Not Such Hard Times: Not Such Hard Times: Getting Boys to Read Getting Boys to Read

Dr. Jim CopeDr. Jim Cope

Dr. Carol HarrellDr. Carol Harrell

Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw State University

Jeff Wilhelm, author of Jeff Wilhelm, author of You Gotta Be the You Gotta Be the Book Book and and Reading Don’t Fix No ChevysReading Don’t Fix No Chevys says that “ . . . boys tend to read less says that “ . . . boys tend to read less than girls, are less motivated to read, than girls, are less motivated to read, spend less time reading, read spend less time reading, read significantly less literature, and significantly less literature, and underachieve in every area of literate underachieve in every area of literate practice (an exception being some areas practice (an exception being some areas of workplace literacy).” of workplace literacy).”

Workplace Literacy:Workplace Literacy: Understanding of and ability to use prose Understanding of and ability to use prose

(such as reports, letters, and equipment (such as reports, letters, and equipment manuals), manuals),

Communicating effectively, Communicating effectively, Understanding of and ability to use Understanding of and ability to use

documents (such as safety instructions, documents (such as safety instructions, assembly directions, maps), assembly directions, maps),

Understanding of and ability to use Understanding of and ability to use numbers by themselves or in charts and numbers by themselves or in charts and tables,tables,

Thinking critically and acting logically to Thinking critically and acting logically to solve problems and make decisions,solve problems and make decisions,

Using computers, technology, tools, and Using computers, technology, tools, and information systems effectively,information systems effectively,

Ability to build and work in teams,Ability to build and work in teams, Positive attitude toward change, andPositive attitude toward change, and Willingness and ability to learn for life. Willingness and ability to learn for life.

(from The Conference Board of Canada) (from The Conference Board of Canada)

If these are the literacies in which boys If these are the literacies in which boys excel, we cannot be surprised to learn excel, we cannot be surprised to learn that secondary boys of all abilities and that secondary boys of all abilities and ethnicities resist school literacy but ethnicities resist school literacy but embrace literacy in their lives outside embrace literacy in their lives outside school—which can be a dilemma for the school—which can be a dilemma for the teacher of English/Language Arts.teacher of English/Language Arts.

Chris Crowe, author of Chris Crowe, author of More than a Game: More than a Game: Sports Literature for Young AdultsSports Literature for Young Adults offers offers several reasons why boys resist what he several reasons why boys resist what he specifically calls “chick books,” but the specifically calls “chick books,” but the reasons can be generalized to include reasons can be generalized to include much of the required reading on the ELA much of the required reading on the ELA booklist.booklist.

First, Crowe says men have trouble First, Crowe says men have trouble distinguishing subtleties and can’t distinguishing subtleties and can’t appreciate the subtle emotions that fill appreciate the subtle emotions that fill some novels. Boys don’t want to sit some novels. Boys don’t want to sit around “drinking tea, nibbling on biscuits, around “drinking tea, nibbling on biscuits, and gossiping about who moved in next and gossiping about who moved in next door, or who might end up marrying door, or who might end up marrying whom.” They aren’t interested in reading whom.” They aren’t interested in reading reflections about emotions or reflections about emotions or relationships—reading that fills a girl’s relationships—reading that fills a girl’s heart with joy. heart with joy.

Second, macho pride is another reason Second, macho pride is another reason boys don’t like reading much of what is boys don’t like reading much of what is assigned. Boys “know society expects assigned. Boys “know society expects [them] to be rough, tough dudes who [them] to be rough, tough dudes who work hard, play hard, and never shed a work hard, play hard, and never shed a tear,” so when we ask them to read tear,” so when we ask them to read Where the Red Fern GrowsWhere the Red Fern Grows, a boy book , a boy book by most definitions, males have a by most definitions, males have a problem because emotion and feeling problem because emotion and feeling define the unraveling of the story.define the unraveling of the story.

