Boys Hooked on Books

Despite claims to the contrary, children and teenagers still like to read, and are reading a lot (Krashen, 2001; Krashen and Von Sprecken, 2002), which is undoubtedly due to the phenomenally high quality of literature available.

It appears to be very easy to get children interested in reading, and the best way is the most obvious: Exposure to good books. Jim Trelease has done a heroic job in informing the public about reading aloud to children (Trelease, 2001).

Trelease also has suggested that one very positive reading experience can create a reader, one "home run" book experience (Trelease, 2001).

My colleagues and I confirmed that Trelease's idea was right: We found that more than half of the middle school children we interviewed agreed that there was one book that started them off reading (Von Sprecken and Krashen, 2000; Von Sprecken, Kim, and Krashen, 2000; Ujiie and Krashen, 2002).

We know that the more children read, the better their literacy development (research reviewed in Krashen, 2004)..

There is now overwhelming research showing that free voluntary reading is the primary source of our reading ability, our writing style, much of our vocabulary and spelling knowledge, and our ability to handle complex grammatical constructions (research reviewed in Krashen, 2004)..

It has also been confirmed that those who read more know more: They know more about history, literature, and even have more "practical knowledge" (research reviewed in Krashen, 2004).

In March 2005, the then Department for Children, Schools and Families released the following information:

• Boys' performance is lower than girls' in all literacy related tasks and tests in England. 

• Four decades ago, girls were doing better than boys in the 11-plus examination, requiring education administrators to set a lower cut off point for boys to ensure equal numbers of each gender went on to grammar schools.

• Three-quarters of mothers read with their children but only half of fathers do so.

• Girls do better in every area of learning before they are five.

1.It's the most important thing you can do to help you child succeed.

Research evidence shows that your involvement in your child's reading and learning is more important than anything else in helping them to fulfil their potential.

2.Books contain new words that will help build your child's language and understanding.

Children who are familiar with books and stories before they start school are better prepared to cope with the demands of formal literacy teaching.

3.Reading together is fun and helps build relationships.

4.The impact lasts a lifetime. Readers are more confident and have greater job opportunities.

5.

Children learn by example, so if they see you reading, they are likely to want to join in.

Reading with children, or talking about what they have read, is a wonderful way to show that it is an important and valued way to spend free time.

Dads can support children by...• talking to them about the world around them• encouraging them to chat and to listen to other points of view• setting aside a specific time each day for shared reading (e.g.

bedtime)• singing songs they are familiar with• taking them to the library• reading with them and talking about the story and pictures• discussing how their heroes might use reading• showing them how reading can help them find out about their

hobbies and interests• playing word games

• involving them with your reading interests

0 - 3 years

1. It's never too early to start sharing stories. Point out the pictures and encourage your baby to babble.

2. Your baby will love the sound of your voice. Find a quiet place to enjoy a story.

3. It's good to share favourite stories again and again. Repeating phrases helps build children's language.

4. Introduce your child to a wide variety of books. Books come in all shapes and sizes - squashy books, books which make noises, books with 'touchy feely' bits.

5. If your child shows no interest in a book which you are keen to share, don't push it. Try it out again in a few months. Very small children don't always follow a story easily so it may be that you simply spend time looking at a single picture.

Make a scrapbook about your child full of pictures and words. Read the words with your child and get them to say what else should be in their story.

In 2000, Professor Barrie Wade and Dr Maggie Moore published Baby Power: Give your child real learning power (Egmont) for all parents, relatives and carers who want to introduce pre-school children to books but are not sure how. It included the following advice: Do Don't• Make it fun for both you and the baby and praise him or her ? • Worry if the baby chews the books (even library books)• Talk about the book and its pictures even if you think your baby

doesn't understand ? • Expect too much of your baby or criticise• Let your baby hold and handle the book and turn the pages ? • Be disappointed if your baby isn't interested - try again later• Take your baby to the library and let your baby choose the books ? • Have the television on at the same time because it's distracting• Read a book lots of times because your baby won't get bored ? • Feel guilty about taking time out to read to your baby

3 - 5 years old

1. Let your children pretend to read. If your child is familiar with books, they'll get on better when they start school.

2. Help your child to join in. Let them turn pages and guess what happens next. Follow the words with your finger, point out pictures and talk together about the story.

3. Use funny voices, toys and actions to make the characters come alive.

4. Young children can get bored quickly, so little and often is best. A good ten minutes is better than a difficult half-hour.

