Dear Dada,
Did you know that you’re more important than Mama? Wait, Mama! Before you go on strike and refuse to take me to the Mirror Park tonight, let me explain! When reading with me, you, Dada, are more important than Mama.
Shoot.
There she goes.
Well, Dada, this letter is for you anyway. I’ll talk Mama down later. A hug and a kiss and she’s putty in my manipulative toddler hands.
So, Dada, check out these facts and stats:
- Boys are trailing behind girls in reading, according to a 2010 report by the Center on Education Policy, which called this lag, “the most pressing gender-gap issue facing our schools” (www.greatschools.org).
- Last year, only 40 percent of college graduates were male. Many education experts believe this difference is linked to poor reading habits and literacy skills that boys developed in the elementary and middle school (www.greatschools.org).
- The job market has changed. Before, there were employment opportunities for boys who didn’t read or write well. Now, jobs for unskilled workers have been outsourced (www.greatschools.org, Acredolo and Goodwyn 2000).
- Few boys entering school call themselves nonreaders, but by high school more than half do (www.ala.org).
- If reading is perceived as feminized, boys will go to great lengths to avoid it (Smith and Wilheim 2002 in http://www.ala.org and http://www.guysread.com).
These are just a few of the alarming facts that I found about boys and reading. After digesting them, my next question was, “What can be done to encourage boys to read?” That’s where you come in, Dada. Here are some ideas that the experts have suggested:
- Get caught reading. Obviously, children watch everything their parents do, so to cement a reading culture in a family, it’s important for kids to see both parents reading books. But for the best, long-term benefits, boys especially need to catch dads and other male role models reading (www.pbs.org, http://www.forbes.com, http://www.greatschools.org).
- Read aloud. Reading aloud to children starting in infancy helps them learn to love stories, relish the positive, peaceful interaction with you (thus creating a positive link with books), and build a critical foundation for later reading (www.pbs.org, Acredolo and Goodwyn 2000).
- Broaden definition of “reading.” Read more than just picture books with young ones and have more than just chapter books around the house for older boys. Newspapers, websites, magazines (like Highlights and the younger version called High Five), graphic novels, joke books, how-to books, off-color humor books, “gross” books, signs, posters, non-fiction books (Cat in the Hat non-fiction books are a nice alternative to picture books) (www.pbs.org, http://www.ala.org, http://www.greatschools.org).
- Have books available. Lots of books. A huge variety of books. All over the house. And not just stuck on shelves but lying around in plain sight against couches, on tables, and on low bookshelves so covers can be seen (www.greatschools.org, http://www.ala.org). And not just children’s books, but adult books, too.
To be fair, you already do most of these things, Dada. You really are the best Dada in the world. Patient. Kind. Funny. Smart. And almost as handsome as me! Happy Father’s Day!
Love,
Luke
P.S. Should we go find Mama now or wait until she’s finished her bowl of ice cream? Wait? Yeah, that’s probably best….
Sources:
Acredolo, L. and Goodwyn, S. Baby minds: Brain-building games your baby will love. (2000).
Click to access SLMR_WhatWeWant_V10.pdf
http://www.greatschools.org/students/academic-skills/6832-why-so-many-boys-do-not-read.gs
http://www.guysread.com/about/
http://www.pbs.org/parents/best-books-for-boys/6-ways-to-encourage-your-son-to-read.html
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