March+20,+2012+-+HALR+Ch+23+reflection

HALR Chapter 23 – “Boys and Literacy: Complexity and Multiplicity”

The subject of boys and how they relate to reading is always a fascinating one. This chapter states the facts regarding how girls outperform boys on reading and especially writing tests. I have attended a professional development regarding the viewpoint of the biological differences and how the male brain is wired for “symbols, abstractions, diagrams, pictures, and objects moving through space than for the monotony of words” (363). Although at first I thought this viewpoint might be accurate, it didn’t take long to realize that the problem is way more complex than just the biological hard wiring of the male brain. As I read through the chapter, I felt that each section had something relevant to offer. I believe that boys need to see adult males embracing reading. I know firsthand that when one of our well respected male teachers recommends a book, many of the boys will give it a try. Because this teacher is such a positive role model in our school, I believe he has a strong influence on our male students and can portray reading as a masculine behavior. Another motivator is when one of the more confident or popular boys in the class recommends a book, they will also jump on board. However, I noticed that it doesn’t win all the boys over, so there must be more to it. During my two years at Wayne State in the Library Information Science Program, we spent many hours discussing this very problem, and one of the observations we kept coming back to was the lack of young adult books specifically aimed at the interests for male readers. //The Percy Jackson Series// by Rick Riordan is one of the series that has caught the attention of many middle school boys, and I believe it is Riordan’s ability to combine mythology and adventure. The graphic novels have also been a hit with boys. Surprisingly, John Grisham’s novels did not capture their attention. The last point I found significant was that students will try to reach their academic goals if they feel a teacher is genuinely interested in them, and actively assisting them in the learning process. I believe this is pivotal in our students’ success, and as I read through this book the importance in the teacher–student relationship seems to be a major theme. Every week I will have a male student ask me to help them find a book that they will like, and the only way I can know what they like is to really know them and their interests inside and outside of school. That might mean asking their parents to stop at the public library and pick up the book because our school library doesn’t have it. There isn’t one easy solution to this performance gap between boys and girls, but still, there are a few sound suggestions that we can implement in our classes that will have a positive impact on our male students.