as we do not know what children think like until maybe they get to secondary school. It is also parental responsibility to set boundaries, as Judy says, everything in moderation, (including reading). It teaches respect amongst other things, but that perhaps, is another discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Icecream, you seem to be talking about people who spend all their computer time gaming.. which I think is different to what beef was talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Well yes, these two kids do spend it all on games, whether on the PC or with a gameboy or tamagotchi or whatever, so I am sorry about that. However, some of these problems also arise by spending too much time just on the computer. I still thin that it is up to parents, theefore, to control their children's time with these things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beef Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Icecream, you seem to be talking about people who spend all their computer time gaming.. which I think is different to what beef was talking about. *nod* i dont play games on the computer, little xbox from time to time but not on the computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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