Great article in the Wall Street Journal about raising boys who read

[hlee]

Take a look at this article about the troubles today in getting boys to read. I especially like the ending of the article and what it says about homeschooled kids!

 

http://on.wsj.com/dfg36Z

 

Enjoy!

[dirty ethel rackham]

Thanks for posting this. I have long suspected the the evil glowing box was a culprit in low achievement.

[jonnia]

I'm sharing this with everyone I know!! Thanks for posting the link!

[Hedgehog]

Who knows—a boy deprived of electronic stimulation might even become desperate enough to read Jane Austen.

 

Love it. :smilielol5:

[SailorMom]

I just emailed the link to my oldest son. He entered PS this year and I am appauled at the books they alow 9and even encourage) these kids to read. I've already told him that I have veto rights :)

[crazyforlatin]

I offer a final piece of evidence that is perhaps unanswerable: There is no literacy gap between home-schooled boys and girls. How many of these families, do you suppose, have thrown grossology parties?

 

I love the last paragraph!

 

I need to email this to a friend whose son goes to this ultra-expensive, all-boys, private school and doesn't pick up a book unless the school assigns one. The father is perplexed and I didn't want to tell him to throw away all his son's latest gadgets. On the other hand, attending such a school does mean he can read well and analyze literature, right?

[Caraway]

Thanks for sharing! I seem to be the only one in my community that clings to these ideas with a death grip.

[hlee]

As the OP, I just want to say that although generally in our house we aim not to expose our boys to just twaddle or worse for reading, I have allowed them some video game time each day (30-45 minutes, earned time depending on how they do during the day). We don't have a Wii but now that our youngest is getting older and feeling a little left out, I am starting to waver. But reading this article will likely put me firmly back in the no-Wii camp and try to keep our video-game time each day to a small amount. But it's very hard for me to imagine our boys not playing any at all. Do you all do so??? I'd love to hear more!

[MyLittleWonders]

Great article - I forwarded it to dh and posted it on FB.

[MyLittleWonders]

As the OP, I just want to say that although generally in our house we aim not to expose our boys to just twaddle or worse for reading, I have allowed them some video game time each day (30-45 minutes, earned time depending on how they do during the day). We don't have a Wii but now that our youngest is getting older and feeling a little left out, I am starting to waver. But reading this article will likely put me firmly back in the no-Wii camp and try to keep our video-game time each day to a small amount. But it's very hard for me to imagine our boys not playing any at all. Do you all do so??? I'd love to hear more!

 

We allow TV each day, but only what is on the DVR or Discovery channel. Some days there is very little TV and some days more (depending on how tired I am). We do have a Wii, but it is played once a week - Fridays are Wii day around here - usually they play for 2 hours with their Gramma or once in a blue moon (usually only on school break - summer or winter break) will we play together as a family. It just isn't an option and though they may ask once in a while, it is reaffirmed that Wii day is Friday.

 

Reading the article made me realize that I should probably cut down the TV a bit and add more audio books for days that I'm too wiped out to do much outside of our school time. We do allow a bit of twaddle (I love a fun novel once in a while too), but we tend to read quality books to them when we read aloud.

[kristavws]

As the OP, I just want to say that although generally in our house we aim not to expose our boys to just twaddle or worse for reading, I have allowed them some video game time each day (30-45 minutes, earned time depending on how they do during the day). We don't have a Wii but now that our youngest is getting older and feeling a little left out, I am starting to waver. But reading this article will likely put me firmly back in the no-Wii camp and try to keep our video-game time each day to a small amount. But it's very hard for me to imagine our boys not playing any at all. Do you all do so??? I'd love to hear more!

 

We have a Wii, but the boys are only allowed to play it on Saturday morning, and sometimes after church on Sunday (if the weather is horrid outside). I absolutely do not allow video games during the week. My dh and I rarely ever watch TV ourselves, although we do like to rent movies on the weekends. We do not have cable or satellite. We do have family movie night on Saturday, and I rent a lot of documentaries for school. Both of my boys are avid readers, and I sometimes have to pry books out of their hands just to get them to come to dinner! My dh and I are also big readers. I don't think any of us reads what would be considered twaddle.

