literacy viagra for adolescent boys

Proposals:
- to increase interest in reading in Grade 9 boys
- to increase marks for boys in ENG 1D, 1P and 1L

To:
- English Department
- Literacy Committee


Overview of Problem:

Adolescent boys are falling farther behind girls in literacy and reading. Presently this is reflected in lower standardized tests scores and a greater male population in Applied, College and Essential level English courses.

Ironically, the numbers tell the tale of boys’ literacy over the past several years. With EQAO testing in Grades 3, 6 and 10, the trends are almost identical. In Reading and Writing, boys’ success is much lower than girls’ success percentage. In Grade 3, Reading and Writing success rates are 10 to 15 points lower than girls. By Grade 6, the differences in Reading and Writing success rates are even more noticeable: 18 to 22 points lower. This is cause for grave concern.

With the OSSLT, the results are more positive, but express the same trend. Boys have always shown less frequent success than girls. Each year since 2002, boys’ success rates were 7 points less than the girls. Both girls and boys have improved by 12 points over the last four years, but boys remain needlessly behind. EQAO results

Weaker literacy skills in males could eventually cause higher male under-employment or a shift so that more men work in lower status, lower responsibility jobs. Women could become more often the family bread-winner. With an increase in male career dissatisfaction, an increase in domestic violence could ensue. More obviously, as co-leaders in families, fathers with lower literacy levels could cause a cyclical effect where they pass on the same lack of interest in reading and literacy to their sons.

Certain teachers believe that if a boy arrives in Grade 9 English with weak literacy skills and a lack of interest in reading, it is very difficult to improve his standing. In my opinion, this is true – but it is not impossible. Drastic measures need to take place for improvement.

In all likelihood boys who are weak readers have had co-ed classes and were taught primarily by women from JK to Grade 8. Their instruction has been excellent, but women have been in primarily in charge of their literacy training. As small children, their mothers were likely the parent who read to them before bed. Many fathers do take lead roles in active reading at home and this makes the teachers’ jobs a lot easier later. Perhaps they have imprinted their sense what it means to be literate and what it means to enjoy reading as feminine constructs. For pubescent males who are discovering their own male roles in society, reading and literacy are typically not part of their personalized male schemas. Gender and Literacy As these boys start Grade 9 they will face continued challenges from their teachers, the curriculum expectations, their co-ed classes and growing apathy to the importance of reading and literacy.

Some historical perspective:

In the early to mid-1990s, a mini-crisis existed with girls under-achieving with Math and Sciences. The gap in standardized test scored was alarming – this problem needed to be solved immediately Sex-Roles Stereotyping - OISE . Fewer girls saw careers in Math and Science as viable – they still believed it was the male domain. A lot of mentoring programs began. Curriculum did not change, but certain technology and science courses targeted girls. Girls-only classes in technology were began. Very quickly, test scores improved – so much so that young women’s test results exceeded the boys’ results in Math and Sciences in high school. This cycle of proficiency continued and perpetuated a growing dominance in Schools of Engineering, Medicine and in other professional schools once dominated by men.

As a Math and English teacher, I have seen first-hand the dominance of young women in both disciplines. The boys who share class space with them react by: trying to absorb their skills through osmosis, ignoring them either as a threat or as a non-issue or expressing apathy in that girls are just better and smarter than boys. They may even accept that these are now female domains and they have no business trying to be a part of them.

Societal Perspectives on Problem:

The Math and Science crisis in the 1990s with young women was relatively easy to solve. The challenges that policymakers faced were in fact opportunities and clearly not prohibitive. The present crisis with boys and literacy shares little with the girl-crisis.

For several decades, young women have been told by society at large that they could accomplish anything they wanted and aspire to any career – regardless of existing sex role stereotypes. Women began co-opting many previously male dominated roles – they did so without compromising any long-term sense of femininity. That is to say, there may have been some initial questions about female firefighters, police officers or CEOs, but they were not generally seen as less than feminine. Now society rarely views these women as wanting to be men or labels them as gay because they aspire to traditional male roles. Society rarely views “tom-boys” as little lesbians; however, if a man aspires to a traditionally female role society takes a very unfair and cruel view. Men are still routinely stigmatized if they decide to become “house-husbands”, hair stylists or RNs.

With the issue of literacy, the same challenges exist: compelling males to take on what many boys see as a female role – a role that many boys see as not important to success in a career and not financially rewarding.

Solutions:

One possible first step to bring a boy into the realm of reading is to place a male as the primary deliverer of literacy. This is clearly impossible half the time, but this would be a positive step for boys with severe literacy deficits. Creating a boys-only class for those who fared poorly on the OSSLT or in Elementary School Language and Reading could also be ideal.

Initially, the English Department will need to find out who their clients will be during the following year. Talking with the core teachers from the feeder schools and getting names of boys and girls who are weak in literacy. This is commonly done each Spring to prepare materials for the following year. If numbers allow, nicely asking or begging Guidance to schedule a ENG 1L or even a ENG 1P of just boys would be helpful. The Head could ask a male teacher to take this class.

In a regular class that is taught by either a man or woman, careful consideration needs to be given to the material chosen for the course. The assumption that all boys prefer a “blood and guts” theme to romance is both sexist and over-simplified. The “differences between boys and boys are as great as those between girls and boys” in terms of reading preference. Gender Equity in English - What About “What about the Boys?" Teachers need to allow a significant diversity in material choice for an English program. Collaboration within the department to choose traditional “boy books”, “girl books” and gender-neutral books will be necessary. Using “literature circles” with an appropriate mix of material can be extremely effective in bringing boys back to the books. Literature circles Getting boys up and moving for a few minutes or more in the class can do wonders for their focus. Getting them out of the school can frequently do even more. Could a field trip based on the theme of a novel or short story help their understanding or get them to read further?

Just as girls benefited from career mentoring to compel them into Math and Science programs, so can boys benefit from the same. Engineers, Doctors and Actuaries all can earn a lot of money; steps must be taken to find other professionals who have financially benefited from literacy – either directly or indirectly. They could come to the school and speak to English students about what literacy means to them as far as making money. Boys have actually said to me, “I ain’t gonna be no stupid poet! What’s readin’ this stupid play gonna do for me? Make me rich?” Finding successful male journalists, authors, politicians or business leaders whose livelihoods depend on all aspects of literacy and bringing them in to speak to all students would send a constructive message to boys that the opportunity to become happy, successful or even powerful may come simply from opening and reading a book.

At times, getting boys to do anything is a chore. It frequently requires cooperation and trickery. If they are enjoying the activity and it is productive, they don’t really have to be reminded that slowly and surely, their literacy levels are improving. Literacy is power – the sooner that young men re-acquaint themselves with this very appealing concept, the sooner teachers can expect gender equality in English classrooms.


Resources:

EQAO results
Sex-Roles Stereotyping - OISE
Gender Equity in English - What About “What about the Boys?"
Literature circles