Getting Boys to Read

Reading is an essential life skill both in work as wella female activity rather than male.
as in school. Numerous studies have shown thatFortunately, we are beginning to understand the
children that read well will do better academicallyproblem and are starting to address the issue.
than children that struggle to read. Because of theEfforts are being made to make reading more
importance of reading significant resources andappealing to boys by seeing reading as any
efforts are spent teaching children to read. Boysactivity that requires a boy to look at words and
are a little slower in developing reading skills thandecode the meaning of the words in way that he
girls and have a tendency to be a little slower incomprehends what the writer intended to
developing language skills than girls on the whole.communicate. This can take the form of how to
However, studies also show that boys seem tomanuals, more boy oriented literature, news
enjoy reading as much as girls do in the earlypapers and other types of written material that
years but that as they approach the ages of 8 todoes not fit the confines of more traditional
11 or 12 they begin to lose interest in reading.literature. Equally encouraging is that when boys
Unless this is corrected, teen boys tend toare allowed to read stuff that they are interested
identify themselves as someone who does notin, they continue to enjoy reading. As long as this
like to read or someone who doesn't read well. Asis identified as reading, boys will identify
a result of this identity they can become resistantthemselves as readers. This enjoyment of reading
to reading and be shortchanged on this valuablefor many translates into a greater appreciation of
skill and enjoyable activity.reading in adulthood with the necessary skill to be
Why do boys begin to lose interest in reading?good readers. What are some tips to get your
What experts seem to be saying is that boysboys to read?
lose interest because of several factors. The1. It's crucial to begin at the beginning, with what
primary reason is the material that we presentyour son loves. "Kids will read when you focus on
them to read. We often present them withwhat they love".
narrative types of books about subjects that are2. Teachers can capture boys' interest by
not particularly interesting to them. Researchassociating the material to be read with their
shows that girls do much better at absorbingexisting knowledge.
reading material that is presented in a narrative3. Rotating reading materials of different genres
form while boys do better at absorbing materialallows boys to see the many types of reading
that is presented in an informational format. Boysmaterials available--not just novels and textbooks,
also seem to be interested in material that isbut also newspapers and magazines, how-to
either more hands on, reading that talks aboutguides, comics, and computer programs--and their
things they can use or do or reading material thatmultiple uses.
talks about activities that they enjoy (of course4. Boys gain confidence in their reading ability
this will vary from boy to boy!) However, this iswhen they read aloud. Frequent interruptions or
not the literature that we as adults often considercorrections undermine this confidence, however.
to be reading and as result we do not present5. Additional time for silent reading promotes the
this type of material to boys to read. Anotherindependent development of skills and the
reason that boys lose interest in reading,enjoyment of reading.
according to experts, is that there are not6. Selection of material is important. Select books
sufficient male modeling of reading. We often seethat are more information based rather than
women reading and curling up with a great booknarrative. The books should also focus on topics
on a cold winter day would most likely be seen asor stories that boys will find interesting.