Boys and books

The CSMonitor has a thoughtful article on the reading material guys prefer in high school and literature classes. It addresses the differences in girls and boys learning styles and has concrete suggestions for helping all students.

Boys are naturally drawn to action and movement, he points out, and teachers need to find ways of integrating their energy into the reading process.

When he works with early readers, Mr. Johnson shortens the material and sets up give-and-take question-and-answer sessions both before and after the kids do their reading. He also encourages them to move around the classroom physically, taking a break at the end of the chapter.

"We found that boys were more interested in the text" with such an approach, Johnson reports. Minus the "baby stuff," he recommends the same techniques in the upper grades.

Children's author and teacher, Richard Peck and reading specialist, Ray Johnson recommend titles such as The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, A Separate Peace and Red Badge of Courage.
Good piece, read the whole thing.