 

krista

 

krista

[KuniMom]

That was interesting. Thanks for posting.

[Laura Corin]

As the OP, I just want to say that although generally in our house we aim not to expose our boys to just twaddle or worse for reading, I have allowed them some video game time each day (30-45 minutes, earned time depending on how they do during the day). We don't have a Wii but now that our youngest is getting older and feeling a little left out, I am starting to waver. But reading this article will likely put me firmly back in the no-Wii camp and try to keep our video-game time each day to a small amount. But it's very hard for me to imagine our boys not playing any at all. Do you all do so??? I'd love to hear more!

 

They also have television for an hour each on Saturday and Sunday. They occasionally watch a documentary in the evenings, but basically, they are screen free on week nights.

 

Laura

[Moniksca]

I loved the article, definitely makes sense. We do have the DS, PS3, and Wii. Their daddy is a video game fanatic which is why we have all the systems but my ds spends 3-4 times per week playing for 30 min each time after he's earned it, after the completion of school work. Both the kids watch a half an hour of tv each day which are usually magic school bus or Bill Nye videos. If I let him he would definitely sit in front of the tv all day, but I think this is with any child. Their eyes glaze over as soon as the tv is turned on. This is why I don't have cable.

Edited September 24, 2010 by Moniksca

[FO4UR]

I love the last paragraph!

 

We are mostly screen-free...we have the occasional show and starfall, but I've really kept the video games out of the house so far.

 

I'm plagued with "READ TO ME, MOMMY!!!" daily, incessantly! I won't complain!:D

[Capt_Uhura]

We have a Wii. We only have 3 games. We mostly play Wii FIFA Soccer b/c we're a big soccer family and it's something the boys play with their dad. The boys will go months w/out touching it however.

[Harriet Vane]

Hear, hear! Well said!

 

Thanks for sharing.

[Soror]

Great article, good encourage to keep on keepin' on as they say!

[Capt_Uhura]

This article brought back to mind something that happened to me last year. My boys and I were reading Wind in the Willows. My boys would beg for one more page and would beg me to read it each day. We are also using MCT as well as Andrew's Teaching the Classics. On every page, there are numerous literary elements, wonderful vocabulary, beautiful descriptive passages. My boys (then 4th and 1st) loved to point out the metaphors etc. Well, there was one particularly beautiful paragraph (to us anyway) and I wanted to point this out to my friend. I picked up her BEAUTIFULLY illustrated, American publisher of Wind in the Willows. I couldn't find the passage. I found one that was close. I looked for other beautiful words, passages, metaphors. Not there. And as I read it, the story just didn't have the same wonderful rhythm as my book. Well, it just happens that this version was slightly changed. It wasn't abridged as it wasn't much shorter than my book ... perhaps it was b/c I think the font was a bit larger. But on the pages I checked, most of the paragraphs were there. The language was simply dumbed down. And it wasn't obvious that this had been done. It was on an inside page in very small print. The book was the same physical size w/ similar number of pages. WHy did they feel the need to destroy that book in that way? It wasn't simply to make it more readable for a younger kid as some advanced classic works are.....this was just dumbed down. Very sad.... the illustrations were gorgeous however.

 

Ok, I will get over it.....eventually.....I felt you all would understand, even if you didn't like Wind in the Willows. The books has special meaning to my kids since their dad is British. Their grandparents eyes just lit up when they found out we were reading it. My FIL said "Oh I remember Ratty so well!" The boys had a great time talking w/ their grandparents about it. We are enjoying "Five Children and It" and my kids regularly BEG their exhausted mom (that would be me) to read just one more page.

[stripe]

I don't think playing video games is incompatible with being well-read, but I think anytime you engage in bribes with someone, your message is clear. I have the same issue with offering ice cream for those who eat their (whatever). It implies that only the ice cream is worth eating; the rest must be choked down.

 

So if you tell a kid "If you read x pages/minutes, I will give you a prize," your implication is very clear.

[Gratia271]

Thanks for posting this link! My favorite line was "pander to boys' untutored tastes" which I have heard from parents, though less eloquently stated. I think I am probably just fortunate with my son in terms of his propensity to select great literature, but I am nonetheless stunned at all of the aliterate males/boys out there.