5. Choosing books to read together can be fun. Don't object if your child wants the same book again and again - if they keep going back to a book it is because they are getting something from it.

Play the nonsense game. Cut out pictures from catalogues or magazines of objects that all begin with the same letter, plus a few that don't. Write down the names of the objects and get your child to match the picture to the name. Can they make a nonsense sentence with their words?

Reading advice for families of primary school age children

5 - 8 years old1.Encourage your child to read to you. Follow the words with your finger and sound out the words (c-a-t: cat).

2.Be positive. Praise your child for trying hard at their reading. It's all right to make mistakes.

3.It's not just books. Point out all the words around you: labels on food, street signs, etc.

4.Keep in touch with your child's school and ask their teacher for suggestions on how you can help with reading and writing.

5.Read yourself. Set a good example by reading for pleasure and talking about the reading you do at work and home.Find your family's top five reads. Ask everyone in your family to name their favourite reads - it could be a book, magazine, comic or newspaper. Involve grandparents, cousins etc. And see if the neighbours agree.

Reading advice for families of primary school age children

9 - 11 years old 1.Encourage independent reading but remember, children will still love a bedtime story.

2.

Help your child to read aloud with expression so the story comes to life. This will help them read more fluently.

3.Don't worry if your child reads newspapers, magazines, comics and the internet as well as books.

4.

Discuss reading. Ask your son or daughter about what's interested them in anything they've read recently

5.Read yourself. Set a good example by reading for pleasure and talking about the reading you do at work and home.

Download A4 advice sheets

• An increasing volume of evidence indicates that genderis a signifi cant factor in both choice of reading materialsand reading achievement for boys and girls.• Boys typically score lower than girls on standardised testsin the language arts.• Boys are more likely than girls to be placed in specialeducation programmes.• Boys are less likely than girls to go to university.• Dropout rates are higher for boys than for girls.

Internationally:Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS):The PIRLS assessment conducted in 2001 revealed that Grade 4 girls performedbetter than boys in all thirty-four countries where the assessment wasadministered, including Canada, where two Canadian provinces, Ontarioand Quebec, participated in the study. (Wales was not included in this study.)Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA):The results of the PISA assessment conducted in 2006 show that girls performedbetter than boys on the reading test in all countries although in Wales thisdifference was not as large as in most other countries.

With respect to achievement:• Boys take longer to learn to read than girls do.• Boys read less than girls.• Girls tend to comprehend narrative texts and most expository texts signifi cantlybetter than boys do.• Boys tend to be better at information retrieval and work-related literacy tasksthan girls are.With respect to attitude:• Boys generally provide lower estimations of their reading abilities

than girls do.• Boys value reading as an activity less than girls do.• Boys have much less interest in leisure reading than girls do, and are far morelikely to read for utilitarian purposes than girls are.• Signifi cantly more boys than girls declare themselves to be non-readers.• Boys … express less enthusiasm for reading than girls do.(Smith and Wilhelm, 2002, p. 10)

Quick factsBoys like to read:• books that refl ect their image of themselves - what they aspireto be and to do;• books that make them laugh and that appeal to their senseof mischief;• fi ction, but preferably fi ction that focuses on action morethan on emotions;• books in series, such as the Harry Potter series, which seemto provide boys with a sense of comfort and familiarity;• science fi ction or fantasy (many boys are passionate aboutthese genres);• newspapers, magazines, comic books, and instruction manuals -materials that are often not available in the classroom.Interestingly, when they read these materials, many boysdo not consider themselves to be reading at all, preciselybecause these materials are not valued at school.(Moloney, 2002)

“A good book for a boy is one he wantsto read.”(Moloney, 2002)

Myra Barrs has written that:“reading is something you do with your whole self … We havecome to understand much more about the role of the readerin reading, the way in which different readers bring differentthings to texts and all readers bring themselves (in fact, inJames Britton’s words, ‘We read ourselves.’). The most basic andobvious aspect of themselves that they bring is their identityas a man or woman, a black or white person, a person from

a particular social background or class - their social identity.They read books seeking themselves in books - and if they canfi nd no refl ection at all of themselves or the world they knowin the book, they may not continue with the book.”(Barrs, 1999, p. 3)

