Why do schools make students read books?

Why do schools make students read books? The books that are assigned in school are incredibly boring. I have no problem with reading in general and if reading books is a hobby of your that is fine. Its just that the books that schools make students read are so incredibly boring. What makes the "classics" classics? Some of the books that students have to read in school aren't even English. Old English is barely English at all, they feel like completely different languages. I don't see why students can't learn from some other form of media such as movies, television, or video games. All of those each feature sophisticated plots, characters and symbols. As I am sure most of you on this website might agree or feel similarly, I feel like I learn better when I am actually doing rather than listening. When I read the words in a book, it just slips right past me. In one ear and out the other. But when I play a video game and experience what is happening for myself, it clicks in my brain and I don't just remember it, I learn it. Similarly, when I watch a movie, I see exactly why is happening, so I don't miss any important details.

I understand some people like reading and that some people learn very well from reading, but why can't schools use movies and video games as well to teach students? Or perhaps at the least, video games can be used to supplement teaching. For example, I was playing the Assassin's Creed games at the same time I was learning about the Byzantine Empire in my World History class. Playing through the game and actually climbing the Hagia Sophia and killing the Borgias and exploring the Colisseum, when I learned about all those things in class, I was making connections that really made me more interested in what I was learning, and that helped me learn and do better on the tests. I think schools should implement methods of teaching through video games and movies and put less emphasis on books.

What does everyone else think?

damn those schools, how dare they try to educate you, HOW DARE THEY?

The problem is that schools tells kids WHAT they have to read. I used to be a huge reader until I got to the age where schools told us what we had to read and then made us write papers on said books. It completely killed my love of reading and I know it's the case for many others.

The problem is that schools tells kids WHAT they have to read. I used to be a huge reader until I got to the age where schools told us what we had to read and them made us write papers on said books. It completely killed my love of reading and I know it's the case for many others.

Pirate700

you better get yourself used to reading books, even if you get some books outside the ones school makes you read, books you enjoy, because if you don't like reading and you need a video game to make you interest in something you are not getting very far in life

Reading Shakespeare is not something that can easily be reproduced by movies or video games. If anything, I don't think students are reading enough, too many people out there that are ...shall we say, "literary challenged." =PAllicrombie

[QUOTE="Allicrombie"]Reading Shakespeare is not something that can easily be reproduced by movies or video games. If anything, I don't think students are reading enough, too many people out there that are ...shall we say, "literary challenged." =PAljosa23

All I saw there was, "I don't enjoy expanding my horizons. I want to be stuck in a minimalistic learning environment and do what I want. Who cares about gaining greater knowledge and understanding about those who came before us when I don't have to."ferrari2001

This.

But then Pirate also makes a good point:

The problem is that schools tells kids WHAT they have to read. I used to be a huge reader until I got to the age where schools told us what we had to read and then made us write papers on said books. It completely killed my love of reading and I know it's the case for many others.Pirate700

The uninspired and unimaginative way in which schools teach books has most definitely killed many students' enthusiasm for reading.

But TC, the idea of using video games in schools is ridiculous. There is no way that videogames have the education/academic value of books or even films.

I liked probably over half the books I had to read. Frankenstein is one of my favorite books and I only read it because I had to.

I think the best way to do it is to give students a selection of books and then they get to pick whatever they want off of it. That way students and teachers are happy.

I am not bashing you or anything, but you may actually have ADD/ADHD/AADHD or whatever it is called nowadays.

I was the same way in school. If it didn't interest me, I never retained it. It was exactly as you said, "in one ear; out the other". It's mainly because you are thinking about other things other than focusing on what you are reading. I used to be able to read an entire chapter without realizing it and not remember a single line. Once I got on medication to help focus (not talking about ritalin or the crazy addictive meds), I was able to read and retain everything because my mind was no longer wandering off.

It is also something that you have to learn to work with. I dealt with it in school by reading in silence and making sure there were no distractions.

