to be annoyed about the attitude towards boys

[SplatterMustard]

Just that really, the assumption that if boys don't like reading or writing then they are being a typical boy. One of the teacher's at DS's school was talking about boys (not mine) and said 'what do you expect, he's a boy?' I've heard comments like that time and time again.

When did it become OK to be so down on boys?

[BertrandRussell]

And boys often see reading as a female activity. We have a campaign going at our school- where literacy is a problem full stop, but more of one for boys- where mala teachers, particularly the "high status" ones make a point of being seen reading. It's just one tiny part of a much bigger campaign but it has certainly sparked conversations..

[ItsyBitsySpiderSpout]

DH just finished Infidel.

DS2 is currently reading Matilda.

[Lottapianos]

'I don't think gender should come into it at all '

Very well said Chunky. I cannot understand the obsession some adults have with putting children in a 'girl' box or a 'boy' box and setting their expectations of that child in stone from then on. I really don't see how its helpful. Each child should be seen an individual - so for example, if a child is struggling to sit and listen for what would be a reasonable length of time for their age, then they should be given support to develop that skill. Whether they are a boy or a girl has nothing to do with it. All children need the same opportunities to develop the skills they need for learning.

I'm an Early Years speech and language therapist and I often hear boys with language delay described by their parents as 'lazy' or 'slow'. I have rarely heard girls described in the same way - that's not to say that people dont' also hold extremely unhelpful stereotypes about 'typical girls'! I always challenge this kind of lazy thinking because it can do so much damage not just to individual children, but to society as a whole.

[bruffin]

Katemiddleton

and labelled him as a high performing dyslexic / late developer / boys read later than girls.
My ds 20 was one of those boys in year2 ended up high performing dyslexic.He hated reading until in year 2 he caught up and flew past those that were reading fluently in reception, with no help from a tutor. I used to listen to them read and there were a lot of good readers in reception. He has dyslexic problems but because he was taught phonics he finally clicked with reading, but can't spell and has short term memory problems.
My DD was a "typical girl" and was reading very well in reception, but she is a lefty and had truely dreadful handwriting until secondary school. Some of her teachers refused to mark her work because they couldnt read it. Nowadays she prints and her books are really quite neat. However washediris I have never noticed that they underestimated her abilities, but i think that maybe she is very good verbally and the teachers in primary always used to bounce off her to liven up the class.

[bruffin]

Betrandrussell
Both my DS and DH read a lot, they just dont read novels. I dont actually why being seen reading a book considered better than reading an article on the internet, although both ds and dd are very much into graphic novels at them moment because of the Marvel and DC craze at the moment.

[BertrandRussell]

I did say "generally" not "all"!

Out of interest, do any of the books you mention, with the honourable exception of Matilda, have girl main characters? As opposed to "having girls in them"?

[bruffin]

There are plenty of books with lead female characters MrsDeVere. I think the complaint seems to be that boys dont read them.

[BertrandRussell]

Hermione is not the main character. Harry Potter is.

And I guarantee that if JK had suggested her first book was called "Hermione Grainger and the Chamber of Secrets" her agent would have got her to change it.

Girl's books have girl main characters. Books for boys or for both have boy main characters. I honestly don't know why anyone is disputing this! Look at Enid Blyton. For example. I am trying to think of exceptions, but I can only really think of Matilda.

[LibrariesGaveUsP0wer]

Hermione is female. The other two central characters are male. A majority of the supporting characters are male. The author was told to pretend to be male.....

The publishing industry has recognised and documented this issue. It's not one you can validly just dismiss.

[bumbleymummy]

Enid blyton - Famous five? 2 boys, 2 girls and a dog.

If girls read more books with female main characters and boys read more with male main characters what's the problem? As others have said, we often pick books where we can identify with the characters.

[TheOnlyColditz]

The Famous Five books are outrageously misogynistic for this day and age. Anne is treated like a glorified housekeeper, and she cries all the time. Georgina is only allowed to join in because she cuts her hair short and calls herself George.

[echt]

While individual boys may read a range of books, it's worth looking in schools, particularly at secondary level, what the gender-orientation is of the class fiction texts, either by author or protagonist(s).

Over the years, I've seen so much well-warranted attention paid to male engagement. At the same time, the girls enjoy the same texts and respond better to them, on the whole, than boys do.

It's been observed before that every effort to improve boys' attainment (same sex-classes/ exam-focussed learning) improves that of girls above that of the boys.

[monkeymamma]

Op yanbu x1million. I speak as a mum of boys.

bertrandrussell my DH is reading a Donna Tartt. Then he's gonna read a book about gaming by Jane McGonigal.

DS1 has currently only one TV obsession: Strawberry Shortcake!

DS2 loves just about everything, so can't contribute to the study :-)

I don't agree with your statement at all!

[bumbleymummy]

Anne was what 9? I'd expect most children that age to cry if they were being tied up at gunpoint and kept in underground caves or wherever! Why did their parents keep letting them go off together?

[BertrandRussell]

Yes- my ds is currently reading PD James and ds is reading a Michelle Paver.

Anecdote does not make data.

[LibrariesGaveUsP0wer]

Individual boys and men read widely. Of course they do! My dad does.

As a group, men tend not to read books by and about women. This doesn't suddenly start in adulthood.

Girls, as a group, read by both male and female and identify with characters of both sexes.

And the problems with that should be obvious in terms of scope of reading, imagination, empathy. It does boys a great disservice.

[BertrandRussell]

"Frankly I think dictating what boys should/shouldn't read is the last thing any kid needs. They just need to be reading- all of them."

Isn't that rather the point? That boys are restricted by stereotyping and societal expectations in what they read in a way that girls aren't?