Michael Smith and Jeffrey Wilhelm suggest providing boys withtexts that:• are “storied”, using a narrative approach that focuses moreon plot and action than on description;• are visual, such as movies and cartoons, providinga multimedia experience;• are musical, providing the opportunity to develop literacyskills through an exploration of lyrics and discussions aboutmusical tastes, the role of music in students’ lives, and so on;• provide “exportable knowledge” - that is, information boyscan use in conversation, such as headlines, football scores, jokes,“cool parts” of books or movies;• sustain engagement, such as series books or collections thatallow readers to “see what’s up” with characters they have cometo care about;• show multiple perspectives, exploring topics from a varietyof points of view;• are novel or unexpected in a school setting, such as satire;• are edgy or controversial - worth arguing and caring about;• contain powerful or positive ideas that have political,moral, or “life-expanding” appeal;• are funny, appealing to boys’ taste for humour.(Smith and Wilhelm, 2002, pp. 150-157)

Make reading fun, make it engaging!• Read aloud with expression, so pupils can hear how a capableand fl uent reader sounds.• Have fun, by using your voice and body to bring thestory alive.• Use visuals, such as illustrated texts, where appropriate,to help pupils construct meaning.• Provide props and link the texts you’re reading to realworldobjects.• Remember the Web, using it to fi nd texts that require pupilsto think, analyse, and discuss.• Involve boys by creating a “boys only” zone in the libraryand by encouraging boys to recommend their favourite texts

to others.• Plan personal reading time for pupils, in regularly scheduledblocks of time every day.(Braxton, 2003, p. 43)

David Booth (2002) identifi es several factors that enhance boys’ literacydevelopment. Literature circles can meet each of the needs he describes,as follows:• Boys need to be given choice in and ownership of their reading.Literature circles give boys opportunities to select what they will read.The small group structure of a literature circle encourages group membersto take ownership of what they read.• Book selection for boys should refl ect their interests, backgrounds,and abilities.The selection of texts offered to pupils for literature circles should refl ect theirinterests and should include a variety of genres, both fi ction and non-fi ction.• Boys need occasions for talking to others in meaningful ways aboutwhat they have read.The small-group discussion format of literature circles provides a nurturing andsupportive environment for both peers and teacher, and encourages meaningfultalk about the text being read.• Boys who are reluctant readers need to have successful readingexperiences.Literature circles often involve mixed-ability grouping, providing boys withthe support they need to focus on the “big ideas”, as well as on the wordsand the structure of the texts.

Ages 5-8

Lousy Rotten Stinkin Grapes, by Margie Palatine, Illustrated by Barry Moser. Hardcover, 32 pages.

Ages 5-8. This is a beautifully illustrated picture book that tells the amusing story of the “clever”

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Fox and the animal friends he gets to help him. The Fox sees bunches of juicy, luscious grapes hanging from a tree, and wants to eat them. But, he can not reach them. He calls over his animal friends to help him reach the grapes. The clever Fox knows exactly how to get the grapes by climbing on the backs of his animal friends. They keep trying to tell him there is a simpler way, but he is much too smart to listen to them! The storytelling is amusing and clever, with a funny ending. A great read aloud for young readers. In Stock. $15.95   Add to CCNow Cart

Spiderman: Clash with the Rhino, by Jennifer Christie. 24 pages. Ages 5-8. Presented in colorful

comic book style, this Spiderman tale is a gr

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eat way to get your son hooked on reading. Action packed illustrations bring the clash between Spiderman and the hulking Rhino to life. Great for beginning readers. In stock. $3.99. Add to CCNow Cart

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The Great Houdini, by Monica Kulling. Ages 7-8. 48 pgs. This is a captivating story on the remarkable life of Harry Houdini, inventor of the greatest escapes and illusions known to man! Your son will learn of some of Harry's secrets, and his incredible escapes. An accurate and stimulating portrayal of this legend's life. Colorful illustrations will bring Houdini's amazing exploits to life for your son. In stock. $4.99   Add to CCNow Cart

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Three Tales of My Father’s Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett. 256 pages. Ages 6-8. This is the beautiful hardcover edition of the classic Dragons of Blueland Trilogy. The first tale is titled: My Father's Dragon. This is an enchanting fantasy for your son. A young boy goes on an adventure to save a baby flying dragon. He must outsmart a variety of animals, on his way to the island that the baby dragon is imprisoned on. The writing is perfect for boys just starting to read. There’s plenty of action to keep his attention. Your son will easily visualize what’s happening, because of the many drawings in the book. The wondrous adventure continues in tales 2 and 3: Elmer and the Dragon, and The Dragons of Blueland. In stock. $11.50   Add to CCNow Cart

