We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!
Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.
kuroc said:When I was a boy I liked reading![]()
SFG75 said:TheRedNewt-We are dealing with some pretty big generalizations here, but I see this to some degree of what you are mentioning. The "A" female student who is "book-smart" and who "gets it" but who wouldn't pick up a book to read if it weren't part of an assignment or project for a grade.
The rationale from the teachers and school was simply that we must be going through the same things, so we would love to read about it because we should have been able to easily relate. On the contrary, most of us were able to recognize the obvious plot cliches and stereotypical characters, and for the most part we were completely bored with the books.
SFG75 said:Yep, the joy of reading killed by people who are in education-go figure.Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of that thinking of "what is good for them" mentality and I just shake my head.
TheRedNewt said:Perhaps I went too far by saying what I saw as their purpose, but I still feel that the reading curriculum is sometimes kept too shallow for too long.
SFG75 said:jaynebosco-Your comments about the fiction and non/fiction split is interesting. Our school library has a lot of the "adult fiction" books that are displayed prominently. The girls snap up those books, while the boys tend to focus more on the sports and car material that is around. What is happening right now in post-secondary education is disappointing. Hopefully, something can be figured out before long.
HermioneWeasley said:i'm not a teacher, or a librarian or anything, in fact, i'm just a teenager, but when i go into a bookstore and look at all the books available, there's hte usual books: Harry Potter, LOTR, the classics, but there are also a lot more books to appeal to girls. Boys usually read books with male only characters, but girls read books with male and female characters. also, there are a LOT of books such as gossip girl, the sisterhood of the traveling pants, clique, etc.. on the market which is just for girls. so, basically, boys are less interested in reading because they can't find things to read as easily. or, at least, i think it's part of hte problem.
pontalba said:You bring up an extremely valid point. But, and pardon me, I am old,D ) but what about things like The Hardy Boys, or the various incarnations of Star Trek or Star Wars? Wouldn't that appeal to boys?
![]()
I just find it difficult to believe that reading is a gender based inclination.
HermioneWeasley said:i'm not a teacher, or a librarian or anything, in fact, i'm just a teenager, but when i go into a bookstore and look at all the books available, there's hte usual books: Harry Potter, LOTR, the classics, but there are also a lot more books to appeal to girls. Boys usually read books with male only characters, but girls read books with male and female characters. also, there are a LOT of books such as gossip girl, the sisterhood of the traveling pants, clique, etc.. on the market which is just for girls. so, basically, boys are less interested in reading because they can't find things to read as easily. or, at least, i think it's part of hte problem.
TheRedNewt said:Here's my question, though: Do boys not read as much because there are less books for them, or are there less books for them because they don't read as much?
Encouragement for boys as readers can benefit girls as well. Rather than pitting boys' needs against girls' or reinforcing the very stereotypes that can discourage boys from reading traditional literature, many researchers suggest comparing this to the problem of "girls in math." Through exploration of proficiencies and attitudes, math educators developed new approaches that serve both girls and boys in the math class.