[justamouse]

hey-that was fantastic. thanks for the link-a-dink

[Capt_Uhura]

I don't think playing video games is incompatible with being well-read, but I think anytime you engage in bribes with someone, your message is clear. I have the same issue with offering ice cream for those who eat their (whatever). It implies that only the ice cream is worth eating; the rest must be choked down.

 

So if you tell a kid "If you read x pages/minutes, I will give you a prize," your implication is very clear.

 

:iagree:

[yslek]

hey-that was fantastic. thanks for the link-a-dink

 

:iagree:

[Saille]

I wonder where he got that stat, that there's no literacy gap between homeschooled boys and girls. I'd love to have that research in my "naysayer rebuttal" arsenal.

[patchfire]

I just loved this article; I agreed with it and it reiterated things I've been thinking for a few years now. It's so nice to see a rebuttal to the Capt. Underpants trend.

 

As the OP, I just want to say that although generally in our house we aim not to expose our boys to just twaddle or worse for reading, I have allowed them some video game time each day (30-45 minutes, earned time depending on how they do during the day). We don't have a Wii but now that our youngest is getting older and feeling a little left out, I am starting to waver. But reading this article will likely put me firmly back in the no-Wii camp and try to keep our video-game time each day to a small amount. But it's very hard for me to imagine our boys not playing any at all. Do you all do so??? I'd love to hear more!

 

I only have one boy, and he's 5 (and a half, he'd want me to add), sandwiched between two sisters. :) That said, we don't allow video games at home. His sister has one computer game (Timez Attack), but she had to be 8 to get to play that, and he'll have a similar age requirement. We have basic cable, but it's for dh and (mostly) me (I have to have my Bones, CSIs, and Glee). The kids are allowed to watch one video each day on the weekend, but the length allowed varies. If they get everything done during the week AND they've had free play time, they're allowed to watch a Netflix movie that relates to history or science. That happens 1-2x a week, for no more than an hour.

 

Sometimes we watch a musical on Friday nights. I try to save Sunday's viewing for Sunday evening and we watch something documentary-ish together (planet earth, blue planet, life, Leonard Bernstein's concerts on DVD, etc.)

 

My view is basically that television viewing should be bringing them an experience that I cannot easily duplicate IRL. National Geographic shows them a lion in its natural habitat; I can't.

 

I wonder where he got that stat, that there's no literacy gap between homeschooled boys and girls. I'd love to have that research in my "naysayer rebuttal" arsenal.

 

Me too; it would be fabulous to pull out in a conversation.

[Capt_Uhura]

I wonder where he got that stat, that there's no literacy gap between homeschooled boys and girls. I'd love to have that research in my "naysayer rebuttal" arsenal.

 

I've seen that stat in a book ... trying to remember which one. I know I've seen this stat in at least two places, not including the current article.

[Hockey Mom]

I'm guilty of allowing my boys to read 'gross' books. *ducks* DS7 is currently reading 'Captain Underpants', and we own the 'Yuck! Encyclopedia of Everything Gross' too. While I agree that it's not the best literature for them, it does get them to read more. DS7 has even started taking his Captain Underpants book with him when we need to run errands. I guess my thoughts are, it's better for them to read something age appropriate than plugging into video games. I don't know...maybe I'm wrong on that. I'm not going to discourage them from reading what they enjoy though.

[mom2boys030507]

Thanks for the link. It was a good read.

 

We do a daily quiet time for 2 hours everyday and my boys read for at least half of it. In fact, our quiet time inspired both of my boys to want to learn to read. We have stuck with quality books to start with and that is what I have just continued to get them. They enjoy the books more and are more fun to talk about.

 

We also have a Wii and the boys are allowed to watch some TV daily, more than I would like but we work trying to work on that. I think everything needs to be in moderation - so yes we watch more TV than some but we also provide two hours of down time daily and lots of books for other times. TV time is monitered and viewing choices are limited. School work must be completed and out side play time is daily.

 

I also think as home educators we need to be careful to not fall into the over scheduled trap - in many ways I think it is easier for us to become over scheduled as, we finish school in less time - therefore have more time for outside activities.

