[LIT] Weekly Home Reading Homework help

[Heather Poland]

For homework, I have my 8th graders read and have an assignment attached.
This year I'm thinking about changing it a little, but I wanted some ideas
or feedback.
Last year, I required them to read at least 70 pages per week. I left it up
to the students to decided WHEN they would read. That way, people who had
activites on a certain day could read on another. Then, the following
Monday, a 1 page reading reflection was due. It was stressed that this was a
reflection, not a summary. And I gave lots of feedback. This worked out
really well last year and I was happy with it, for the most part.
I suspect, however, that some students weren't finishing books. Just reading
some and reflecting. Which is ok sometimes, but not all the time.

So, I was toying with the idea of having some sort of book project due when
they finished reading their book. I would still include a reflection, but
perhaps some additional items, things they could choose from. I just don't
know exactly how this would look and how do I require a certain amount of
them? Or I could keep doing the reading reflection. Or, maybe even do the
reading reflection for the first semester, and book projects the second
semester?
Any advice?

-- 
- Heather

"The world of books is the most remarkable creation of
man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments
fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out;
new races build others. But in the world of books are
volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet
live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were
written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men
centuries dead." --Clarence Day

"While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little
good evidence exists that there's any educational substance
behind the accountability and testing movement."
—Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds

"When our children fail competency tests the schools lose
funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase
funding. "
—Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate