am i supposed to be dumb?

Question

see im in 7th grade and at our school we have AR. its a reading program thet we are required to do..and we have colored dotts to represent what level books are in the library at our school.the smarter pplehave darker dotts and the kinda less smart read brighter color dott books.well everybody else in my grade read orange,pink,and yellow.well the school makes me read black,purple,brown,gray,and dark blue...well people say im soo lucky to get to read advanced books but i feel like a freak! my teachers make me go to the highschool library to find books on my level..and i was walking through it and a late class at the highschool and they asked me why i was there and i said "to get a book" amd they said that i was lost and the teacher said that i was supposed to be there so they left me alone but that kinda hurts.i just wanna be normal..but i love to read.i love the harry potter books and im almost dont with pride and prejudice but ne ways is that not normal? just please help me!!

Answer 1

I personally think that AR keeps kids dumb. It doesn't inspire any love for reading.

I know how you feel though. I too thought I was a freak because I liked reading and I read at college level in 5th grade. I didn't feel comfortable with many people unless they were also good readers. When I met my husband who was a huge reader and book collector, I really felt good! We hang out with other readers and together we own 5000 books and have 40% of them autographed!

Just keep reading and I hope you continue to find books interesting.

I have to admit my reading made school easy. High school and college were not that much of a challenge. Be proud of your reading. And look for smart friends!

Answer 2

I had issues like that when I was in elementary school- I think it was when they started that reading program. I had already read the books that were labelled for my "age group reading level". Most of them were about ten pages long, with only a few words. I disliked it because they restricted me to only those books.

Luckily enough, my parents were big readers (still are) and they could see I wanted to read even more. So I ended up working around the books they "assigned" me and reading what I wanted anyway.

I've never felt like I'm abnormal because I read, I presonally think it's a good way to establish good communication skills and expand your vocabulary. If I find words I haven't run across before (mostly in older books) I go look them up.

I'm in highschool right now, and I get weird looks from some people, but I just ignore them. At least I know I'm not going to get in trouble for reading books (I don't read in class unless asked to though- it's always good to pay attention to your teachers).

I've found that being a good reader is valuable and makes learing a whole lot easier.

Don't listen to people who put you down for reading more advanced books than they do (or who read at the same level and are older). It's disconcerting to them to see someone younger than they are reading so much.

In this day and age, being able to read and being literate are both very valuable, employers and colleges enjoy getting employees/students who can read and write well as well as communicate with people. I think the public school's reading program is inefficiant and it doesn't make anyone /want/ to read books unless they were already going to.

It's not abnormal to read well- it's a very good thing. Don't let others get you down, and keep on reading what you like!

Answer 3

Don't you ever think or feel you're a freak or abnormal just because you love to read books way ahead of kids your age. I would have love to have you as a daughter since you're a book lover. Reading stimulates your mind and no matter what your classmates and friends tell you about the kind of books you read, don't ever give in to that kind of peer pressure. Reading books advanced for your age should make you feel proud, not ashamed. It only proves that you have better comprehension than the rest of them.

Even if the majority in your class aren't like you, that doesn't make you abnormal, that doesn't make what you do wrong. Majority doesn't always mean right or good.

What should other people care what kinds of books you read? As long as you don't hurt other people by what you do or say, you're fine.

Keep it up because if you stop because you feel like people think you're a freak, then it will be such a great loss to you.

Chin up, honey. If other people want to stay dumb or intellectually stagnant by not reading, it's their choice. Don't let it be yours.

Answer 4

Well, first off I don't know who (or what) came up with the idea of color-coded dots for books--must've been some kind of Board of Professional Educators. Somehow it painfully reminds me of our whole national security color code system. Anyway, when I was in junior high (or middle or intermediate or whatever term they've come up with for it by now) I was memorizing pi and wanted to be the next T S Eliot; by the time I got to high school I stayed out on the soccer field all day getting high (it was the 70's after all) and dropped out when I was 15. Then after a few years I went to college and had a great time--hanging out with a few brainy types and (much more importantly) a lot of people who weren't, which enabled me to see how everyone has a huge world inside of them (not just the Einsteins). I notice that most everyone else who answered this question seemed to be leaning on the Joys of Reading bit; but there's nothing too joyful about KICK ME signs and getting your head dunked in the toilet in between perusals. People shouldn't romanticize books and reading (after all, Mein Kampf was a book); it's just something else to do in this big wacky world of ours. And everybody wants to fit in--but they want to excel too (it's a longstanding American tradition/dilemma). The weird thing is (and I felt it too) that you're made to feel like a freak doing something like reading, which a school is supposed to be there for in the first place! I don't think there are any easy answers; and a lot of times yeah, the truth is (whatever those in charge might say) that you are supposed to be (or expected to be) dumb--classmates don't want anyone around them getting uppity and teachers don't want to have to put out the extra effort that you might require. Anyway, I hope it helps (assuming that you feel this way too) to know that you're not alone. Hey, if I understood any of this stuff, I'd be sheriff...