As for your actual question as to why they make you read -- well because you need to read books so you aren't half retarded later on in life. You may read books, but depending on what you are reading it may not help with your vocabulary. Also it helps those kids that don't read at all in their spare time actually learn words. It does a lot more than you think. Unless you are in a college literature class, book assignments are not just about getting a plot out of a story. It's about building your vocabulary, writing skills, and helping you read better later in life.

The uninspired and unimaginative way in which schools teach books has most definitely killed the student enthusiasm for reading.

GreySeal9

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

The uninspired and unimaginative way in which schools teach books has most definitely killed the student enthusiasm for reading.

Pirate700

Never read that one. Going by your description, perhaps that's a good thing. :P

Once we figure out how to directly download information into childrens' brains we'll do that; for now, it's reading. Personally, it is very challenging for me to read a book that is not a textbook or science related (non-fiction). I don't think schools killed my desire to read, though I found it difficult to read some cIassics and Shakespeare for example.

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

The uninspired and unimaginative way in which schools teach books has most definitely killed the student enthusiasm for reading.

GreySeal9

Never read that one. Going by your description, perhaps that's a good thing. :P

Once we figure out how to directly download information into childrens' brains we'll do that; for now, it's reading.

entropyecho

lol, well put.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

The uninspired and unimaginative way in which schools teach books has most definitely killed the student enthusiasm for reading.

Pirate700

I struggled reading that book. I don't think I actually finished it or came anywhere close.

I didn't mind a few books. A Raisin in the Sun, Like Water for Chocolate, The Color Purple. But there were some that I despised. Great Gatsby was a horrendously boring book. A Catcher in the Rye made me want to puke. That was nothing endless babble coming from someone who wanted to pork his sister. Brave New World was just bad.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]I mean, nobody should have to read The Joy Luck Club. Nobody. It's a miracle anyone ever picks up another book on their own again after having to sludge through that majong induced coma.

Pirate700

Never read that one. Going by your description, perhaps that's a good thing. :P

*looks up what majong is*

The game sounds awfully boring, so I'll take your word for it that the book is dire.

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

The uninspired and unimaginative way in which schools teach books has most definitely killed the student enthusiasm for reading.

CarnivaleClown

I struggled reading that book. I don't think I actually finished it or came anywhere close.

I didn't mind a few books. A Raisin in the Sun, Like Water for Chocolate, The Color Purple. But there were some that I despised. Great Gatsby was a horrendously boring book. A Catcher in the Rye made me want to puke. That was nothing endless babble coming from someone who wanted to pork his sister. Brave New World was just bad.

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

The uninspired and unimaginative way in which schools teach books has most definitely killed the student enthusiasm for reading.

CarnivaleClown

I struggled reading that book. I don't think I actually finished it or came anywhere close.

I didn't mind a few books. A Raisin in the Sun, Like Water for Chocolate, The Color Purple. But there were some that I despised. Great Gatsby was a horrendously boring book. A Catcher in the Rye made me want to puke. That was nothing endless babble coming from someone who wanted to pork his sister. Brave New World was just bad.

The problem is that schools tells kids WHAT they have to read. I used to be a huge reader until I got to the age where schools told us what we had to read and then made us write papers on said books. It completely killed my love of reading and I know it's the case for many others.

Pirate700

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

The uninspired and unimaginative way in which schools teach books has most definitely killed the student enthusiasm for reading.

CarnivaleClown

I struggled reading that book. I don't think I actually finished it or came anywhere close.

I didn't mind a few books. A Raisin in the Sun, Like Water for Chocolate, The Color Purple. But there were some that I despised. Great Gatsby was a horrendously boring book. A Catcher in the Rye made me want to puke. That was nothing endless babble coming from someone who wanted to pork his sister. Brave New World was just bad.

All I saw there was, "I don't enjoy expanding my horizons. I want to be stuck in a minimalistic learning environment and do what I want. Who cares about gaining greater knowledge and understanding about those who came before us when I don't have to."ferrari2001

I did bad on quizzes about the Great Gatsby in my senior English class. Why? Because it was so fvcking boring. Same goes for Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies only got interesting at the end, when Piggy got fvcked up by a boulder.

