It might be because it has been proven that you can be a turd-gobblin' illiterate idiot jackass and still become Pee Resident of these United States of America.

My parents took a hard 9:00 bedtime until I was in middle school. They basically said "You don't gotta go to sleep, but at 9 O'Clock you go to your room", so being the defiant grade schooler I would be like "Screw you old man, I'll just go and, ummm, read, and stuff. Yeah, that's right, I'll stay up until 10 reading, what are you going to do about that?" Things just sorted themselves out after that.

Was it me, or was that a supremely long ass article about reading comprehension?

Are they trying to test us?

/DNRFA
//seriously long
/// I skimmed though

I go from school to school promoting my adventure novels. (No, I'm not going to plug them here!) Here's my experience:

At one school, the kids hadn't heard of me, so I had to start from square one. They weren't too keen on buying a book that they knew nothing about. So I read them the first chapter and asked, "Are there any questions?"

One boy raises his hand and asks, "Are there missiles in this book?"

Me: "Uh... yeah, there's an airplane fight where missiles are fired back and forth. Oh! And there's a crazy upstairs maid who has a shoulder-fired anti-tank missile launcher!"

The boy: (Casually) "OK. I'll buy one."

This has been my experience over and over. Girls want human interaction. Boys want explosions. Boys would be perfectly happy if robots just battled other robots. People bore them. You may say I'm just pushing generalizations here, but I don't think 99.9% is really a generalization.

I call it titeracy and it taught me to read with one hand

/Male
//Loves to read
///Mostly fiction but a lot of educational and philosophical stuff to
////Aspiring author
//AHHHH! Too many slashies x_x

dfenstrate Schools today are over-feminized

This is a big issue that is starting to be noticed among educators. For years schools have made particular effort to cater to girls as well as creating an atmosphere and expectation more realistic for girls than boys.

I just read an interesting article on how boys are treated as "defective girls" in public education in America and it really rang true with me.

I'm not sure what the solution is, but I'm glad at least it is starting to be acknowledged as a problem.

More experience (for anyone who cares): Back in the '80s, when I was first trying to get published, I was told, "You've written a book for boys."

Me: "Yeah."

Them: "Boys don't read. It's a hard and fast rule of the publishing world: Boys don't read."

Me: "Maybe you're not giving them something they'd like to read."

Them: "...."

Me: "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize the conversation was over."

Boys don't read because publishers are anuses. And that's a hard and fast rule of my world.

moeburn: That is for all you boys who don't feel like reading.

Read any Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child, and you will feel differently. Guaranteed.

I'm not a guy, but I really enjoy Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels.

underbridge: I just read an interesting article on how boys are treated as "defective girls" in public education in America and it really rang true with me.

I'm not sure what the solution is, but I'm glad at least it is starting to be acknowledged as a problem.

You don't know what the solution is? Why, it's more "anti-boy" drugs, you big ninny!

Oldiron_79: I like reading non fiction informational shiat, but reading fiction is lame, movies with special effects is much more betterful.

+1 to that. I read lots of technical books, history books, etc. Fiction just doesn't do it for me. Once I got past "The Boxcar Children" I stopped reading most fiction books.

Is it me, or does this article in no way account for the different brain development patterns of male children vs. female children.

Nor does it cite any historical data as a base for comparison.

I hated fiction as a kid. I could have a better time reading "How People Lived in a Medieval Castle," and then imagining my own adventure from it than I could reading that stale, cardboard-character "Narnia" junk.

Schools can teach boys. Boys are taught science and math, so the argument that they cannot be taught is crap. Math and the sciences are mostly taught by men; therefore, the male students pay attention. The male student may more readily identify with the male teacher. Or, there could be another reason. Not being male, I can only guess.

The arts and humanities are usually taught by women; therefore, male students either dismiss them as not worth listening to because they cannot identify with them as they do male teachers, or they are too busy creating a successful pick-up line in their brains. Also, boys are usually taught that the arts and humanities are for girls; therefore, they should not waste time learning those things.

If you argue that teaching is feminized, it may be because teaching usually appeals to women. Make the job more attractive to men, and this will change.

I argue that teaching is not feminized. It is not masculine, either. I argue that men do well in math and science because they are encouraged/expected to. Girls do not because they are taught not to compete with boys, or attempt to learn or understand a subject better than boys, as boys cannot handle it. I disagree with this bit, though. Girls are not encouraged/expected to do well in the sciences or math. Girls tend to be taught that math and science are too hard for them, or that the places they will work with math and science degrees-such as labs-are not fitting places for a lady, and that language-which girls often excel at-offers them an easy place to be successful. Boys are often taught that they will be viewed as weak if they excel in the humanities.

But, what guys do not understand, is that the arts and humanities is where the girls are. If you like girls, pick up a freakin' book.