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

Before homeschooling we had a TV in every room of the house, except the bathrooms. :tongue_smilie: I always loved reading, still do, and I like TV for background noise. I never thought of it as a problem. We also owned 4 different kinds of video game machines and 2 computers. We brought our oldest ds home at the end of 1st grade, and it was really tough to get him to read or even to listen to stories. He would zip through work so he could go watch tv. I got fed up! We now only have 1 tv in the house and we are down to 1 video game machine. I have noticed huge differences in reading and in physical activity levels. My 2 boys will stay outside all day when it is nice out. My oldest son has gotten into the habit of going to bed early so he can read in bed. His book choices have changed too. Last year his favorite book was Swiss Family Robinson and this year he is reading through the Narnia Chronicles.

[stripe]

I wonder where he got that stat, that there's no literacy gap between homeschooled boys and girls. I'd love to have that research in my "naysayer rebuttal" arsenal.

It reminded me of Figure 8 in this

http://www.hslda.org/docs/study/ray2009/2009_Ray_StudyFINAL.pdf

[justamouse]

You know, I came across this blog post by a female YA writer and wanted to jump out of my seat

 

SELL THE GIRLS by Maureen Johnson books.com

 

just go to her website, hit the blog button and it will be there.

 

Basically she says boys have been written for a millennia and when they go to school and college most books will be for men written by men and maybe it's about time boys started to do what girls have been doing their whole lives-read books written by someone other than your own sex--so read books written by girls.

Edited September 28, 2010 by justamouse

[Persephone]

Even if the conclusion that there is no literacy gap between homeschooled boys and girls is correct, I am still not convinced that we can conclude that this is due to tv/screen time or lack thereof. In her book, The Trouble with Boys, Peg Tyre writes about a 7-year longitutinal study done in Clackmannanshire, Scotland: After being taught with synthetic phonics for 16 weeks, no gap emerged between boys and girls in reading in the following 7 years of the study. It has been noted elsewhere that, when taught with synthetic phonics rather than incidental phonics, boys do not lag behind girls in reading. No one knows why, although there is plenty of conjecture.

 

So... might not the lack of a gap in homeschooled children (if there indeed is no gap) be due to homeschooling families being more likely to teach with a systematic phonics approach than the public schools are? Just a thought. Of course, I could be wrong about homeschooling families and systematic phonics.

[Capt_Uhura]

Persephone - Yes, I've seen that study regarding phonics in boys vs girls. And yes, the lack of gap between homeschooled boys and girls could be due to phonics instruction compared to public school. It is likely a multitude of factors. HSers are more likely to be reading to their kids from a young age, to model good reading habits, to have plenty of good books in the house, to use phonics......and depending on the kid, the presence of electronics may or may not impact the love of reading at all in boys. My boys would love to play computer games for 2hrs every day but then would also stay up late into the night reading or wake up early and find them in bed reading. Many things in life labeled as cause and effect when they are really just correlations.

[Mom-ninja.]

 

Sometimes we watch a musical on Friday nights. I try to save Sunday's viewing for Sunday evening and we watch something documentary-ish together (planet earth, blue planet, life, Leonard Bernstein's concerts on DVD, etc.)

 

 

 

I never thought of watching concerts. Great idea.

 

 

Are the Horrible Science and Horrible History books considered "gross out" books? They are educational. ;)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

You know, I came across this blog post by a female YA writer and wanted to jump out of my seat

 

SELL THE GIRLS by Maureen Johnson books.com

 

just go to her website, hit the blog button and it will be there.

 

Basically she says boys have been written for a millennia and when they go to school and college most books will be for men written by men and maybe it's about time boys started to do what girls have been doing their whole lives-read books written by someone other than your own sex--so read books written by girls.

 

I read widely as a (girl)child and had no problems with either finding strong female protaganists or imagining myself following the examples of strong male protaganists. I also think to make this arguement, you have to ignore Little Women, Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, Caddie Woodlawn, Betsy Tacy, Jane Austen, Maud Hart Lovelace, Emily Dickenson, Charlotte Bronte, Margareet Henry, Judy Blume, etc.