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The Mystery of the Pirate Ghost, by Geoffrey Hayes. 48 pgs. Ages 7-8. Adventure and mystery are combined to provide an engrossing story for early readers. Young Otto and his swashbuckling Uncle encounter a ghost on the pirate cove of Boogle Bay. The colorful illustrations, funny dialogue, and sense of unfolding adventure and mystery will keep your son turning the pages, wanting to find out what happens next. In stock. $3.99. Add to CCNow Cart

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Spiderman vs Electro, by Susan Hill. 32 pages. Ages 5-8. Presented in colorful comic book style, this Spiderman tale is a great way to get your son hooked on reading. Evil Electro wants to control the city’s electric power grid. Action packed illustrations bring the clash between Spiderman and Electro to life. Great for beginning readers. In stock. $3.99 Add to CCNow Cart

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The Magic Tree House, Books #1 - 4. Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, and Pirates Past Noon. By Mary Pope Osbourne. Ages 6-8. Each book is approximately 68 pages. This is a great series of books that will spark your son’s interest in reading. Jack and his sister Annie, discover a magic tree house. It has the power to transport them to other places and times! The first book takes your son back through time, to the age of the dinosaurs. He will be spellbound by the sense of adventure and magic. In stock. $10.85   Add to CCNow Cart

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Wild, Wild Wolves, by Joyce Milton. 48 pages. Ages 5-8. This is an entertaining introduction to the lives of wolves. The author and illustrator provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives these beautiful and wild animals. Your son will enjoy learning about the

raising of the wolf pups and how mom and dad wolf protect and teach their young playful pups to hunt and survive in the beautiful, yet dangerous wilderness. The illustrations add great visual effects, making your son feel like he is part of the wolf family. In stock. $3.99 Add to CCNow Cart

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How to Eat Fried Worms, Thomas Rockwell, 128 pages. Ages 7-10. Ten year old Billy must eat 15 worms in 15 days! The ultimate gross-out! Or he loses a fifty dollar bet, and the ability to buy a cool mini-bike. Boys will love this story. It is entertaining and gross, perfect for young boys! Who knew there were so many ways to prepare and cook worms? Or what they taste like? In addition to the gross out parts, the book does a great job of describing the rivalry between two groups of friends. Boys will enjoy and connect to this story. In stock. $5.99   Add to CCNow Cart

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The Titanic Lost and Found, by Judy Donnelly. 48 pages. Ages 7-8. This is an unusually good book for a young reader. It is entertaining, educational, with vivid illustrations that bring this story of human drama to life. It tells the wrenching and dramatic story of the Titanic, in a simple, sensitive, and engrossing

manner. All of the intriguing aspects of this amazing story mesh together wonderfully. This story should keep your son glued to the pages. In stock. $3.99   Add to CCNow Cart

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The Adventures of Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey. 128 pages. Ages 7-10. If your young son has just one silly bone in his body, he will howl with laughter when he reads this book. It is silly, funny and entertaining for young boys, loaded with funny illustrations throughout the book. He will easily connect with George and Arnold, and the hilarious pranks they usually get away with in school. Until one day, that is, when the mean principal catches them on videotape, and turns them into his own personal servants! Well, George and Arnold outsmart the evil principal, hypnotize him, and turn him into Captain Underpants! This is a great book to spark your son’s interest in reading. In stock. $5.99  Add to CCNow Cart

Dinosaur Days, by Joyce Milton and Richard Roe. 48 pgs. Ages 5-7. An engaging introduction to the pre-historic world of the Dinosaurs! Easy to read and fun for your young son. This book is filled with colorful illustrations, which will make the dinosaur experience really come to life for your son. In stock. $3.99  Add to CCNow Cart

Babe Ruth Saves Baseball, by Frank Murphy. 48 pgs. Ages 6-8. If your son is starting to play ball, he'll love this simple and wonderful story on Ruth, and the impact he had on baseball. In addition to being wowed by Ruth's legendary accomplishments, your son will learn how Ruth helped baseball rebound from the Chicago Black Sox scandal. Filled with colorful illustrations. In stock. $3.99  Add to CCNow Cart

Books for Preschool-K Boys(Read alones and Read-To-Me's)

Suggestions by Michael Sullivan  

   

What's New?     Erik Craddock. “Stone Rabbit” (Series)        B.C. Mambo. (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2009)         Pirate Palooza. (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2009)         Deep Space Disco. (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2009) 