To this English teacher, the "schools are feminized" excuse is just as weak as the racism card, the because-I-am-a-woman/minority/homosexual/christian/whatever card that the ignorant and the lazy pull when they are confronted with their own stupidity and inability.

People can learn anything they want to/put their minds to. If you believe that you cannot learn something, for whatever reason, then you will not.

While I have more male students in developmental writing/reading, by the time I get to Comp I or Comp II, the gender balance is almost equal. Each group has laziness and cheaters. Though, male students tend to blame me when they fail or cheat; girls tend to admit that they were wrong.

Say, underbridge, you don't happen to have a link or anything telling me where that article you read is, do you?

It sounds like an interesting read.

/is a boy

poisonedpawn78: Reading Harry Potter does not make you an intellectual.

Nor does reading. And besides, there is no intrinsic teleological "good" to reading. You read to get what you want, whatever that may be. Period.

I say this as a life-long pleasure-reader and a college English instructor (so I'm really getting a kick out of these replies). You read to get what you want.

Young children should be taught that reading will help them get what they want. (Yes, I repeat myself.) But we as a nation have not found a very good way to teach this.

\or something

I was fortunate to grow up in a family where everybody was always reading something or other. That's still the case for me and I am no spring chicken.

Somacandra: I'm as unhappy with Mr. Bush as the next rational person, but he does in fact, read.

Your examples are unconvincing. Sounds like more photo ops to cover up his own admission 6 years ago. I'm sorry, but 60 years old is a little late to start.

Somacandra: According to the New York Times (and for all we know it might even be true), quite the fan of conservative author Tom Wolfe, including his latest racy novel.

I think we are missing a word in there somewhere, yes?

Like, say, WHO is quite the fan?

Shakespeare's Sister:

I just don't think it's the teacher at all. It comes down to the books. There's just nothing for boys. It's all embarrassing crud. Writers and publishers refuse to write and publish the things that would pull a boy into a book. They'd rather try to "fix what's wrong with boys" by writing a bunch of cloying, manipulative rubbish pretending to be sci-fi. Failure.

And it's easy to write the sort of action that will draw them in and still maintain character development and emotion. I've discovered that if I can give them enough airplane chases and explosions they'll forgive me when I have the hero kiss the heroine.

Obviously reading comprehension can only be interpreted using standardized tests and their ability to expound on how <u>Where the Red Fern Grows</u>, makes them feel. Reading comprehension can't possibly apply to, being able to comprehend the plot lines in comic books, and the ability to use a computer or the internet.

I've read all the Jack Reacher books, The Enemy was prob the best, Die Trying the worst. But these books do keep me coming back for more, agreed.

Squidgilum: And it's easy to write the sort of action that will draw them in and still maintain character development and emotion. I've discovered that if I can give them enough airplane chases and explosions they'll forgive me when I have the hero kiss the heroine.

At least up to a certain age, it's easier to interest boys in books by using non-fiction. You know, the kind of books with a lot of photos accompanying factual information about exotic sharks or spiders, or the history of real-life pirates, or the various planets and stars and black holes that populate deep space. Truth is stranger than fiction, and nobody knows that like an eight-year-old with a library card.

yotta: I was fortunate to grow up in a family where everybody was always reading something or other. That's still the case for me and I am no spring chicken.

Reading is a poor substitute for getting out and interacting with the world; on the other hand, it's a fantastic substitute for television and video games.

I love a good book, and always have a few stacked up on my bedside. But I'll readily admit that the people who'll go out with their friends tend to be more successful in life even if they're less informed about the rest of the world.

blazemongr:

Amen! If a book was called "Strange But True" I had read it sometime in the 5th grade!

I'm a librarian. This news about boys not reading is really depressing.

The fault for this lies with the parents. If parents aren't involved in their kids' lives and park them in front of the TV and video games, then they are in effect abusing their children and depriving them of enjoying all the wonderful books out there.

If this continues, in 20 years we'll need to import non-U.S. people into America to do our thinking for us.

Shakespeare's Sister: Math and the sciences are mostly taught by men; therefore, the male students pay attention. The male student may more readily identify with the male teacher. Or, there could be another reason. The arts and humanities are usually taught by women; therefore, male students either dismiss them as not worth listening to because they cannot identify with them

I think you've got cause and effect completely reversed there.

"If this continues, in 20 years we'll need to import non-U.S. people into America to do our thinking for us."

Einstein asks where you have been for the last twenty years

I just can't see blaming the parents or the teachers. When I work with kids and get them to write stories, the boys start everything with "One day the earth was conquered by robots and the few humans that were left went underground..." The girls' stories start with "I woke up late for school, I had lost my homework, and my best friend wouldn't talk to me..."