 

 

But as a mother of sons I have to agree with the original article; much of the books pushed on boys these days is dreck. I don't have a high opinion of some of what is marketed towards girls either, but typically the length and writing quality is a lot higher than what is being marketed towards boys. Honestly, outside of classic works, it is often tough to find a book aiming at boys that isn't either written in super short segments (think of the Eyewitness bullet style) or just shallow.

 

I think many of the male authors she mentions having read aren't worth the cost of the paper to print their books. But I also think that there is a lot of writing about and for women that is silly, fluffy and also not worth reading. (Also, her math strikes me as odd. Hard to fault people for not reading books by women before the printing press made books available and the novel form was created. That's only been abou 400 years.)

Edited September 29, 2010 by Sebastian (a lady)

[Leighton Academy]

We have an Xbox and a Wii. We encourage our boys not to play incessantly. Honestly, it's been at least a month since they've played or even mentioned either system. We also have no cable/satellite but we do have Netflix. There are days when they'll watch a movie/show, but then again days will go by when the tv isn't turned on at all.

 

As far as the authors/books mentioned in the article, I've only heard of R.L. Stine. We did see the Capt Underpants books at Target today and my youngest was asking why they would write books about him. I had no response because I've never picked one up to even thumb through. Then again, my boys are the only boys we know who've never even picked up any of the Diary of A Wimpy Kid books. While visiting the great-grandparents recently, they asked us if Brandon had ever read the series. I replied no. They looked surprised and asked me if there was anything "wrong" with the books. I told them I had no idea as I had never looked at them. I told them that there are just so many great books out there that we just haven't really looked at the "Diary" books.

[mazakaal]

Great article. I posted it to my facebook profile. Thanks for sharing.

[mazakaal]

We were computer-game-free in our house until last January when my 12yo received a ds for a gift. He's pretty good about moderation, so we allowed it. Then the 14yo was given a Playstation and the 12yo was given an X-box as hand-me-downs from their friends. Then the 12yo bought a used psp on the condition that the ds be shared by the other kids. Now I can't believe how many electronic devices we have in our home.

 

Fortunately, the kids are all pretty good with limiting their time on the games. They're allowed about 30 min of game time per day and don't always use it. The little ones do need regulation on tv watching. We don't have reception on our tv, but they like to watch dvd's and would watch all day if I let them. The biggest problem that I have, though, is with the 14yo on the computer, but that's with watching surf videos and messaging friends, not playing games. And he's the only non-reader in the group. He used to read a lot, but lost interest around the age of 10-11. My 12yo had cut back on his reading because he had trouble finding books that interested him, but he's just gotten a Kindle and has loaded about 50 classic novels on it and is back to reading. Yea!

[farmwife]

As the OP, I just want to say that although generally in our house we aim not to expose our boys to just twaddle or worse for reading, I have allowed them some video game time each day (30-45 minutes, earned time depending on how they do during the day). We don't have a Wii but now that our youngest is getting older and feeling a little left out, I am starting to waver. But reading this article will likely put me firmly back in the no-Wii camp and try to keep our video-game time each day to a small amount. But it's very hard for me to imagine our boys not playing any at all. Do you all do so??? I'd love to hear more!

 

My husband and I are passionate about not allowing video gaming to corrupt our children, particularly our son.

 

I have two examples to share.

 

#1. We have friends who homeschooled their son, they allowed him full access to video gaming (letting him stay up all night to play!)...much to his detriment. He currently lives in their basement with his wife and children still playing video games, not having worked a day in three years (not seeking employment either). So, so, so...sad.

 

#2. We have a college student currently working for us part time. He has trouble sleeping at night due to the video gaming that his roomate chooses to engage in during the night hours. His roomate is totally addicted to the powers of video gaming.

 

I have a few other examples of the negative impact that gaming has had on particular individuals we know, but I will spare you the sad and depressing details. I think the above examples clearly speak of the cultural influence that video gaming has had on the next generation of men. They represent a vast number of young men who have chosen to waste their life playing a game...just a game.

 

For reasons mentioned above as well as many others, we as a family have made a stand NOT to allow the video game in our home as a distraction to our children.

