Sorry it’s a long post today – but it is such an important topic. BOYS CAN BE WILLING READERS. One of the most common request as a teacher/librarian was ...”How Can I get my son to read?” There is no doubt it is harder to get boys to read than girls, but an enthusiastic boy reader is magic to watch. They are infectious! Boys are way more likely to be in remedial reading groups, they often don’t value reading like girls, they tend to learn to read later than girls and they often view reading as a means to acquire information rather than as a recreational activity. So, getting boys to read may be hard, but the rewards are great. THINGS TO KNOW – NB: There will always be exceptions, but generally........ Boys are curious. Boys mature later and tend to love things that are gross or ghoulish. Boys have a wonderful sense of fun. Boys prefer action to emotion. Boys love to laugh and be loud. They like books that involve adventure or mystery. Many like escapism – science fiction, fantasy. Boys like plots that involve trickery – especially if it means outwitting the school bully or a teacher. Many prefer to read non-fiction. Boys need attention grabbing books – often short novels at first until a higher skill is achieved. It is wrong to assume that all boys are reluctant readers, or that they won’t read fiction. I have countless examples to prove this wrong from all the years in my library. So, now that is out of the way – how do we change boys from reluctant to willing readers? • Match the type of book you choose for your son with his own self image – sporty, brave, loud, funny, timid (but wanting to be brave), sensitive • Allow him to choose gross books –don’t worry he will mature one day and not want them any more – but he will be a reader. • Gross suggestions – anything by Andy Griffiths, Horrible Histories, The Twits, Paul Jennings, How to Eat Fried Worms. • Get him involved in a series –Zac Power, Rowan of Rin, Deltora Quest, Eragon, Conspiracy 365, The 39 Clues, Harry Potter, Diary of Wimpy Kid, Captain Underpants, Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, Dragon Rider, Alex Rider, Flat Staney, Percy Jackson – anything with more than one book. Boys take a while to get to know a character so allow him the pleasure of reading about someone he feels like he knows well. • Turn OFFf the sound on the TV, or put on a favourite DVD and put ON the sub-titles. Let him read out loud if he wants to – no matter how annoying it may be – he is reading. Raises the reading levels of boys VERY quickly. • Allow comics, or books with illustrations – especially if they are like cartoons. • Get them to read the instruction manuals. • Definite BOY winners – Holes, The Twits, Brocky’s Bananagram, To the Light (surfing book – fantastic),The Giver + all of the series books above – especially Rowan of Rin. • If you are a bit mean – or desperate – go to the library and get an audio book – Deltora Quest is great or Harry Potter – BUT start at number one in any series. Borrow the book of the same audio CD. Next journey put it on in the car and make absolutely certain that you do not finish the story in the car. Produce the book at your camp site, Grandma’s, holiday house – wherever you are going and I will bet you that your son will want to find out the ending. Maybe take book 2 as well. John Marsden’s “Tomorrow When the War Began” is the best way to make a long journey short. • Make sure you are reading in front of your son, often. Laugh out loud and when he asks what you are laughing at –tell him he can read it for himself. Make sure Dad reads as well – boys mostly have female teachers, Mum helping with homework, lots of female authors etc – they need male role models desperately.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 00:02:05 +0000
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