Comments about ‘Why boys' literacy skills lag behind girls' and how to bridge the reading gap’

I personally believe women are generally more gifted at language, as they tend to use it more than most men. While there are men that enjoy talking, it is far more common to encounter groups and gaggles of cackling geese-women who enjoy it that much more. I think most boys read to accomplish a task, while girls do it more for the enjoyment.

I remember a very manly friend of mine once expressing horror at the very idea of a book club. "What!?" he exclaimed, "You mean you ALL go through all the trouble to read the stupid book, and then after that you want to actually talk about it?" Then he suggested, "Why not have one person read the book, and report to the rest what it was about?"

At least in the past, boys were better and more interested in math, but not as good in language skills. Has this changed?

Maybe there IS an innate difference between boys and girls? And to those that talk about the feminization of schools, let me share this: the vast majority of boys and the vast majority of girls can be easily categorized. Boys are competition driven and girls are collaboration driven. It can easily be seen as boys tend to enjoy sports where girls have dance class or book clubs, for example. The schools have moved to cater more to the girl's form of learning, that is to get into teams and do group projects; everything is about working together. When I was in school, I remember a chart that the teacher put in front of the class that had every child's name and which multiplication tables each child had passed off. Knowing where I stood, drove me in that regard. While reading skills are important, they are also far from the sole measurement of a child's learning. I really don't enjoy reading, but that hasn't stopped me from being successful in school and in my chosen career. Maybe it is time to revisit the tool we are measuring kids with.

As a classroom teacher, I was a little surprised to hear that we have "feminized" our classrooms. We are reaching out to boys more now than ever at my school. We are aware that there are gaps for boys. I feel that using non-fiction for boys, and even comic books will help. But both boys and girls need hands-on experiences to help them make sense out of literature. We blend our own experiences with words to understand what we read. PLEASE take time away from technology, have family experiences, read, go hiking, and talk around the dinner table. These are the things which benefit boys and girls both.

I am a male, and the last time I read a novel was my sophomore year in high school. It was the Count of Monte Cristo. I loved the book, but still hated reading it. I am now a junior in college, so it has been many years since I have read a novel. To be frank, I have always hated reading anything lengthy. All throughout jr high and high school I received low grades in English; not because I was 'bad' at it, but because I just never read the required 900 pages per term (100 per week). I just never had the patience to sit there hours on end reading line after line.

Numbers are what I was/still am interested in. I'm currently and engineering major so that explains why I haven't read a book in years. Now, I do read, a lot. But most of it comes in the form of textbooks and online articles and comment sections. I will admit I am not the best reader, but I think the reason I have disliked reading is it, to me, is a very inefficient way of portraying information.

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When I learn about a mathematic/engineering principle, the numbers tell so much more than meets the eye, and I like that. It's a much more efficient way of presenting information. Numbers just make sense to me. They are concrete and rarely vague. I wish my primary education would have focused more on my strengths than just a breadth of information and subjects. I think the fact that I show up to class and girls are always a minority tells you that mentally we are different. That's not to say females can't be engineers, because they can be great engineers. It just seems that it is more along the lines of what guys like. I don't really know what the point of my post is, other than to point out that some people just don't like reading. But it doesn't mean they're not smart. I hope to enjoy reading more, and that has seemed to be the case as I have gotten a bit older. But numbers/math/science are my forte, and I think I'll work on improving those skills more than my reading skills. It takes all kinds!

The biggest problem with schools is that it's government ran:

* too many layers of administration with its accompanying rules, regulations, paper work, and funding.
* wasted time and money with standardized testing which does little for learning and teaching.
* provides little independent time for children to explore and build curiosity. Too much micro management.
* philosophical ideas shaped by one central power can lead to the loss of independence and freedoms.

Why does the gap need to be bridged? Boys are better at some things (math) and girls are better at others. It actually would be surprising if any two groups of people were exactly as good at everything. We are all different and we all have different talents abilities and interests.

Our son used to say, "I'm not reading that...you can tell it's written by a girl!" And it's true! Non-fiction seems better for boys; there's nothing like an almanac for short bursts of interesting reading that fosters curiosity and the desire to read more. Also, have your boys help you every time you buy something that needs to be put together.They read the directions and help construct the new item. It's a win-win situation. Discovering what interests them and then leaving books and projects around makes all of the difference!