Boys and Reading

Boys and Reading by Joan Hamilton

According to a new compilation of data, released by the National Endowment for the Arts, reading is becoming an endangered activity. In recent children's literature review magazines, there has been a great deal of concern about boys becoming non-readers. See School Library Journal article, "Is there Really a Boy Problem?" (http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6472361.html)

The solutions put forth are often to give boys more non-fiction, comic books, and game catalogs and manuals. That seems to be what they want to read, so provide more of it. I would like to respectfully disagree with this solution, espousing instead the ideas and recommendations of Michelle Landsberg in her book Reading for the Love of It (Prentice Hall, 1987). Landsberg agrees that boys as early as kindergarten, first and second grade prefer non-fiction over fiction and are therefore in danger of becoming non-readers. Her solution is not to give them more of what they want to read, but more of what they don't choose to read--fiction. "Read aloud to your boys tons and tons of fiction," she advises. For in order to become a "reader", one must get caught in the "grip of narrative." The most reluctant reader of fiction eventually will succumb to the rewards of good storytelling introduced through routine daily read-alouds. Eventually reading fiction becomes its own reward. Fortunately there is help for the parent or teacher wanting to choose good fiction for boys. Try Jon Scieszka's Web site, Guys Read (http://www.guysread.com/), or ask your school librarian.