I investigated this topic too! I’m an obsessive reader and I’m writing about raising little boys with my husband, in the context of a family who also has a girl. We advocate for both boys and girls. And we have been reading to both kids, and so far still the girl learned earlier. BUT, my girl had a Montessori preso versus a traditional preschool as my boy did and then he was hit by the pandemic. I read a lot of research papers, and discovered all the things that were ruled out. First, I want to say it matters what you read. Boys tend to go later to non fiction but non fiction doesn’t help to develop theory of mind which is what helps with empathy, so we do care about them reading fiction. And it’s not the content they read or even how much they enjoy reading. The results there are mixed and inconclusive. Not saying it doesn’t affect your child, but at scale is not the driver of the gap in reading outcomes. You know what it was? It was parents’ perception of the Child’s predisposition to like reading. Basically, boys enter the school system having been read less to than girls. And the way to turn this around are teachers adapting their methods and pace to that reality, but in the US public system we know how challenging that is. Here is my article in case it helps. And thanks for writing this Jennifer! https://substack.com/@veronicaandradeindo/note/c-278074512?r=4mfy1&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
Thank you for a really insightful and sympathetic post.
I strongly suspect non-fiction does appeal more to us men. (I say this sitting in a room with 1,700 nonfiction books and maybe 17 novels including The Lord of the Rings and soon-to-be-opened The Odyssey (Fagles translation).)
I suspect a failure to publish male-authored fiction plays a role too in reduced reading by adult males. (You asked about this elsewhere.)
If it attaches properly, here is a photo of half the room. To accumulate that many books, even over 50 years, requires relatively unlimited interests: economics, history, politics, philosophy, biography, popular science, theology and - lately - gender.
Excellent article! My pet peeve is teachers (and some parents) choice of reading material. As an elementary school teacher for more than 25 years, a father to two sons, and grandfather to two more, I find that books that elaborate on their interrests will encourage them to sit quitly in my lap (or at their desks!) and "be read to", and read with me.
My oldest was into insects and dangerous animals, my youngest loved pirates and football (soccer). My oldest grandson loves heavy machinery (tractors, bulldozers excavators etc) and the youngest loves vooks about poop, buts, farts and other bodily functions (he is 16 months old.) None of them are or were quiet, passive boys, but with their interrests peaked, and having spent the best part of the day roaming around outside, they could and can easily sit still for hours, reading, looking at pictures and talking about what we are reading.
As they grew older, they still love to read at the end of the day, but their stories needed to contain a little bit of blood and gore, some action, and lots of humor. To much dialogue, to many emotions and to much introspection and ambiguity made them lose interest.
Thanks for sharing your experience! (I didn’t know you were an elementary school teacher also). I personally learned so much via the books I read to my boys when they were little, books they picked out based on their interests. I learned how to pronounce a whole lotta long dinosaur names when my 2nd son was deep into his dinosaur stage. Now, he’s 28 and doesn’t remember most of that, but I still know how to pronounce (& spell) pachycephalosaurus. He also went thru a butterfly phase & bc of that, I’ve been watching monarch caterpillars grow into butterflies at my house for years. My youngest one — the one who has the landscaping business now — was SO into the tractors and construction machine books as a kid, as was his oldest brother. I had some of those library books darn near memorized from reading them so often!
I investigated this topic too! I’m an obsessive reader and I’m writing about raising little boys with my husband, in the context of a family who also has a girl. We advocate for both boys and girls. And we have been reading to both kids, and so far still the girl learned earlier. BUT, my girl had a Montessori preso versus a traditional preschool as my boy did and then he was hit by the pandemic. I read a lot of research papers, and discovered all the things that were ruled out. First, I want to say it matters what you read. Boys tend to go later to non fiction but non fiction doesn’t help to develop theory of mind which is what helps with empathy, so we do care about them reading fiction. And it’s not the content they read or even how much they enjoy reading. The results there are mixed and inconclusive. Not saying it doesn’t affect your child, but at scale is not the driver of the gap in reading outcomes. You know what it was? It was parents’ perception of the Child’s predisposition to like reading. Basically, boys enter the school system having been read less to than girls. And the way to turn this around are teachers adapting their methods and pace to that reality, but in the US public system we know how challenging that is. Here is my article in case it helps. And thanks for writing this Jennifer! https://substack.com/@veronicaandradeindo/note/c-278074512?r=4mfy1&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for a really insightful and sympathetic post.
I strongly suspect non-fiction does appeal more to us men. (I say this sitting in a room with 1,700 nonfiction books and maybe 17 novels including The Lord of the Rings and soon-to-be-opened The Odyssey (Fagles translation).)
I suspect a failure to publish male-authored fiction plays a role too in reduced reading by adult males. (You asked about this elsewhere.)
Cathal Guiomard
I want to hear more about this room w 1700 non-fiction books! Do you have specific topics that you are interested in?
If it attaches properly, here is a photo of half the room. To accumulate that many books, even over 50 years, requires relatively unlimited interests: economics, history, politics, philosophy, biography, popular science, theology and - lately - gender.
I love it! (I don't see the photo here but I WAS able to see it in my notifications) Thank you for sharing
I just want to confirm that I read your words! And I appreciate them!
Thanks, Katie! I’d love to hear some of your thoughts on the topic.
Excellent article! My pet peeve is teachers (and some parents) choice of reading material. As an elementary school teacher for more than 25 years, a father to two sons, and grandfather to two more, I find that books that elaborate on their interrests will encourage them to sit quitly in my lap (or at their desks!) and "be read to", and read with me.
My oldest was into insects and dangerous animals, my youngest loved pirates and football (soccer). My oldest grandson loves heavy machinery (tractors, bulldozers excavators etc) and the youngest loves vooks about poop, buts, farts and other bodily functions (he is 16 months old.) None of them are or were quiet, passive boys, but with their interrests peaked, and having spent the best part of the day roaming around outside, they could and can easily sit still for hours, reading, looking at pictures and talking about what we are reading.
As they grew older, they still love to read at the end of the day, but their stories needed to contain a little bit of blood and gore, some action, and lots of humor. To much dialogue, to many emotions and to much introspection and ambiguity made them lose interest.
Thanks for sharing your experience! (I didn’t know you were an elementary school teacher also). I personally learned so much via the books I read to my boys when they were little, books they picked out based on their interests. I learned how to pronounce a whole lotta long dinosaur names when my 2nd son was deep into his dinosaur stage. Now, he’s 28 and doesn’t remember most of that, but I still know how to pronounce (& spell) pachycephalosaurus. He also went thru a butterfly phase & bc of that, I’ve been watching monarch caterpillars grow into butterflies at my house for years. My youngest one — the one who has the landscaping business now — was SO into the tractors and construction machine books as a kid, as was his oldest brother. I had some of those library books darn near memorized from reading them so often!