The truth about boys…and how to turn things around
This release from the International Reading Association nicely lays out the problem and the solution:
–By fourth grade, the average boy is two years behind the average girl in reading and writing.
– Boys score significantly lower than girls on the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading and writing assessments.
– Boys make up 70% of special education classes and are four times more likely to have ADHD than girls.
– Boys are 50% more likely to be retained a grade than girls and are three times more likely to be placed in reading/learning disabilities settings.
– Boys around the world score less well than girls in reading and writing and have lower motivation to read and write than their female counterparts.
And now the solutions, as laid out in the new book I’ve promoted here before, Bright Beginnings for Boys, by William Brozo and Debby Zambo:
What can be done? In Bright Beginnings for Boys, Zambo and Brozo say that boys will have great potential as active readers when they
– Are viewed as a resource with unique imaginations, abundant curiosity, and the capacity for self-regulation and sustained attention.
– Become engaged readers because of responsive instruction that is sensitive to the achievement and motivational challenges they face.
– Have print encounters upon entering school that capture their unique and burgeoning male imaginations and build strong literate identities.
– Are exposed to books with positive male characters that serve as both entry points to reading and templates of honorable masculinity.
“As we learn more about gender differences,” Zambo said in a recent interview, “we see that the way many boys are taught to read goes against the way they love to be, which is playful and active.” Repetitive drilling on basic skills can lead to boredom, inattention, and behavior problems. The question teachers ask is, “How can we help boys learn basic skills in a way that is active and motivating for them?”
In their new book, Zambo and Brozo assert that by harnessing young boys’ unique abilities and interests, preschool and elementary-grade teachers can get boys excited about reading and put them on the road to school success. Drawing from extensive research and 30 years of combined experience in classroom, the authors provide perspective on what makes boys tick, how to get boys interested in literacy and learning, and how to get parents and community members involved in boys’ literacy learning.
Tags: Literacy
