Photo by TBC PHOTO
All of you!
In this season of gratitude, I’m especially grateful for thought leaders like Lisa Bloom, and Michael Gurian, that aren’t afraid to delve into the research and then translate the findings into the cry that OUR BOYS ARE IN TROUBLE!
In her recent book: Swagger – 10 Urgent Rules for raising boys in an era of failing schools, mass joblessness and thug culture, Lisa Bloom sounds the alarm loud and clear in many important area as evidenced by her book’s title.
However, the single most important area of influence and impact on our boys is an area where YOU CAN MAKE AN IMMEDIATE DIFFERENCE!
His SCHOOL JOURNEY:
But first, take a look at the facts (and sure, YOU think – and I HOPE – that your boy isn’t one of these but with the stats around 80%…its highly likely that he or some of his friends will be):
1. Boys get expelled from preschool at 5 times the rate of girls.
2. By first grade boys are thinking school isn’t for them. Lisa says, “More kinetic and with shorter attention spans, boys struggle through preschool, kindergarten, and the early grades, where they are held back twice as often as girls.” {emphasis mine}
3. By middle school boys and girls are about even in math and science scores – areas that used to be considered a strength for boys. Girls have traditionally always been better readers. Lisa says, “Overall, girls get better grades, spend more time on homework, and crowd the top of class rankings. Many more girls are in the top 10% of their class by middle school, whereas many boys sink to the bottom. Boys dominate in one area: remedial and special education classes.” {emphasis mine}
4. The academic divide continues to widen in high school. Girls take harder classes, including AP classes, and do better in them. They dominate in all extracurricular activities (except sports). More boys than girls drop out of high school and engage in risky behaviors.
5. And finally, college admissions officers are struggling to figure out how, as Lisa says, “…to avoid having an entering class that is two-thirds or even three-quarters female, which is how it would break down if kids were accepted based on merit alone.”
Now, sure, there are many factors that feed into all of these issues at every age but overarching ALL of those issues there is something that can be done…and it can be done the minute you finish your holiday pie!
PICK UP A BOOK.
You, and you, and you: PICK UP A BOOK and READ. PICK UP A BOOK and TALK ABOUT IT.
Early-on many boys get the message that “school is for girls” and especially that “READING is for girls.” (Sure we have Harry Potter but who was the most voracious reader in the book? Hermoine.)
Boys, especially, don’t like to do something they aren’t good at. And if they don’t see other men and boys struggling to master this craft, they will easily give up. Mike McQueen, a school librarian and blogger at Reading on the Run and Getting Boys to Read was one of those kids that “couldn’t read.” He is now a champion of reading and getting boys to read and a great role model….but he’s in Colorado.
YOU are Where Your Boys ARE… AND YOU can turn the tide for him…
BECAUSE…
1. less reading means less reading comprehension
2. less reading means poor writing and communication skills
3. less reading means he’s less likely to get through assigned texts and attempt extra credit
4. less reading means he’s less likely to explore topics on his own
“Reading is the foundation for nearly all other subjects.”
Lisa concludes, “Educators know that if a boy isn’t reading proficiently by the fourth grade, he’s highly likely to be a high school dropout – a perilous status in today’s economy… Thus, low reading scores are one of the most reliable predictors of whether a student will finish school… And the life of a high school dropout or a young man with only a high school degree isn’t what it used to be. In fact, it’s almost a surefire road to a life of poverty at best and incarceration at worse…”
AFTER PIE (and before pie…and every other day of the year) — Make reading a centerpiece of family time.
This is where DAD enters. Most book activities (bedtime stories, trips to the library, etc. are instigated by mom. Lisa says, “Women read almost twice as many books as men.”
So Dad (and other significant men in your boy’s life) – it’s time to pick up a book, read it, talk about, take your son to the library, book store, book readings, go for a hike and take a book. Read for pleasure, read to find out something…read, read, and then talk about what you’re reading.
Read as if your life and future depends on it — his, most certainly, does.
About the Author: Janet Allison is Founder of Boys Alive! (www.boysalive.com) and Director of the Gurian Parenting Community (www.michaelgurian.com). She is a veteran teacher and author of Boys Alive! Bring Out Their Best! She helps parents and teachers understand gender differences and what boys need to be successful at home, in school, and life!
