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ERIC Number: EJ711698
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Mar-1
Pages: 1
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0362-8930
EISSN: N/A
Priority Male: If We Want Boys to Love Books, It's Important to Recognize What They Want
Jones, Jami
School Library Journal, v51 n3 p37 Mar 2005
It is the recent emphasis on testing that has brought life to this issue once again and has spawned the "New Boys Movement," which focuses on helping boys achieve in reading and writing, Researchers have been studying what makes boys tick. What they've learned is that boys take longer to learn to read than girls; they read less than girls and are more apt to describe themselves as non-readers; and they are more inclined than girls to read informational and nonfiction texts. In addition, boys like to read about their hobbies, sports, and things they might be interested in doing. They especially enjoy humor, science fiction, and fantasy. They prefer to physically act out responses to their reading by making or doing something. For many boys, the typical class discussion about what they've read just doesn't cut it. (See "Why Johnny Won't Read," August 2004, pp. 36-39.) What can librarians do? First, they need to educate themselves about the reading process so they are on equal footing with their colleagues when the talk turns to literacy. Librarians must also network with English/language arts teachers and reading specialists to learn how to implement the solutions described in reading research. The reality is that it's going to take the entire learning community working together to create the type of learning environment that fosters boys who read. It is also going to take collaboration to change a staid and old-fashioned curriculum that has created and sustained this problem. A list of titles is provided for readers who would like to acquire more insight into the topic of boys and reading.
School Library Journal, 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010. Web site: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A