| Got boys? Ever have a problem with getting | | | | content, try to find books that play out over a |
| them to sit down and read a book? Want to | | | | series. Serializing the volumes allows the building of |
| know the secret to turning them into life-long | | | | an even stronger bond with the young reader. |
| readers? | | | | Simply put, when a child is itching to get his hands |
| As parents, we engage in all kinds of trickery to | | | | on the next book in a series, he is showcasing his |
| get our kids to do the right things. We offer | | | | desire to read. |
| desert only after vegetables have been | | | | Another stealthy tactic I've found effective is |
| consumed. We play "road sign bingo" until they | | | | finding books that include characters of the same |
| learn all the rules of the road many years before | | | | age or just slightly older than the reader. |
| they learn how to drive. We tell them Santa is | | | | Illustrations in books that show their age |
| watching so they're nice to their siblings in the | | | | appropriate characters getting to do things most |
| months leading up to the holidays. | | | | boys can only dream about makes the stories |
| Several years ago, with this kind of positive | | | | more immersible--which leads to greater |
| deception in mind, I set out to turn my two | | | | comprehension. Once again, they're learning more |
| reluctant reader sons into book-loving, reading | | | | effectively without realizing it! |
| all-stars--without them realizing it. That's the | | | | The final, and most all-encompassing element of |
| concept at the heart of stealth literacy: getting | | | | stealth literacy, is to do as much as you can to |
| kids--especially boys--to develop a love of reading | | | | make reading fun and engaging for your kids. |
| without any of the negative stigma they may | | | | That means centering activities around reading |
| have already attached to the process of learning | | | | such as day-trips to the bookstore, visiting |
| how to read. In fact, with stealth literacy, they'll | | | | museums with exhibits relating to your child's |
| be having way too much fun to realize that | | | | favorite book topics, and anything else you can |
| anything of educational value is actually going | | | | imagine to engage him (and keep him engaged) in |
| down. And as they laugh and smile and ask for | | | | reading. Remember, this is trickery with nothing |
| more books, they'll be writing their own ticket to | | | | but the best of intentions. If you tell your son |
| success. | | | | that you're going to sit him down and read a |
| One of the most devastating facts coming out of | | | | book today, well, that will probably garner a |
| our schools today is that boys lag well behind girls | | | | lukewarm reception at best. But if you tell him |
| when it comes to reading skills. The damage to | | | | that he's about to take a magical journey through |
| their self-esteem is enormous, yet mostly | | | | time and space, back into the land of prehistoric |
| overlooked. Playing catch up--especially in the | | | | dinosaurs to meet a T-Rex, them jump into |
| setting of today's overtaxed school systems--is a | | | | medieval times to witness knights and dragons, |
| hard feat to pull off. But I found out that there | | | | and finally wrap the whole thing up with an |
| was some good news. Numerous studies by | | | | adventure into an old pirates cave to discover |
| educational experts have shown that boys | | | | gold and treasure, you've got his attention! |
| respond well to stories that use vibrant, realistic | | | | Stealth literacy is all about finding fantastic content |
| images and photographs to enhance the | | | | that engages the imagination and connects a |
| story-telling. The pictures act as a "gateway" to a | | | | positive experience with reading. If a child finds |
| love of reading. Think of the pictures in the book | | | | books exciting when they are young, they are |
| as the special effects used in the movie industry | | | | going to feel that way about them throughout |
| blockbusters. They hold the viewers' attention and | | | | their lives. A boy or girl who can't get enough of |
| keep them more riveted to what's going on up on | | | | books is going to perform better in school and do |
| screen. | | | | better in life. And there's no trick to that! |
| In addition to books with highly engaging visual | | | | |