I did bad on quizzes about the Great Gatsby in my senior English class. Why? Because it was so fvcking boring. Same goes for Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies only got interesting at the end, when Piggy got fvcked up by a boulder.

gamerguru100

Why do schools make students read books? The books that are assigned in school are incredibly boring. I have no problem with reading in general and if reading books is a hobby of your that is fine. Its just that the books that schools make students read are so incredibly boring. What makes the "classics" classics? Some of the books that students have to read in school aren't even English. Old English is barely English at all, they feel like completely different languages. I don't see why students can't learn from some other form of media such as movies, television, or video games. All of those each feature sophisticated plots, characters and symbols. As I am sure most of you on this website might agree or feel similarly, I feel like I learn better when I am actually doing rather than listening. When I read the words in a book, it just slips right past me. In one ear and out the other. But when I play a video game and experience what is happening for myself, it clicks in my brain and I don't just remember it, I learn it. Similarly, when I watch a movie, I see exactly why is happening, so I don't miss any important details.

I understand some people like reading and that some people learn very well from reading, but why can't schools use movies and video games as well to teach students? Or perhaps at the least, video games can be used to supplement teaching. For example, I was playing the Assassin's Creed games at the same time I was learning about the Byzantine Empire in my World History class. Playing through the game and actually climbing the Hagia Sophia and killing the Borgias and exploring the Colisseum, when I learned about all those things in class, I was making connections that really made me more interested in what I was learning, and that helped me learn and do better on the tests. I think schools should implement methods of teaching through video games and movies and put less emphasis on books.

What does everyone else think?

goobertaco45

That's because movies and games have a lot more inaccuracies than books unless it's something cut and dry like these from FSX:

Edit:

In fact, that is why FSX is used in many pilot ground school training.

[QUOTE="gamerguru100"]

I did bad on quizzes about the Great Gatsby in my senior English class. Why? Because it was so fvcking boring. Same goes for Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies only got interesting at the end, when Piggy got fvcked up by a boulder.

Pirate700

Schools make you read classic literature so you can develop your vocabulary, (most people evidently can't tell the difference of they're, their and there) appreciate the art of writing (really, without evolution of literature, let alone art would lead to a culturally stagnant society) and of course learn the structure of good literature and themes and stuff.

I get where you're coming from, it's not as tangible as science or math but imo, society needs literature and its philosophies to move foward as a society, just as much as it needs math and science.

All I saw there was, "I don't enjoy expanding my horizons. I want to be stuck in a minimalistic learning environment and do what I want. Who cares about gaining greater knowledge and understanding about those who came before us when I don't have to."ferrari2001

You need to know how to read if you want to get a better education. If you don't want to get a good education, then just drop out and An hero, or come up with the next best thing.

If you already know how to read, then it'll be a cake walk for you ;).

>Mfw I don't even care if we all got trolled.

Wow, I can't believe the conclusions that some of you jump to so quickly. No, I don't hate learning, no I don't have ADD and no there is nothing wrong with me lol. I am an all honors students and I get mostly A's and a few B's. I just feel like the level of importance they place on reading books is too much. I don't have a problem with a class ciriculum being based around a textbook, because they are organized and well though out. One book that I did like reading was Of Mice and Men. It did have a few nice messages about friendship but other than that I didn't learn anything and I don't feel smarter from having read it. One book I read in class that I absolutely hated was The Oddysey. One of, if not the most boring book I have ever read. I didn't understand a lot of the language and the poem format confused me. I could read a page 5 times and still not understand what just happened. However, I got an A on the test and I got an A on the essay. The teacher went over all the important symbols and events in class and what I still did not understand I looked up on Sparknotes. According to my grades, I mastered the book because I got an A (or for you nit pickers, I nearly mastered it because I didn't get an A+). Despite nearly mastering it, I haven't learned anything from the book. I learn things from math, from science, from foreign language, and from history, and from pretty much every other class. But still, I haven't learned anything from English, and I don't even know what the whole point of the class is.

