Not all parents are as lucky as I am. For some boys, it’s a
real struggle to find any positivity in reading. For many, it’s a chore. It’s
high time that boys find a place of comfort with reading and I am so
over-the-top grateful and delighted to see that the world of education is
standing up and doing something about meeting the needs of boys when it comes
to reading. Boys do not always learn the same way as girls; boys often require
more social interaction to help them process their ideas. They have different
interests; boys tend to prefer non-fiction, action stories, books with humour
and illustrations. Boys also respond to reading in a different way; they tend
to not connect as emotionally with texts as girls do. All of this (and far more
than I can fit into this post!) means that we need to meet boys at their level
of need and stop expecting them to conform to how we think reading ‘should’ be.
John Scieszka is a popular author in my home. His website Guys Read is something my son and I frequent fairly often. I appreciate the
information he provides to me as an educator and my son appreciates the section
‘Let’s Get to the Books,’ which provides a fantastic list of boy friendly
books. Listen to Scieszka talk briefly about boys and reading.
One of the things that thrills me the most (and worries me a
little, but I will get to that later) is the use of graphic novels in our
schools. As a teacher, I have seen how they have opened up a whole new world to
boys who previously dreaded reading. I have seen my students run to the class
library when they see there are new graphic novels on the shelf. They finally
connect to reading through material that is relevant to them. As a mother, I
love what graphic novels have done for my son. While he has always been a
strong reader, the use of illustrations has made him appreciate books so much
more. From the time my son was old enough to hold a crayon, drawing has been
his greatest passion. From the very start, he has always wanted to be a
cartoonist/author and animator. I literally have Rubbermaid bin upon bin filled
with my son’s original graphic novels, drawings and stories and I watch him
spend hours every week illustrating his beloved characters that he hopes to one
day turn into a series.
My son’s life changed when ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ came out.
The two things he loved most, drawing and stories were now blended into one
format. As much as my son has always enjoyed reading, graphic novels finally gave
him a format where he feels ‘at home’ when it comes to literature and
that truly speaks to him in a way that is relevant to his life and interests. Thank you Jeff Kinney! You have rock star status in my house! See this cut out of the Wimpy Kid with my son? Indigo gave it to him as they know how much he loves the series.
There is one concern I do have about these new literacies in
our classrooms. In my teaching practicums I have seen many boys who refuse to
read any other genre other than graphic novels or magazines, etc. As much as I
want boys to embrace these new genres, I don’t want them to solely focus on
them and reject all other forms of literacy. I would be lying if I denied that
I do worry that over time, these new literacies will mean the death of
traditional books and the classics in our classroom. To me, that would be just as
bad as keeping things the way they have traditionally been and forcing boys to
conform. Relying on one form of literacy too much and ignoring others is not
good for anyone. There needs to be balance so our students become well rounded
readers and can discuss more than just their first choice interest.
Despite my concerns, I move happily forward and embrace
these new literacies with gratitude and support. I have come across some
wonderful graphic novels that will allow my students to access literature in a
way that works for them.
Hamlet in Manga
(A graphic novel of Hamlet! I am so excited to make use of this in my reading program one day!)
(A graphic novel of Hamlet! I am so excited to make use of this in my reading program one day!)
Your son is a cutie. Look at how happy he is. You can tell he really loves that book.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, I think he quite cute, but I'm pretty biased, lol. He adores the Wimpy Kid series. They were were life changing for him. He said 'I can write those kind of books.' Up until then he has only seem comics or manga, but nothing that blended a chapter book and drawings.
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