Boys’ reading problems at core of the boy troubles
This article from the Arizona Republic explores the issue, mostly by relying on the excellent new Bright Beginnings book published by the International Reading 
Association. From the article:
… neuropsychological research into the “hard-wiring” of the brain has tended to show that motor skills, hearing and vision work differently in the young male brain.
MRI scans show that young girls have 11 percent more neurons in brain areas devoted to language than boys, Zambo said; boys do far better focusing on movement, preferring books and teaching techniques that allow them to visualize and use spatial skills - not areas that come into play in the rigorous standardized testing demanded by No Child Left Behind legislation.
“It’s nature and nurture,” Zambo said. “But one thing for teachers to think about is how we teach boys, to help boys cope better instead of failing them or sending them to the back of the room.”
Zambo, Brozo and others advocate using a variety of techniques to lure primary-school boys into the world of reading. Stories - even comic books - with active, male role models grab boys’ attention, they say, as do active, engaging teaching methods.
Tags: Literacy
