Book Reports

I have to admit, book reports aren't on my list of favorite things to do.  Not even on the bottom of my favorite things to do list.  It isn't anywhere NEAR the list.

And to be honest, we have missed 2 book reports this year.

It is so hard to read a book with a child who not only struggles with reading, but can't seem to say the longer words.  And it is so hard to read a book with a child who wants to read what he wants to read - which isn't necessarily bad, but not good when he wants to read Star Wars and Bionicles and Transformer books.  My favorit?  Bionicles because they have all these weird names that I can't pronounce - so then I can't keep them straight.

We did one book report on a Bionicles Book.  We didn't do so well.  For one, I couldn't keep who was the bad guys and who was the good guys straight.  And, Ster had in his mind what he was supposed to do and I'm sure it wasn't right.  But after arguing about it, I let him do it his way.  That was in October.

Fast forward to last Monday.  I notice that Ster has a book report paper that he needs to fill out and it was due on Friday.  Crap!  The only books we have are military books (Ster has actually WANTED to read since we have transferred him to North Point Elementary - and he reminds me it is time to read).  Well, since the military books tell about all of the different planes and tanks and helicopters, I realized that it would be hard to fill in who the main characters were and what the main event was - but it would be easy to answer if he liked the book.

So off to the Library we head.  Ster being stubborn, had to pick out a 100 page book.  I tried to get a 50 page book that he might like, but he was insistent on a star wars book.  Fine - but I told him we had lots of reading to do!  After 2 hours of math and Time For Kids, we couldn't read much.  Tuesday was a disaster, too.  Wednesday I was gone that night.  So we get to Thursday and I realize that we would have to pick another book - so I dug through his book pile and found a really short Star Wars the Clone Wars book.  One that we have had for a few years but Ster wouldn't read because he doesn't like to mess up his books.

Anyway -

We start to read.  And I ask questions after each short chapter.  And he answered them - easily.  I started to get excited.  Part of why he is at a 2nd grade reading level is he can't retell the stories as well as he should.

After Chapter 3, I was super excited because he was still re-telling the story like no other!

And then he started to tell me the difference between the movie and the book.

Come again?

Yep, this was part of the cartoon.

But he could tell in detail what was in the movie and what was in the book. 

So I let him finish and answer the questions (with a TON of help writing the sentences).

Whew!  One out of the way!

On a bright note - we moved Ster just in time.  His last book report at Mount Mahogany was supposed to be on a person.  He picked George Lucas (go figure).  So glad I didn't have to attempt to help him with that one!

(on another note:  not only does Sterling struggle with re-telling stories, but he struggles with forming sentences and remembering what to right.  Can we say FRUSTRATING?!?)