Reading is widely considered to be the bedrock of literacy, but reports have shown that negative attitudes towards the subject can constrain boys’ reading engagement.
A UK survey of 21,000 young people aged 8-16 found that boys are more likely than girls to consider those who enjoy reading as “boring” and a “geek”.
According to Laura Scholes, a research fellow who works for the Australian Research Council’s School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education at Queensland University of Technology, the issue is complex.
“This attitude is believed to be related to deep-seated cultural issues that lead many boys to believe reading is feminine and ‘uncool’,” Scholes wrote in The Conversation.
“Reluctance to read then translates into less time reading and lower achievement.”
However, reports show the same is not true of girls. OECD data has found that female students in Australia consistently outperform boys in reading – a gap that is also evident across NAPLAN results.
Margaret Kristin Merga, a senior lecturer in education at Curtin University, said recent research shows that even though boys read less frequently than girls, girls receive more encouragement to read from their parents.
So how can parents and educators help bridge the gap for boys’ literacy? In an article published in The Conversation, Merga shared six strategies for connecting boys with books and increasing their reading engagement:
- Just as your interests and views are not identical to all those of the same age and gender, boys have diverse interests and tastes. These don’t necessarily stay static over time. To match them with reading material they’re really interested in, initiate regular discussions about reading for pleasure, in order to keep up with their interests
- Schools should provide access to libraries during class time throughout the years of schooling. Girls may be more likely to visit a library in their free time than boys, and as children move through the years of schooling they may receive less access to libraries during class time, curtailing boys’ access to books. Access to books is essential to promote reading
- Keep reading to and with boys for as long as possible, as many boys find it enjoyable and beneficial beyond the early years
- Provide opportunities and expectations for silent reading at home and at school, despite competing demands on time
- Keep paper books available. Boys who are daily readers are even less likely to choose to read on screens than girls. The assumption that boys prefer to read on screens is not supported by research
- Promote reading as an enjoyable and acceptable pastime by being a great role model. Let your children or students see you read for pleasure.
This article, which originally appeared in The Conversation, has been edited for length.