How to Help Boys Achieve in English Class
In 2003, the National Assessment on Education Progress revealed that girls outperformed boys on literacy assessments and that this gap amplified as they aged. Evidence of weaker reading and writing skills among boys is a major concern as poor literacy skills can have severe negative effects on performance in other subjects and on students' success later in life. The literacy gender gap has fueled urgency in the academic sector to strategize ways to help boys achieve in the English classroom.
Instructions
-
-
1
Recognize the differences between boys and girls when it comes to reading. According to the Government of Ontario's 2004 guide on improving literacy skills in boys, boys are typically slower readers, and thereby, read less than girls. Girls tend to have a higher comprehension of narrative and expository texts than boys, while boys show stronger abilities at information retrieval literacy tasks. Boys tend to underestimate their reading abilities and devalue reading as an activity. They tend to show less interest in reading as a leisure activity than girls, fuelling the stereotype that boys don't like to read.
-
2
Choose books that appeal to boys' interests. Boys' seeming disinterest in reading doesn't necessarily mean they don't enjoy reading, but rather, that they don't enjoy the reading materials they are presented with in the classroom. Be aware of boys' reading preferences and offer a diverse array of materials that appeal to masculine interests. Boys tend to enjoy books that they can see themselves in and that relate to real-life situations. They typically prefer action fiction rather than emotional novels, mystery, sports fiction, science fiction or fantasy books, series books such as "Harry Potter," as well as atypical materials not commonly found in the classroom, such as comic books.
-
-
3
Let boys select reading materials for the classroom. Most often, students are forced to read materials chosen by the teacher. To improve student motivation, particularly in boys, give them a say in the materials chosen. Create excitement around reading by hosting a book party in which students get to choose the books that are purchased for the classroom and then host a box opening party when the new books arrive.
-
4
Make reading fun. One reason boys may not enjoy reading is that they think it's boring. Encourage students to have fun with reading. This can go a long way to increasing boys' participation in the classroom. Bring life to the story by using body movement and voice, reading aloud with expression. Allow students to role play, using characters from the book to create their own story. Since boys typically enjoy reading materials that relate to real-life situations, assign an analogy drama in which students can enact a story from their own lives that parallels a situation in the text. Correspondence activities in which students write letters or diary entries as the role of various characters can help them to identity with the characters. Having students perform a news broadcast based on events in the story can also be a fun way to engage students in the storyline.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
