Boys might read more if we give them books they want to read
According to the American Psychological Association (APA): "As early as the fourth grade, girls perform better than boys on standardized tests in reading and writing, and as they get older that achievement gap widens". This gap widens further in eighth and twelfth grades.
In England boys perform less well in reading than girls by an average of nine months of schooling. In the UK, and all countries in the OECD, girls significantly outperformed boys in reading. In short, boys read less than girls, and less well than girls.
Girls appear to be more gifted, certainly in the early days. According to Paula J. Schwanenfulgel, Ph.D., and Nancy Flanagan Knapp, Ph.D., girls have particularly better phonological awareness and letter recognition, and they have an early advantage in verbal fluency and larger vocabularies. This gives a clear advantage to girls, but should it make a significant difference later in life?
“…children assigned to the ‘low group’ in reading often actually have fewer opportunities to read”
The way we teach and group kids in schools has a definite impact on how boys and girls perform. In the same article, Schwanenfulgel and Knapp report that "the constant grouping and comparing of young children that is common in most schools can solidify early disadvantages, in part because children assigned to the “low group” in reading often actually have fewer opportunities to read connected, complex texts and receive more fragmented reading instruction." The early advantages can continue due to the "Matthew effect," which means that reading is self-reinforced. Essentially, early readers tend to read more, thus becoming better at reading, while readers who struggle tend to avoid reading, making matters worse.
The above evidence could suggest that early advantages are not set in stone and that much of the retained advantage is a result of how we teach and group kids as well as the time they devote to reading. To improve the reading level of boys we probably need to get boys to read at least as much as girls.
“…boys often have a harder time adjusting to the behavioral constraints of elementary school, which makes it harder for them to focus on learning”
But is the environment that the average boy learns in as suited to their needs as it is to the needs of the average girl? There appears to be some merit to this question. From the earliest days of life, boys move more than girls. Again, Schwanenfulgel and Knapp report that infant boys show higher levels of physical activity than infant girls and sit and lie still less of the time. "Boys are also, on average, more physically aggressive and less compliant than girls. These differences can affect reading acquisition in two important ways: boys often have a harder time adjusting to the behavioral constraints of elementary school, which makes it harder for them to focus on learning and can negatively impact their attachment to school, and they may also be less eager to read just to please teachers or parents." Most teachers relate to these truths and struggle teaching boys. It has led to boys being labeled 'defunct girls' and is part of the one-size-fits-all way of teaching boys and girls in school, catering to girls.
Schools could be described as highly feminized environments, where elementary (primary) schools are staffed with females at rates approaching 90 percent, including teachers, administrators and assistants. This imbalance doesn’t reduce much as students progress through the tiers, and it is well documented teachers favour girls as model students, who are agreeable and sit still, and they reward them, and punish boy-style, energetic, rambunctious behaviour. In the processes and methods the school’s utilize and endorse, it is obvious that most schools favour girls and punish boys, even giving lower grades to boys, just because they are male.
"…today’s female teachers are schooled in feminist dogma that leaves them resistant to the idea that boys need to be taught in different ways."
And it doesn’t end in the classroom. No more are high-energy games allowed, such as cops and robbers or super-hero imitation games, and tag, kickball and dodgeball. All are being banned for safety reasons (see Chapter 2). Boys’ imaginations and their likes and interests have been marginalised. Is it really any wonder the number of boys who said they didn’t like school increased seventy one percent since 1980 (The Boy Crisis). Consequently, it wouldn’t be shocking to know that boys are punished, suspended and expelled at eight times the rate of girls, and they drop out of school twice as often.
In practice, boys are punished for being boys, are expected to behave and learn like girls and are not taught in a way that is anywhere near appropriate to the ways boys learn best. Poignantly, Mortenson & Whitmire report on the observations that "today’s female teachers are schooled in feminist dogma that leaves them resistant to the idea that boys need to be taught in different ways."
Some of the reasons that boys are less motivated to read are: they see reading as feminine; much of the material is assigned by females with female protagonists and is often relationship-based (loved by girls and female teachers); and there are not enough male mentors or male readers to set an example.
According to a Young Adult Library Services Association national survey, (as reported by Reading Rockets) boys of an average age of 14 listed their top obstacles to reading as:
It is boring/no fun 39.3%
no time/too busy 29.8%
like other activities better 11.1%
can't get into the stories 7.7%
I'm not good at it 4.3%
It is clear that something must change. David Reilly, lead author of 'American Girls Read and Write Better than Boys', wrote: "we need to better tailor our education to meet the needs of boys and really encourage in them early a love not just of reading but also writing.” He goes on to say that "if we give boys the right literature, that appeals to their tastes and interests, and you can quickly see changes in reading attitudes," citing comic books as one example.
Another expert on reading and boys, author of the website Guys Read. He says "Boys of ten have to read books they don't really like. They don't get to choose what they want to read. And what they do like to read, people often tell them is not really reading." He reports that we can help boys read by letting them choose what they want to read; by expanding the definition of reading to include non-fiction, graphic novels, comics and comic strips, humour, magazines, newspapers, online text; by getting boys to recommend reading they like to other boys; and by providing boys male role models for reading at school and home.
“By providing books boys might want to read, there is a genuine chance of inspiring boys to read more”
Four years ago, when researching for my last book, Society Kills Men (2019), I came across Saint Ignatius of Loyalo, founder of the Jesuits and creator their maxim, “Give me the child for the first seven years and I will give you the man.” It hit me that in order to help men, I had to help boys. Through further research I felt compelled to help boys to read, and to feel better about themselves as boys. I wanted to make reading fun and provide an opportunity for boys to bond with other males. I also wanted to teach boys the positives about traditionally masculine traits, believing this would help boys with their sense of male identity, self-esteem and wellbeing. I embarked on a deliberate counter to the prevailing narrative that says masculinity is toxic. And what better way to help young boys read then by publishing illustrated children's books that are written specifically with boys' interests in mind?
I came up with the Brilliant Bob series, with the titles of the seven books highlighting traits associated with masculinity.
— Brilliant Bob is Brave
— Brilliant Bob is Competitive
— Brilliant Bob is Strong
— Brilliant Bob is Curious
— Brilliant Bob Takes a Risk
— Brilliant Bob is Stoic
— Brilliant Bob is Persistent
Essentially, the books strive to be exciting, everyday adventures boys relate to, using stories to explore the usefulness of masculine traits in boys' lives. The Brilliant Bob books aim to teach young boys to appreciate positive morals and traits that I hope will add greatly to their life journeys. And as Jon Scieszka (Guys Read) discovered in his decades of work, having male role models —such as fathers and grandfathers, older brothers, or teachers— reading (my) books to boys might add to the experience for the boy, as well as demonstrating to the boy that men read books.
Surely, boys also deserve to be taught in ways that help boys learn best, and that means recognizing and acting on the differences between boys and girls. By providing books boys might want to read, there is a genuine chance of inspiring boys to read more.
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Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, legal advice, or other professional opinion. Never disregard such advice because of this article or anything else you have read from the Centre for Male Psychology. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of, or are endorsed by, The Centre for Male Psychology, and we cannot be held responsible for these views. Read our full disclaimer here.
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