A mom recently told me that her son LOVES to read at home and HATES to read at school.
Here are 3 reasons for that dramatic (and worrisome) difference:
1. What he likes to read is not considered literature at school.
Schools (and assessments) measure a ‘successful reader’ as one who can read long fiction, respond to questions about character and story development, and compare, contrast, and analyze.
Boys prefer stories that are:
- Action and adventure-oriented more than about personal relationships and character development
- Humor-filled, especially with body parts and body noises. (Dr. Newkirk relates that a male friend once told him, “There’s one thing you have to remember. Farts are always funny.”)[i]
- Fact-based – team statistics, encyclopedias (with lots of pictures), dinosaurs, trucks, guns especially with details about how they work
Comic books, magazines, manuals, how-to books, and graphic novels are just some of the “less” conventional reading materials that boys prefer and schools don’t consider “real” literature.
2. Reading connects boys socially.
Boys like to read books that are recommended to them by other boys. One high school boy (considered a non-reader at school) said he’d read Of Mice and Men every year because his brother had given him the book. A fifth grader stopped reading novels and began reading farm journals – following in his father’s reading-footsteps.[ii]
Boys want to share what they’ve read with each other and often translate this sharing in their writing by incorporating each other in their stories and taking plot details from stories they have read together.
At school, sustained silent reading is torture for boys. Non-readers feel isolated and made to sit still, (though it works well for teachers to keep students silent and in their seats). As an active boy – he’d rather have the real-life adventure than read about it.
At home, boys tend to view reading for pleasure as a feminine endeavor. Research shows that boys more often see their mothers and sisters reading for pleasure than their fathers and brothers. Men are more likely to read to get practical information or to read short texts – magazines and newspapers.
3. Learning to Read / Reading to Learn
From first through third grade, learning to read is the focus. The whole language movement was a debacle for most boys (not that they shouldn’t be read to – and often). But boys need a phonics-based program which systematizes language learning. It is important to remember, too, that boys develop their language capacities later than girls and can be overly stressed by expectations of reading performance too early. (Kindergarten is definitely too early for most boys.)
In fourth grade, a dramatic change happens in the school curriculum that is especially hard for boys. The focus now becomes reading in order to learn. Assignments are focused on comprehension, reflection, comparing and contrasting – all advanced skills that require solid reading skills.
You may see a shift in your boy’s interest in school as the curriculum outpaces his reading ability and he becomes increasingly disinterested in school reading. Keep in mind that boys are less likely than girls to admit they are having difficulty and ask for help.
Interestingly, there has been a correlation between boys who become aggressive and angry in third grade with reading ability. If he can’t read, he is going to feel frustrated, anxious, and angry – and acting out is one way to cope.
The ability to read and write well are the fundamentals of school success. He MUST experience success early and often – and that means engaging him early and often. We must do that by widening literacy choices for him.
Literacy is crucial to your son’s success in school and life. Hear more about Boys and Literacy during the Boys Alive! Online Event: Discover HIS World – Here’s the MAP.
Beginning October 10th, experts from around the world gather to share their wisdom on all-things-boys. Dr. Thomas Newkirk, author of “Misreading Masculinity – Boys, Literacy, and Popular Culture” and Michael Gurian, author of “The Wonder of Boys” are featured speakers.
Register for this free full-access on-line event at www.boysaliveevent.com
[i] Misreading Masculinity, Newkirk.
[ii] Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys. Smith and Wilhelm.
