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Grade 2 boys respond to boy-friendly . . .
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Grade 2 boys respond to boy-friendly books,
but male readers have little impact on attitudes
One reason some boys lack the motivation to read, researchers have speculated,
is that they perceive reading to be a feminine activity. At home, it is often
mothers who read to children and when children begin school their teachers are
predominantly female. One Canadian study found that 24% of grade 2 boys view
reading as feminine. A new study of 69 grade 2 boys from four elementary schools in a Canadian
metropolitan area concludes that boy-friendly reading materials can have an
impact on boys' attitudes towards reading. The study looked at the "complex"
relationship between boys, genre of reading material and sex of the reading
model.
"Boys who listened to boy-friendly books, whether read by a male or a female
research assistant, viewed reading as a less feminine activity after the
treatment than before," the study concludes, noting that "the lack of main
effect of the sex of the reading model was a surprise."
While the use of boy-friendly materials had an effect for boys who did not
like reading, there was no effect for boys who view reading as a feminine
activity. This resilience may mean gender knowledge is intact by age 7, the
researchers conclude. Interventions might be more effective earlier in their
development.
Many libraries do not provide comics, scary stories and magazines and boys
are often offered books by parents, teachers and librarians that reinforce a
feminized view of reading, the researchers say. While girls tend to choose books
recommended by friends, family and teachers, boys are more likely to mention
genre, according to a previous study.
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Boy-friendly books used in the study included stories about animals,
adventure stories with male protagonists, stories about natural events
(volcanoes) and sports, and series such as Captain Underpants which is popular
with boys.
Boy-friendly books
Researchers conducted a 10-week reading program in which boys were randomly
selected into one of four reading interventions: (a) female research assistants
(RAs) reading typical books; (b) male RAs reading boy-friendly books; (c) female
RAs reading boy-friendly books and (d) male RAs reading typical books. Grade 2
was selected because it has been shown that gender knowledge is established by
this age, the researchers say. Readers were instructed not to ask the children
questions and to respond to their comments neutrally. A modified version of the
Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Instrument (CAIMI) was administered
before and after the reading program.
Researchers looked at the impact both on the boys' view of reading as a
feminine or masculine activity and on their interest and motivation to read. The
sample was divided into four subgroups of the sample based on the results of the
CAIMI: (a) boys who liked reading; (b) boys who did not like reading; (c) boys
who did not view reading as feminine; and (d) boys who viewed reading as
feminine.
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The positive news, researchers said, in light of many alarming reports of the
reading crisis among boys, is that 54 of 69 boys in the study had positive
intrinsic motivation towards reading. In the small group of boys who did not
like reading (15), those who were exposed to boy-friendly books showed gains in
interest in reading while boys who were read more typical books actually had a
reduced interest in reading.
"Clearly the complexity of the relationship between boys' views of reading,
the sex of the reading model, and the genre of books is illustrated," the
researchers said.
"Boys will be Boys: Variability in Boys' Experiences of Literacy" The
Alberta Journal of Educational Research Volume 51 Number 3 Fall 2005 Pps.
216-230.
Published in ERN March 2006 Volume 19 Number 3
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