By extension, females and reading go togetherBy extension, females and reading go together—mothers and elementary teachers, mostly —mothers and elementary teachers, mostly females, teach boys to read, so boys associate females, teach boys to read, so boys associate reading with girls—another blow to the macho reading with girls—another blow to the macho image so important to young males who are image so important to young males who are learning about themselves during the learning about themselves during the secondary school years.secondary school years.

Crowe also says that boys can be interested in Crowe also says that boys can be interested in reflections or emotions (drama), but they’d reflections or emotions (drama), but they’d rather “read books about guys doing things, rather “read books about guys doing things, macho guy-type things like playing football, macho guy-type things like playing football, surviving in the wilderness, fighting a battle, or surviving in the wilderness, fighting a battle, or taking on a bully.” taking on a bully.”

So, does this “macho” dilemma mean we So, does this “macho” dilemma mean we simply cannot get young men to read simply cannot get young men to read anything but manuals on chainsaw anything but manuals on chainsaw operation? Of course not.operation? Of course not.

Visuals allow young men to make Visuals allow young men to make connections to the real world. They help connections to the real world. They help “boys ‘see’ the virtual world of the text “boys ‘see’ the virtual world of the text and connect it to their lives,” says and connect it to their lives,” says Wilhelm.Wilhelm.

And, when reading fiction, if the purpose is to And, when reading fiction, if the purpose is to determine things like “Who will survive?” and determine things like “Who will survive?” and “What is worth fighting for?” boys are more “What is worth fighting for?” boys are more engaged with the text because these questions engaged with the text because these questions allow boys to “read the fictional texts in a way allow boys to “read the fictional texts in a way that helped them connect what they were that helped them connect what they were reading to real world situations and issues.”reading to real world situations and issues.”

Seeing oneself and one’s concerns in the text Seeing oneself and one’s concerns in the text and finding a way to transfer self and personal and finding a way to transfer self and personal concerns to the real world also helps boys concerns to the real world also helps boys engage with fiction.engage with fiction.

Wilhelm uses Csikszentmihalyi’s definition Wilhelm uses Csikszentmihalyi’s definition of “flow” when describing a positive of “flow” when describing a positive reading experience, which includes a reading experience, which includes a “total immersion in the immediate “total immersion in the immediate experience of reading.” Without the ability experience of reading.” Without the ability to read with flow, reading can only be to read with flow, reading can only be described as a task. And while boys described as a task. And while boys report experiencing flow when reading report experiencing flow when reading outside of school, they don’t experience it outside of school, they don’t experience it in school reading. But, Wilhelm suggests in school reading. But, Wilhelm suggests four ways to create school experiences four ways to create school experiences that will create flow.that will create flow.

1.1. Find Flow through Competence—Start Find Flow through Competence—Start with what they are interested in and with what they are interested in and what they can do. Bridge to more what they can do. Bridge to more complex expectations. YA literature complex expectations. YA literature offers one way to engage this practice.offers one way to engage this practice.

2.2. Use a Wide Variety of Texts—Again, Use a Wide Variety of Texts—Again, YA lit. allows for a variety of texts from YA lit. allows for a variety of texts from which young men can learn the reading which young men can learn the reading strategies, the complexities of different strategies, the complexities of different genres, and content that is required for genres, and content that is required for reading at the next level.reading at the next level.

3.3. Use Inquiry Frameworks—Use inquiry Use Inquiry Frameworks—Use inquiry questions to frame study of text.questions to frame study of text.

4.4. Read to Make and Do Things—Allow Read to Make and Do Things—Allow reading to be a form of inquiry and from reading to be a form of inquiry and from what’s learned in the inquiry, create what’s learned in the inquiry, create something such as a website or a video something such as a website or a video or a service that is usable in the or a service that is usable in the community.community.

Teaching in the ways we always have is Teaching in the ways we always have is safe, but if we aren’t meeting the needs safe, but if we aren’t meeting the needs of our students—if our young men are of our students—if our young men are lost to reading as a result of our lost to reading as a result of our instruction—then we must force instruction—then we must force ourselves to rethink the ways we teach ourselves to rethink the ways we teach so that we teach all of our students.so that we teach all of our students.

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