LOL, Ari!
I actually cringed when I read this title, and I'll explain why. DH and I have been fostering the joy of reading in our kids since they were infants. They began to search for books and read on their own without prompting early on. Then the public school started a mandatory summer reading program every year, where they have to log all their books on a chart and compete for prizes, etc.. That took the wind right out of the sails for both my kids.
They didn't like being pressured or having to compete to see who reads the most books. Of course they took part because it was a requirement, but it was a struggle.
As a former teacher I totally understand the reasoning and the merits for such programs. For many kids it is a positive thing, but it squashed my DS's and DD's appetite for reading. Thankfully, this program only goes up to Gr. 3 in our district. My kids are still required to do summer reading, but the pressure to READ, READ, READ as many books as possible isn't there, thank God. My kids like to savor good books, as they should, not rush through them so they can move onto the next quickly.