I don't see why we can't watch a portion of a movie and then write a paper discussing what might happen next or write a paper discussing the important of a symbol or allusion in the movie. I don't see why we can't play a game and then write a paper disccusing the development of a character throughout the plot.

I kinda liked having a very broad education, but sometimes I wish I was able to "specialize" my learning earlier on in high school. I always loved math and science and knew I was going to be doing it one way or another. I felt a little behind European or Asian classmates in college and Grad school. It worked out okay in the end though.

I am surprised no one else said it yet, reading is fundemental. There are books that have reached critical acclaim over the years and have become classic. Usually that is what is required to be read in school. The funny thing is, the plots are all being written in todays books with different characters if you really think about it.

Be glad if you had to read the Joy Luck Club. I remember having to read Adam's Rib, The Scarlet Letter, 1984 (not that bad really, but strange) and I remember having to read MacBeth.

Knowing how to communicate is imperative in whatever you do. Knowing how to read is part of that communication skill that is required of every job you will ever have. Being able to comprehend what is being read is also a must and that is why you are required to write papers on what you read.

There is no way any movie can ever delve into a subject like a book. If you have ever read a book than watch a movie based on it, you will notice large parts of the story is missing in the movie. That's due to the fact that a movie based on Frankenstein would be 12 hours long or more to tell it properly. That type of movie would not be shown in a classroom setting. Watching The Fall of the House of Usher (Poe) was strange, Can you imagine having a movie based on the Scarlet Letter being shown in class, parents already are up in arms about The Catcher in the Rye being required reading nowadays.

Forget about video games. CoD does not have a plot and the only thing required is to kill scores of enemies. Does not make for a good term paper.

I don't see why we can't watch a portion of a movie and then write a paper discussing what might happen next or write a paper discussing the important of a symbol or allusion in the movie. I don't see why we can't play a game and then write a paper disccusing the development of a character throughout the plot.goobertaco45

I get mostly A's and a few B'sgoobertaco45

Forget about video games. CoD does not have a plot and the only thing required is to kill scores of enemies. Does not make for a good term paper.WhiteKnight77

Can you imagine having a movie based on the Scarlet Letter being shown in classWhiteKnight77

goobertaco45

[QUOTE="WhiteKnight77"]Forget about video games. CoD does not have a plot and the only thing required is to kill scores of enemies. Does not make for a good term paper.gamerguru100

OK, how about Uncharted: Drake's Fortune?

[QUOTE="gamerguru100"][QUOTE="WhiteKnight77"]Forget about video games. CoD does not have a plot and the only thing required is to kill scores of enemies. Does not make for a good term paper.WhiteKnight77

OK, how about Uncharted: Drake's Fortune?

I think only an idiot doesn't want to read books outside their primary interest. How the hell will you develop without exposure to other thoughts?LJS9502_basic

I find myself wanting to read the "cIassics" much more now in my spare time.

[QUOTE="WhiteKnight77"]Forget about video games. CoD does not have a plot and the only thing required is to kill scores of enemies. Does not make for a good term paper.gamerguru100

I can't think of any video game with any real academic value tho.

[QUOTE="gamerguru100"][QUOTE="WhiteKnight77"]Forget about video games. CoD does not have a plot and the only thing required is to kill scores of enemies. Does not make for a good term paper.GreySeal9

I can't think of any video game with any real academic value tho.

That was my point.

Cuz books are the new torture :|
Well the ones we dont wanna read.

I can't think of any video game with any real academic value tho.

GreySeal9

Math Rabbit and Reader Rabbit!

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="gamerguru100"] What the f*cking f*ck? :? Do you realize that there are A LOT more video games out there other than CoD? Jesus Christ, dude. WhiteKnight77

I can't think of any video game with any real academic value tho.

That was my point.