     Tony Abbott. “The Secrets of Droon” (Series)  Fantasy The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet. (Scholastic, 1999) Journey to the Volcano Palace . (Scholastic, 1999) The Mysterious Island. (Scholastic, 1999) City in the Clouds. (Scholastic, 1999) The Great Ice Battle. (Scholastic, 1999)   The Sleeping Giant of Goll. (Scholastic, 2000) Into the Land of the Lost. (Scholastic, 2000) The Golden Wasp. (Scholastic, 2000) Tower of the Elf King. (Scholastic, 2000)   Quest for the Queen. (Scholastic, 2000) The Hawk Bandits of Tarkoom. (Scholastic, 2001) Under the Serpent Sea. (Scholastic, 2001) The Mask of Maliban. (Scholastic, 2001) Voyage of the Jaffa Wind. (Scholastic, 2002) The Moon Scroll. (Scholastic, 2002) The Knights of Silversnow. (Scholastic, 2002) The Dream Thief. (Scholastic, 2003) Search for the Dragon Ship. (Scholastic, 2003) The Coiled Viper. (Scholastic, 2003) The Ice Caves of Krog. (Scholastic, 2003) Flight of the Genie. (Scholastic, 2004) The Isle of Mists. (Scholastic, 2004) The Fortress of the Treasure Queen. (Scholastic, 2004) The Race to Doobesh. (Scholastic, 2005) The Riddle of Zorfendorf Castle. (Scholastic, 2005) The Moon Dragon. (Scholastic, 2006) In the Shadow of Goll. (Scholastic, 2006) Pirates of the Purple Dawn. (Scholastic, 2007)    Escape from Jabar-loo. (Scholastic, 2007) Queen of Shadowthorn. (Scholastic, 2007) Moon Magic. (Scholastic, 2008) The Treasure of the Orkins. (Scholastic, 2008) Flight of the Blue Serpent. (Scholastic, 2008) In the City of Dreams. (Scholastic, 2009) Crown of Wizards. (Scholastic, 2009) Carolyn Buehner. Superdog: the Heart of a Hero. (HarperCollins, 2003)  Erik Craddock. “Stone Rabbit” (Series): [Graphic Novels]

B.C. Mambo. (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2009) Pirate Palooza. (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2009) Deep Space Disco. (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2009) Lawrence David. “Horace Splattly” (Series): Horace Splattly: The Cupcaked Crusader. (Puffin, 2002) When Second Graders Attack. (Puffin, 2002) The Terror of the Pink Dodo Balloons. (Dutton, 2003) To Catch a Clownosaurus. (Puffin, 2003) The Invasion of Theshag Carpetcreature. (Puffin, 2004) The Most Evil, Friendly Villain Ever. (Puffin, 2004)  Julia Donaldson. The Gruffalo. (Dial, 1999)  Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Laura Stringer. Fold Me a Poem. (Harcourt, 2005)  Robert Gould. "Big Stuff" (Series):  Monster Trucks. (Big Guy Books, 2004) Tractors. (Big Guy Books, 2004) Big Rigs. (Big Guy Books, 2004) Giant Earthmovers. (Big Guy Books, 2004) Rescue Vehicles. (Big Guy Books, 2005) Racers. (Big Guy Books, 2005) Sea Creatures. (Big Guy Books, 2005) Dinosaurs. (Big Guy Books, 2005)Marty Kelley. The Rules. (Knowledge Unlimitted, 2000) Marty Kelley. Twelve Terrible Things. (Tricycle Press, 2008) Kathleen Kudlinski. Boy Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs. (Dutton, 2005)  David Martin. Piggy and Dad Go Fishing. (Candlewick, 2005) Kate McMullan. I Stink! (Joanna Cotler, 2002) Mary Elise Monsell. Underwear! (Albert Whitman, 1988) Dav Pilkey. Kat Kong. (Harcourt, 1993) Dav Pilkey. Dogzilla. (Harcourt, 1993) Dav Pilkey. Dog Breath: The Horrible Trouble With Hally Tosis. (Blue Sky Press, 1994)  Louis Sachar. " Wayside School " (Series) Sideways Stories from Wayside School . (HarperCollins, 1978) Wayside School is Falling Down. (HarperCollins, 1989)

Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School . (HarperCollins, 1989) More Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School . (HarperCollins, 1994) Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger. (HarperCollins, 1995) Jon Scieszka. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. (Viking, 1993) Jon Scieszka. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. (Viking Kestral, 1989) David Shannon. No, David! (Scholastic, 1998) Judy Sierra, pictures by Stephen Gammell. The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School. (Simon & Schuster, 2007)  Marilyn Singer. What Stinks? (Darby Creek , 2006)   Erik John Slangerup. Dirt Boy. (Sagebrush, 2003) David Wiesner. Sector 7. (Houghton Mifflin, 1999) David Wiesner. The Three Pigs. (Clarion, 2001) David Wiesner. Tuesday. (Clarion, 1991)

 Books About Boys and ReadingAlison M. G. Follos. Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits and Books that Rock! Libraries Unlimitted, 2006.Michael Gurian. Boys and Girls Learn Differently!: A Guide for Teachers and Parents. Jossey-Basse, 2001.Stephen Krashen. The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. Libraries Unlimitted, 2004.Thomas Newkirk. Misreading Masculinity: Boys, Literacy, and Popular Culture. Heinemann, 2002.Daniel Pennac. Better Than Life. Stenhouse, 1999.Leonard Sax. Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. Doubleday, 2005.Michael W. Smith, Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Reading Don't Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men. Heinemann, 2002.Michael Sullivan. Connecting Boys With Books: What Libraries Can Do. ALA Editions, 2003.Michael Sullivan. Connecting Boys With Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap. ALA Editions, 2009.

Tips for encouraging your boy to read:

5 Suggestions from Michael Sullivan Guys Read

   Also, see the Seattle Times Article by Jerry Large, "Teaching Boys the Joy of Books." (March 11, 2004) 

Take it easy: 

Becoming a reader has little to do with reading difficult books and everything to do with the amount of reading a boy does. So let your boy choose books that are below, even well below his reading level. If your son chooses books that are very easy, he may be feeling unsure of his abilities and is looking for some reassurance that he can read and enjoy it. This is called regression, and it is perfectly normal. What you don't want to happen is for him to give up on reading altogether for any amount of time; it may be very hard to get him reading again.

 

Let him choose: 

As much as possible, let your son choose the books he wants to read for pleasure, it will fight the impression that reading is a chore that is imposed on him. He might choose the same types of books (even the same books) over and over again. He is showing signs of regression (see above). He might choose books that make you crazy: books that center on action and even violence, books that are gross and humor that is edgy. He is testing the limits of his freedom and your forbearance. This too is perfectly normal. Try to remember that he is exposed to these types of things from the media all the time, and that he will deal with such things better in context, that is, in a book.

 

Read with him: 

Reading is hard for many boys, but stories are still appealing. Share the reading, so he only has to do half the work. If the reading is too hard but the story is too good, just read it to him. Listening to things being read encourages boys to read.

 

Model good reading: 

Even when you are not reading with your son, make sure he sees you read, especially you fathers out there! We men have been trained to read in isolation, either because that is natural for the women who educated us, or because we felt

uncomfortable being seen reading. Break the cycle! Read in front of boys, yours or anyone else's. If you can't bring yourself to read, at least prop yourself up in plain view of as many boys as possible with a book in your hands and daydream or nap or whatever. Boys need to see men with books.

 

Show respect for mental activities: 

Reading is just part of a rich life of the mind. Show the same respect for that world as you do for the more physical world (sports, outdoors, etc.). Involve yourself and your son in library and school activities, chess and other challenging mental games, crossword puzzles, and the like. The mind needs to be exercised just like the muscles.

   

                              Last Updated 09/02/2009

A lot of boys are having trouble reading.• The U.S. Department of Education reading tests for the

last 30 years show boys scoring worse than girls in every age group, every year.

• Eighth grade boys are 50 percent more likely to be held back than girls.

• Two-thirds of Special Education Students in high school are boys.

• Overall college enrollment is higher for girls than boys.

Why might boys be having trouble• Biologically, boys are slower to develop than girls and

often struggle with reading and writing skills early on.• The action-oriented, competitive learning style of many

boys works against them learning to read and write• Many books boys are asked to read don’t appeal to them.

They aren’t motivated to want to read.• As a society, we teach boys to suppress feelings. Boys

aren’t practiced and often don’t feel comfortable exploring the emotions and feelings found in fiction.

• Boys don’t have enough positive male role models for literacy. Because the majority of adults involved in kids’ reading are women, boys might not see reading as a masculine activity.

Quick facts