How do you get boys to read more books? Studies have shown that boys consistent lag girls in developing literary skills like reading and writing. The results are so alarming that some developed countries (Canada, US, New Zealand and the UK) have started literacy programs for boys (the way we have STEM programs for girls).
Why does the disparity exist?
The research says:
- Boys take longer to learn to read than girls do.
- Girls talk more than boys per day and start at an earlier age.
- Boys read less than girls read
- Girls tend to do better on comprehension than boys do.
- Boys value reading as an activity less.
This differences affect how boys learn as well. They tend to be action oriented and competitive which works against them in classrooms. In fact, there’s a growing number of educators advocating for single sex classes for language subjects because it seems boys learn faster when with other boys.
So what can you do as a parent to build a reading habit in your son?
According to the PIRLS (Progress In International Reading Literacy Study) who’ve conducted studies in over 80 countries globally, good readers share the same traits.
Current Selection of Favourite Books.
1. A home that’s conducive to reading.
This means: books on different subjects, bright, well lit spaces to read, more digital devices at home (surprise!) and parents who like to read.
How We Practice This?
We don’t have a reading corner per se (yet!) but the boys see us reading often lounging on the sofa, or lying on the rug. We have a wall-tall shelf of books and even more books in their room. Yes, we have iPads, PCs and phones but honestly, we limit access to digital devices. I might do a bit more research on how I can use devices to encourage reading. Most importantly, we like to read. True story: I was at the salon recently and I was on my phone. After a few minutes, I reached for the book in my bag. The lady doing my pedicure laughed and said, “Ehen, madam. I was wondering if you didn’t bring a book today.” I always take a book to the salon. Always.
2. Parents who engage them in early literacy activities.
Examples include: reading, talking, singing, telling them stories and teaching them to write the alphabet letters. It’s interesting that they single out parents as the ones responsible for these activities. So even though their nursery teachers might be doing some of this, the most important person is you, the parent.
How We Practice This?
Every time I’m driving somewhere with the boys, we’re either talking or singing along to a nursery rhyme album. I make up stories about natural phenomena. E.g. Thunder is the sound of a little boy beating drums in Heaven. Every evening, I try to read for 15 minutes with them before dinner and another 15 minutes just before bed.
3. Pre-primary education of 3 years or more.
They found that children who read better on the average had 3 or more years of pre-primary education (kindergarten, Montessori etc.). This was linked to the fact that they’d have been more exposed to books and story-telling in pre-school.
How We Practice This?
We had our boys in creche from infancy and right now, at age 1 and 2.5 they’re both in Montessori. Daily story time has been a part of their life all this while. If your child is being cared for at home, then the primary caregiver can introduce short bursts of reading and story-telling. The good thing is that even if the carer at home can’t read, everyone can tell stories. So ask the nanny to tell stories, even from her culture! That’ll be a good introduction to local folktales.
4. Attending a good school.
A good school means one that’s well resourced with a healthy teacher-student ratio, where more children had early reading/writing skills by age 5 and where there were no shortages of books.
How We Practice This?
We’re not yet at the stage of picking schools but one thing I like about the boys’ Montessori school is the number of adult carers. Alvaro and Daniel are in the same class so they have a Directress, an Assistant Directress and 3 to 4 carers. The class size is about 12, at my last count. And this class has a lot of books on the shelf. So when you’re picking a school for your little one, be sure to check out the ratio and books.
Reading one of our favourite books. He was showing me Cinderella.
5. Reading instruction was a high priority in school.
Best practice showed at least 27% of time devoted to language instruction and 18% devoted specifically to reading. The schools had a library and weekly computer use.
How we practice this?
I know the boys get some language instruction in school but I try to supplement at home with reading time and story time and frequent conversations on any and everything in this world.
6. Children aren’t tired or hungry in school.
This means a balanced diet and a decent bed-time. The best time to start this habit is when they’re young. I think diet and sleep deserve a whole other blog post. Lol.
7. They were confident in their reading abilities.
Children who showed up as good readers weren’t afraid to make mistakes. They also enjoyed the material they were reading and so they enjoyed reading.
How We Practice This?
Sometimes, I switch roles and have Daniel read me the story. He can’t read the words yet but he knows the story line, and based on the pictures, he usually does a decent job recounting the whole thing. I let him know that there are no right or wrong answers and it makes him feel quite accomplished. He has his favourite books. Right now, it’s Marianne Dubuc’s beautifully illustrated, “The Lion and the Bird.” Alvaro loves this book as well but loves the tactile books more, especially Usborne’s Touchy-Feely series. As they get older, their tastes will evolve. The important thing is to be open to it. Nat Geo magazines are also reading materials, parents. So are comics. Not every child has to read Dickens.
The Lion & The Bird.
And the final result from the study:
Girls led boys by a significant gap in 48 of the 50 countries. Boys did not lead in any countries. This gap has existed since 2001 and doesn’t appear to be closing.
Considering that Nigeria wasn’t among the countries sampled, one can only imagine what the gap between girls and boys will be. We have a duty to raise the next generation of men. Nature abhors a vacuum and if we don’t fill the minds of boys with ideas that elevate their thinking, if we don’t expose them to the rigours of thought that can only come within the pages of a book, we are setting up an entire generation of men to fail. The US, with all its claims to being a developed world, has a chronic shortage of 500,000 millennial men in the workplace. They aren’t dead, they aren’t missing. They’re simply not working. They’re not interested in working. They are not qualified to work. Let that sink in.
Fathers have a very important role to play in raising male literacy by being role models and advocates. A boy who grows up seeing his father glued to his phone isn’t going to value sitting down with a book. Mothers can try hard to build a reading culture but in the end, boys will look to their fathers for cues. Are you sending the right cues, Dad?