Answer 5

No, sweetheart, you are NOT supposed to be dumb. Literacy is a joyous gift! I was once in your place. My mother had to come to the library to sign a form allowing me to borrow material from the adult section. I was in 6th grade then. I have been told by many people that they wish they could read like me. Others might act dumb, thinking it's cool, but it's really tragic. Be who YOU are, not what someone else tells you to be. That's cool. Have you read The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, or Bridge to Terabithia? Keep reading! Some of my most treasured memories involve books. Those who can read well always have a plethora of worlds awaiting them.

Answer 6

It's really great that you can read at a higher reading level, you should be proud. Don't worry about what other people say, if you enjoy reading, keep going. I'm not familiar with you school's system, but it sounds rather silly to me. Read books that are at your own level and enjoy them. You can always look for books at a library other than the one at your school if it really bothers you. I love to read myself and always read above my supposed reading level. Pride and Prejudice is excellent.

Answer 7

In 7th grade I was reading Stephen King, V.C. Andrews, Edgar Allen Poe, Dracula, Wuthering Heights.

We didn't have any kind of reading program that you described, then again this was 15 years ago. lol

I know it can be distressing to not fit in - I never did when it came to reading, I was way above where I should be. But I suck at math so it levels all out for me. :)

I say - be proud that you are above everyone's reading level in your grade. Enjoy the books, and to hell with anyone who makes you feel weird about it.

By the way you should read Jane Eyre next! So good... :)

Answer 8

You're in the hardest period of life right now, IMO. You are not a freak; lots of us read at a higher level than our classmates. Enjoy your reading, and try to remember that middle school is not forever. Be happy with yourself. (In the long run, being well-read will serve you well.)
BTW, people can be smart without being able to read well. You will do better with your classmates if you don't ID the kids reading the easier books as "less smart."

Answer 9

Is it just me, or does this whole "dot" on the books sound like some kind of twisted sociology experiment like they used to do in the 1930s to see if putting "dots" on books will keep some kinds dumb and make others excel by having the teachers "tell" the students what level they are at.

Kind of like that thing that was in the papers recently how back in the 1930s they did an experiment on orphans to see if they could make them stutter and only just recently they sued and won.

I say read whatever you want. If you like to read comics or the little engine that could, do it. If you like Pride and predudice read that. Don't let anyone tell you how to feel. They can only make you feel how you let them.

Also, if my kid was at that school, I would pull him out so fast for that, because who knows what other kind of crap they are pulling at that school. Huh...dots on books?

Answer 10

Hon, I was there myself. Want to know my story like that? I was in honors English - senior year in high school. There was ten times the amount of work that other classes got. I hated it and wanted out so I could have more time for hanging around. I also had a job that my parents wanted me to quit because it was interfering with school work. I worked backstage in a real theatre. I loved it. So the class before my English class was juniors and seniors together ... The other end of the spectrum if you know what I mean. My brother was in that class. Well one day, their class ran long and we had to wait outside. We were reading Beowulf in Middle English, God it was horrible!!

The door finally opens and out comes my brother - fingerpaint all over his face - like a mustache and beard. Turns out his class was ... get this ... fingerpainting while listening to Beatles music. I freaked out. I was busting my tail to read Beowulf in Middle English and my brother is fingerpainting his freakin' face while listening to the Beatles!!

That night I told my parents no more. I had it. My father took me out to dinner alone and told me that he only pushed me because he knew I was capable and one day I would appreciate it.

Well now, 30 years later and the author of 4 novels and reader of about a million novels, who has taught creative writing from ages 6 - college and beyond and taken many a Master Class on writing, I know what he meant.

NO you are not a freak. You are a bright, gifted young woman who needs to be challenged. Sure, it's fine to read Harry Potter. I've done it myself. But you also need the challenges of tough works that make you read for comprehension and think. Read the other stuff too - no harm in that. But don't shut yourself down just because some kid asked you why you were in the High School library. No, don't let it hurt. Let yourself shine. You deserve it! You are not dumb nor do you want to pretend to be just to be status quo. Be YOU. Trust me - one day you will be glad you did. Read whatever you like and don't let some silly high school kids with superiority complexes push you out of the library. Show them up!!! You go girl!! Pax- C

PS My son read at age 2. And anybody who gave him a hard time about it got whacked over the head with his books!!