 

The secret to raising boys who read, I submit, is pretty simple—keep electronic media, especially video games and recreational Internet, under control (that is to say, almost completely absent). Then fill your shelves with good books.

 

 

I love the above quote from the article, thank you for sharing it! I would have to add to that, give them free reign to the vast outdoors. Take a hike, build a fort, catch frogs, get a pet. Let boys actually be real boys and eventually men! ;)

[Capt_Uhura]

I think the issue is that some people just have addictive personalities. Some kids can walk the line of moderation with gaming and many can't.

[stripe]

Basically she says boys have been written for a millennia and when they go to school and college most books will be for men written by men and maybe it's about time boys started to do what girls have been doing their whole lives-read books written by someone other than your own sex--so read books written by girls.

Well, but given that the sort of lifestyle boys have traditionally lived does not exist for many boys (read "Homer Price" and compare that to most American boys' lives -- are they tramping through the woods on their own, building radios, and so forth?), I am not sure this will really help. Nothing wrong with reading books written by women or about girl characters, but I do think some boys won't find that interesting -- just as plenty of girls don't identify with Huck Finn or whatever. There are enough issues with boys and men struggling to fit into society these days, and I really think it is an issue. Boys graduate from high school and college at lower rates, especially among African American and Latino communities. So I don't think reading romance novels will necessarily help. Just heard this on NPR: "The End of the Macho Man?" We had a few threads about this a few months ago, for that matter.

 

Video games are a problem when they're all someone does.

[Hedgehogs4]

we limit screen time severely. 1/2 an hour of media a day and weekends are free, but we're usually busy enough that they don't play very much, so it sort of self-regulates. (though i've been a bit squishy on that lately since my son and daughter have just discovered Leave it to Beaver on Netflix).

 

My son does read. He has just started tackling the Hobbit...i'm hoping it's not too hard for him, but so far, so good. He likes it. I know I read it when I was his age, but I was born with a book in my hand. He likes Lamplighter books, Alice in Wonderland, Carry on Mr. Bowditch, Little Britches, the Great Brain. I can't complain. I wish he read more--but he's extremely extroverted and would rather be talking to people. That is his personality, not a flaw or testimony about his ability to read.

[truebluexf]

We do allow tv and Wii, and DS. However, there is none during the "school day" (9-3) (except for the 2 year old, sometimes it's a nice distraction, right or wrong). That said, my DS LOVES to read, and will sit for an hour or more at bedtime reading, and they all love when we curl up on my bed and read aloud. He also adores audiobooks (I wish they were cheaper). The Wii is on a tv with a BOB timer, so he can't just sneak in and play when I'm not paying attention, and it limits screen time to 2 hours. He does not play everyday, but goes through phases. The tv is on more than I like, but honestly they don't even pay attention to it all the time. Regardless, with even some regulation, leaps and bounds can be made!! He'd really rather be out running around outside. He doesn't read the garbage mentioned in the article, either. Right now he's reading Farmer Boy.

[johnandtinagilbert]

OP, thanks for the post! I'll share this, too.

I'm guilty of allowing my boys to read 'gross' books. *ducks* DS7 is currently reading 'Captain Underpants', and we own the 'Yuck! Encyclopedia of Everything Gross' too. While I agree that it's not the best literature for them, it does get them to read more. DS7 has even started taking his Captain Underpants book with him when we need to run errands. I guess my thoughts are, it's better for them to read something age appropriate than plugging into video games. I don't know...maybe I'm wrong on that. I'm not going to discourage them from reading what they enjoy though.

I think 2 things are important in this circumstance, or at least they are in our home: 1. balance twaddle (which I will not call literature) with literature a little twaddle is okay; however 2. there are tons of well written books for young boys and once exposed, they will search out better written books in favor of the twaddle, and can enjoy adventure, comedy, and more importantly, character development (w/in and outside of the storyline)

 

Generally speaking, Scholastic = junk (save a few abridged titles). I went to a Scholastic book fair, and other than Magic Tree House there was honestly not a single book I'd buy.

