AFTER-SCHOOL READ-ALOUDS FOR MIDDLE
SCHOOL BOYS
Kenna Wiggins
Literacy competence is the goal of communication arts education. Traditionally, girls outperform boys
in literacy pursuits (Kleinfeld, 1998; Park, Pearson, & Reckase, 2005). In recent years, girls have also been
receiving more attention in matters of education, as their needs have been considered to have been
shortchanged in favor of boys’ educational requirements (Kleinfeld, 1998). However, now educators are
viewing with alarm the discrepancies between boys and girls in reading and writing skills. Books and courses
abound, all full of recommendations for remedial strategies. Still, boys’ scores fall behind (Costello, 2008).
The correct approach to take with boys is a subject of much debate. Williams (2004) and Alloway and
Gilbert (1997) explain that boys’ literacy needs are different from girls’, as boys’ sense of masculinity is
challenged by reading, which is often seen as an activity for girls. Tomlinson and Kalbfleisch (1998) believe the
answer to literacy skills in either gender lies in differentiated instruction within the classroom. Tunmer,
Chapman, Greaney, and Prochnow (2002) assert that “explicit instruction in phonological processing skills (p.
26)” offers a key to any struggling reader’s improvement.
Regardless of the approach, readers employ certain strategies to comprehend text. These include
visualizing, connecting, questioning, predicting, clarifying, and summarizing (Fountas & Pinnell, 2000). Brain
research has shown that students have differing learning styles (Tomlinson & Kalbfleisch, 1998; Williams
2004). Murr, Juarez, Underwood, Springen, and Wingert (2006) found in their study that boys tend to be more
kinesthetic learners and have reading interests different from girls. Fletcher (2006) found that boys prefer
action, violence, humor, and mainly non-fiction reading material. Costello (2008) corroborates this in his call
for reading material with strong male action characters. All of this knowledge is of little use if boys are not
actually reading. Therefore, a remedy for boys’ literacy would seem to lie in increasing amount of time spent
reading.
Brozo, Shiel, and Topping (2008), observing that “there
might be little in youths’ school
Kenna Wiggins, M.S. Ed. in Reading, is a career
experience that is relevant to this wider purpose” (p.
educator who has taught at every level from
311), found that schools can take steps to increase the
kindergarten to university. A former
connection between academic and practical reading.
communication arts department head and
Brozo et al. report that reading achievement is
French teacher, she is happiest encouraging
determined by engagement, segmented by diversity,
struggling readers and writers. She shares her
frequency, and attitude. To increase engagement, Brozo
joy in literacy instruction, presenting at
et al. found students need time for “personalized
conferences and welcoming prospective
reading” (p. 311) connected to their interests.
teachers to observe in her classroom.
Additionally, time after school should be set aside for
reading, with students held accountable for their
comprehension. The need for self-monitoring is corroborated by Kolic-Vehovec and Bajsanski (2006) in their
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