I think it's deep in the core of the brain, and we just have to admit that they function differently. Unfortunately, we're told that robot wars are silly and "my best friend was mad at me" is meaningful, so the boys are shoved aside.

If I'm not mistaken, 7/8 of all hyper-geniuses are male, and 2/3 of all cognitively incapacitated individuals are male.

There are so, so very many, jokes here...

I'm a guy who reads alot, and I'm still in highschool. Yes, girls may read more, but half the stuff I see them reading is mindless preteen novels.

That doesnt count as reading. I even tried reading it once just to see why 17 of 20 girls in my english class did a report on it. I got 15 pages in and wanted to kill myself(I admit I'm not the target audience but it was still bad). I do read Harry Potter but I prefer more classics. Shoot I have over 1000 books on the shelf next to me that I've read over the last 3 years of highschool.

/steps down from high horse
//flame-on Sisterhood fans

lolz i cn rd fyn

My bad that should be over 100.

/preview is handy but only when you really use it

what's the difference between a stupid boy and a smart boy? About 150 IQ points!

/No?
//Why isn't anybody laughing?
///I'm stewpid
////slashies

No sh*t.
I worked my way through college tutoring rich people's sons for the SAT. Basically these doctors, lawyers, MBA's let their kids spend their lives sitting down in front of the TV or Nintendo and never do any reading that wasn't required by their teachers. Teaching the kid SAT review math was easy, but trying to teach them how to understand a literary allusion when they HAD no literary knowledge to draw from --that was really tough. And the parents would be asking me to "fix" it at least two years too late for a "quick" fix and TEN years to late to make these boys really thoughtfully literate adults.
People- READ TO YOUR KIDS!! MAKE THEM READ!!!

Have the boys pick up Tucker Max's book or Maddox's book and you'll have them reading in no time.

Yet it's the females who are ceaselessly whinning.

tl;dr

\Being ironic
\\Been meaning to "read" more

I can't put a gun to my kids hands and force them to read. I CAN however hand them things they'll like, maybe...

Girls like relationships
Boys like action and true stories

Answer: Give the girl the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, give boys Navy Seal True Stories and How to Build a Robot.

/all statements are generalizations and you're sexist as you are accusing me of being such!

The primary reasons being:

1.) The vast majority of recent literature is total and utter trash. Pure tripe. Disgusting, boring, poorly written garbage. Who the fark wants to read that?
2.) Video games are more fun.
3.) Good video games have vastly superior stories to recent literature (Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, The Longest Journey, etc).


/doesn't read thread
//obvious

The vast majority of recent literature is total and utter trash. Pure tripe. Disgusting, boring, poorly written garbage. Who the fark wants to read that?

The one problem about that there argument is that literature is literature. Old books don't just go away; that's why you get what we call a "canon". Even if new books suck (a point with which I don't agree, btw), older, better books don't miraculously disappear as a result of this suckage. Unlike, say, video games.

/I agree that Baldur's Gate DID have an awesome storyline, though.

Shakespeare's Sister: Schools can teach boys. Boys are taught science and math, so the argument that they cannot be taught is crap. Math and the sciences are mostly taught by men; therefore, the male students pay attention. The male student may more readily identify with the male teacher. Or, there could be another reason. Not being male, I can only guess.

At the ages they are talking about almost all teachers are women.

blazemongr: At least up to a certain age, it's easier to interest boys in books by using non-fiction. You know, the kind of books with a lot of photos accompanying factual information about exotic sharks or spiders, or the history of real-life pirates, or the various planets and stars and black holes that populate deep space. Truth is stranger than fiction, and nobody knows that like an eight-year-old with a library card.

I remember when I was in first grade, and my class had one of it's weekly "let's go to the library and read!" days.

Even then I liked to read, but mostly non-fiction stuff. Science, space, dinosaurs in particular. I remember one of the teachers asking me why I wouldn't get any fiction books.

/because they weren't about dinosaurs, duh
//got into sci-fi and fantasy novels later
///"A Song of Ice and Fire" and "Snow Crash" OWN
////though I did like Calvin and Hobbes and Star Wars as a kid

"3.) Good video games have vastly superior stories to recent literature (Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, The Longest Journey, etc)."

Have you even read a book? Baldur's Gate has no better a plot than any other book by a decent fantasy author (George R. R. Martin, David Eddings, Robin Hobb, etc).)

•About three-quarters of special-education students are boys.

As a member of this oppressed gender, I demand this number go down. It is shameful.

eggsovereasy: "3.) Good video games have vastly superior stories to recent literature (Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, The Longest Journey, etc)."

Have you even read a book? Baldur's Gate has no better a plot than any other book by a decent fantasy author (George R. R. Martin, David Eddings, Robin Hobb, etc).)

George R. R. Martin is pretty awesome. >_>