 

Persephone - Yes, I've seen that study regarding phonics in boys vs girls. And yes, the lack of gap between homeschooled boys and girls could be due to phonics instruction compared to public school. It is likely a multitude of factors. HSers are more likely to be reading to their kids from a young age, to model good reading habits, to have plenty of good books in the house, to use phonics......and depending on the kid, the presence of electronics may or may not impact the love of reading at all in boys. My boys would love to play computer games for 2hrs every day but then would also stay up late into the night reading or wake up early and find them in bed reading. Many things in life labeled as cause and effect when they are really just correlations.

Well said.

 

Another thought, "According to a recent report from the Center on Education Policy, for example, substantially more boys than girls score below the proficiency level on the annual National Assessment of Educational Progress reading test. " I wonder how "early education" has affected this trend. We push, push, push pre-school now, and from what I understand regarding the history of education, this was simply not the case in older generations.

 

""meet them where they are"—that is, pander to boys' untutored tastes. For elementary- and middle-school boys, that means "books that exploit [their] love of bodily functions and gross-out humor." AP reported that one school librarian treats her pupils to "grossology" parties. "Just get 'em reading," she counsels cheerily. "Worry about what they're reading later."" Rubbish!Although we own the Grossology book and use it for science, meeting a boy where he is entails far more than butt-focused reading. My boys are all about adventure and Captain Underpants can't even touch Narnia, The Edge Chronicles, Frog and Toad, Wind in the Willows, even bible studies.

 

"Plato before him," writes C. S. Lewis, "had said the same. The little human animal will not at first have the right responses. It must be trained to feel pleasure, liking, disgust, and hatred at those things which really are pleasant, likeable, disgusting, and hateful."

So, true. Modern education searches for the right answers. So much of the problem, imo, is hurry up and read little boy so you can pass the standardized test....my 3rd son took forever to take off with reading and now he's on the money, enjoying great books. If he was in p.s., I'm sure he'd be dubbed ADHD and performed poorly early on.

 

"Who knows—a boy deprived of electronic stimulation might even become desperate enough to read Jane Austen. " Reminds me of Laughing Lioness :)

 

Screen time SURELY makes all the difference..just last night no video games meant 2 chapters of The Edge Chronicles for the Ax Man. We play and enjoy video games and more than enough t.v., but the truth be told, less screen time ALWAYS means more reading or card/board game play.

 

"Most importantly, a boy raised on great literature is more likely to grow up to think, to speak, and to write like a civilized man. Whom would you prefer to have shaped the boyhood imagination of your daughter's husband—Raymond Bean or Robert Louis Stevenson?" Knowing a lot of 20-somethings that were raised on games....all I can say is FOR REAL! The prospects for husbands are disheartening.

 

"I offer a final piece of evidence that is perhaps unanswerable: There is no literacy gap between home-schooled boys and girls. How many of these families, do you suppose, have thrown grossology parties?"Great point.

[Saille]

We have basic cable, but it's for dh and (mostly) me (I have to have my Bones, CSIs, and Glee).

 

Have you looked at the digital converter box, or Hulu? B/c those pretty much negate cable at our house, and I'm a major Gleek.

[ElizabethB]

Even if the conclusion that there is no literacy gap between homeschooled boys and girls is correct, I am still not convinced that we can conclude that this is due to tv/screen time or lack thereof. In her book, The Trouble with Boys, Peg Tyre writes about a 7-year longitutinal study done in Clackmannanshire, Scotland: After being taught with synthetic phonics for 16 weeks, no gap emerged between boys and girls in reading in the following 7 years of the study. It has been noted elsewhere that, when taught with synthetic phonics rather than incidental phonics, boys do not lag behind girls in reading. No one knows why, although there is plenty of conjecture.

 

So... might not the lack of a gap in homeschooled children (if there indeed is no gap) be due to homeschooling families being more likely to teach with a systematic phonics approach than the public schools are? Just a thought. Of course, I could be wrong about homeschooling families and systematic phonics.

:iagree:

 

I was going to post that, but had a busy week so never got around to it!

 

Most homeschoolers use a good phonics program with few sight words.

 

There is also less of a gap for minority homeschool students and minority students who get phonics in schools.