Did you know that boys produce less serotonin than girls do? This can cause them to be more antsy and fidgety when forced to sit still for long periods of time. My own boys are prime examples of the "I’ve got ants in my pants" syndrome. Even if we’re watching one of their favorite movies, Caleb and Ben are constantly moving about the room, often jumping and pretending to be the characters in the movie. When the movie stops, they keep going, and going, and going, until we force them to go to sleep.
Boys are active learners. In most instances, the act of doing a specific task or lesson is far more beneficial for boys than learning about that task through reading. Boys tend to be visual, tactile learners. They succumb easily to distractions, which makes reading quietly especially difficult. When an adult hands them a book, they may look upon it as some sort of punishment.
In order to get boys to love books, parents and educators need to change the way THEY think about books. For instance, boys have a hard time keeping quiet for long periods of time. I have learned that while reading to my boys, I need to allow them to ask as many questions as they want so that they feel like active participants in the reading process. Sometimes Caleb will jump off the couch and physically demonstrate something he was thinking about while I read to him. For a woman who loves to curl up and read quietly for long periods of time all alone, uninterrupted, this whole let’s move while we read thing takes patience. But it works for them; they don’t get frustrated, and they’re learning.
I am thankful that my boys love fiction. A lot of boys don’t. They may not see it as a useful way to spend their time. Many boys prefer reading about sports, space, rockets… all those things that go and go fast. Other boys love fiction, but perhaps not in the form that educators and parents believe is educational or beneficial. Boys may choose science fiction over other types of literature and may choose comic books over novels. These genres appeal to boy’s physical, imaginative natures and should be encouraged! Discouraging alternative genres makes boys believe that real reading is boring and that there is something wrong with them for desiring to read something out of the mainstream.
Finally, educators and parents need to make books relevant for boys. Keeping books and magazines around as reference material is an excellent way to do this. Whenever Caleb has a sudden question about airplanes or about how to grow marigolds, we pull out a book and read about it. Boys love pictures; they learn best visually, so reference books with pictorial descriptions are excellent reading choices.
How do parents and educators make fiction relevant for boys? By incorporating it into their play. I read Caleb and Ben Star Wars books. A lot. I would say Star Wars is their favorite right now. When we are done reading a Star Wars tale, they act out the story. My husband and I have even bought them plastic light-sabers so they feel like authentic Jedis. Boys love fantasy and they love active play. Why not take fantastical aspects from the books they are reading and encourage them to perform what they have read? They will probably take it even further, making up their own stories with the same characters, extrapolating ideas and motifs from what they have read and incorporating it into their own dramatic play.
Reading can be a physical activity! Who knew! As King Julian, the lemur from Madagascar says, "I like to move it, move it…" Boys NEED to move it. It’s how they learn. Let’s help them move it while learning to love reading.
Robyn
Excellent post! In my capacity as an adviser in schools I recently observed a lesson with a teacher who was having lot of problems with her boys – they were 6 yr olds. After they had sat still and listened to her droning on for 30 mins I could see that the boys were like shaken up bottles of champagne ready to pop! I was amazed that they managed to sit still for so long, but I think they wre pretty scared of her.The worst of it was she thought it was the boys’ problem that they were misbehaving! I thought they behaved remarkably well!!
Jason
My boy does the same thing at dinner time. He can’t keep himself in the seat. And when we watch star wars he doesn’t watch, he pulls out his lightsaber. With popularity of the LEGO star wars sets and video games, I’d like to see them come out with some LEGO themed books somehow.
liliana
simple question-can anybody recommend a book for 9 yrs old boy who likes sports which can keep him reading more then 1 page
Debby-6-Kids
Wow…Holly! I was smiling while reading this. When my boys were younger they too would jump up and act out the parts of the story I was reading with them. (I can remember on a few TIRED occasions thinking the book was never going to end with all the acting that had to take place). I miss those days so much though. Thanks for the memories!
It doesn’t matter how they learn to read as long as they are learning. Many believe to learn you have to sit STILL and concentrate…..go figure!
Holly Bowne
I had to laugh when you mentioned your boys wanting to act out something they were thinking about when you were reading to them. I used to wonder why my son would often stop me to try and create the facial expression of the character we were just reading about. “Did his face look like this, mom?”
Great post, and SO TRUE! Boys need to move it, move it!
bookclub4boys
love this article! It is soooo true! That is why when I host a book club for my sons- it is ACTION ORIENTED.. we DO stuff.. they did in the book. The book club is more of a reward for putting the reading time in and the boys look forward to re-enacting things from the story.
I also always start with an energy game- to get most the wiggles out- before we even try to discuss the book.
Love the article!
Holly J
Hi Amanda,
I read the statement in the book Boys and Literacy by Knowles and Smith (Introduction pg xiii.)
Of course, as I did some quick research, scientists, doctors and neurologists disagree on this issue. I read that males secrete less serotonin, that males secret 52% MORE serotonin, and that males simply secrete serotonin at a much faster rate than females. There is no general consensus!
So I am at a loss as to what to believe. Did you have thoughts on the matter?
Holly
Bridget Mosley
Yes! You might be interested in “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” by John Ratey. Dr. Ratey explains that BDNF is made when we move and this chemical helps our brains remember as well as lifts our mood.
Thought you might be interested in our site wowzabrain.com because we teach parents to teach reading by having their kids move and answer rhythmically. This patterning is an engaging way to teach a boy to read.
AnneD
Thanks for this article, it’s so true!
My son, Alex, used to hate reading at school and at home. I just didn’t know what to do to help him. at 5 years old, he kept saying to me, "What’s the point, mum, it’s so BORING"! Eventually, I sat down and wrote him some books called "Super Sam and the Hunt for Treasure".
Basically the idea was that Alex would read the book aloud to me, and when he got to the last page of the book, it would tell him where treasure was hidden somewhere in the house. The treasure was a chocolate coin taken from a locked treasure box that I made for him! He loved jumping up and running to find the treasure. Making reading ACTIVE was the key!
The books were such a success that I’m now selling them to help other boys discover the fun of reading! I am convinced that boys need to have a purpose and an adventure when discovering reading,
"Boys NEED to move it. It’s how they learn"… I LOVE IT!