p. 1 of 8cdn.kjodle.net/blit/MCTE_handout.pdf · of literacies that boys already do use. These are...
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p. 1 of 8 Email me at: [email protected] Visit my website at: www.kjodle.net www.kjodle.net/boysliteracy (active after this weekend) Visit my "Boys and Literacy" forum! Go to this address: http://interact.kjodle.net/forum/ and click on the appropriate link: Also, check out my bookblog at http://bookblog.kjodle.net Thanks for stopping by!
Transcript of p. 1 of 8cdn.kjodle.net/blit/MCTE_handout.pdf · of literacies that boys already do use. These are...
p.1 of 8
Emailmeat:[email protected]
Visitmywebsiteat:www.kjodle.netwww.kjodle.net/boysliteracy(activeafterthisweekend)
Visitmy"BoysandLiteracy"forum!Gotothisaddress:http://interact.kjodle.net/forum/andclickontheappropriatelink:
Also,checkoutmybookblogathttp://bookblog.kjodle.net
Thanksforstoppingby!
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Biologicaldifferencesaremorepronouncedatyoungerages,butthepsychologicaleffectsmaylastwellintoadulthood.Takethemintoaccountatallages.
Fact Implication StrategiesBoys'brainsareusually6to18monthsbehindgirls'brainsindevelopment.
• Especiallyatearlierages,boysdon'tpickupskillsasreadilyorasearlyasgirls.
• Continueoralreadingtostudentsatallages.
Boys'frontallobesarelesswell‐developedthatingirls.
• Boysaremoreimpulsive.• Theyarelessabletositstill,andtendtofidget.
• Allowboysmoremovement,orevenjusttostand,ifappropriate.
• StressballsGirlstendtothinkmoreverbally,boysmorevisually.
• Literaturemaybehardertoapproach.
• Usemore"graphic"texts• Usestickynotesandindexcardsaswritingmanipulatives
• Usestoryboardingtoorganizewriting
Boyshaveless‐developedfinemotorskills
• Badhandwriting• "Handaches"
• Teachpenmanship(butnottheold‐fashionedway—focusonthechild'skeyproblemareas,notonascope‐and‐sequence)
• Usekindergartenpencils• Uselarge‐diameterspens• Teachthe"potato‐chip"method
Thecorpuscallosumislargeringirls;thus,thereismorecross‐talkbetweenhemispheresingirls'brainsthaninboys'.
• Girlsarebetteratmultitasking.• Boyspreferamorelogical,A‐Zfocusontasks.
• Boyscanbecomeirritableifmovedtooquicklybetweenactivities.
• Teachboystodevelopandusetheirownorganizationalstrategies
• Don'tpushboystotakeonavarietyoftasksatonce.
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Fact Implication StrategiesBoys'brainsslipintoa"neuralreststate"moreeasily(i.e.,they"spindown"morereadilythangirls').
• Boysfidgettokeeptheirmindsactive.
• Boysmaymisssomethingifthereisalagintheinstructionoractivity.
• Acceptthefidgeting,withinreason.
• Donotview"tuningout"assubversiveoraninsulttoyourteaching.
Boyshavealargerportionoftestosteronethangirls.
• Boysaremoreaggressive.• Boysaremoreovertlycompetitive.
• "AggressionNurturance"–theplayfulhittingand"dissing"thatboysengageinisnotalwaysbad.Sometimesitisaformofbonding.
• Usegamestoachievelower‐levelobjectives.
Boyshaveasmallerproportionofoxytocin(the"bondinghormone")thangirls.
• Boysdonotautomaticallybondwithteachersaswellasgirls.(Theyhavelessrelianceon"bondingmalleability"–thedesiretocomplyinordertopleaseothers.)
• Suggestaspecificperson,otherthanyourself,astheaudienceforreadingandwriting.
• Provideopportunitiesforboystosharetheirreadingandwritingexperiences,especiallywithotherboys.
Neveraskstudentsto"coldread"aloud.Noround‐robinreading.
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Fact Implication StratgiesWeexpectboysnottobeasliterateasgirls.
Boysdon'texpecttobeasliterateasgirls.
Allowmoretimeforsharing:• literaturecircles• readers'circles• publication• booktalks• websites
Therearefewearlyrolemodelsformaleliteracy,especiallyforminorityboys.
Readingandwritingtendtobeviewedasfeminineactivities,orsomethingtobedoneinprivate.(Wheredoalmostalladultmenread?)
Providemoremalerolemodelsintheschools.• fathers• business&communityleaders• the school janitor
Encouragemorementobeearly‐educationteachers.
"Literacy"isoftenviewedbyteachersstrictlyintermsoffictionandpoetry.
Boysinferthat"literacy"isastrictlyassociatedwithschool.Anythingelsethat'sfunandenjoyablesimplyisn'tlearning.
Weneedtostartexaminingthewiderangeofliteraciesthatboysalreadydouse.
Thesearestrengthsthatwecanusetoopenupchannelsofcommunication.
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Toooften,weassumethatboyswhodon'tliketoreadfictionorchapterbooksare"alliterate."Yetboysdousealotofdifferentliteraciesintheirdailylives.
Inordertoreachthem,weneedtoexaminethekindsofliteraciesthattheydouse,suchas:
Periodicalliterature
Informationalliterature(seeabove)
Digitalliterature
Videogames
RPG(roleplayinggames,suchas"DungeonsandDragons"and"Magic:TheGathering")AlotofthesehaveaspectsoftheheroquestthatJosephCampbelldescribed.
Codedlanguage,suchasriddles,puzzles,wordgames,etc.
Asanexampleofhowdemandingsomeofthistypeofliteracycanbe,takealookattwocardsfromthe"Magic:TheGathering"role‐playinggame.
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Bothofthesecardsmakeheavyintellectualdemandsontheplayers,bothintermsofliteracyandstrategy.AndwhilealotofMagicplayersareadults,I'veseenkidsasyoungaseightplayingthegame.
Itisessentialthatwedonotdismissthesebasicliteraciesthatboysuse,butrather,usethemtobuildbridgesbetweenwhereboysarenowandwherewewouldlikethemtobeinthefuture.
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Boysoftenhavefardifferentreadingpreferencesthantheadultsaroundthem.MichaelSullivanhasobservedthatincomparingteenboys'bookchoicesinabookstoretotheninetybookslistedontheInternationalReadingAssociation'sYoungAdults'Choicesprojectbooklistsfromtheprecedingthreeyears"therewasabsolutelynooverlap"(67)andthatonlytwoauthorsappearedonbothlists.
Ifwetakeanarrowviewofliterature(i.e.,thetraditionalcanon)andtrytoreachboysusingonlythatsetofbooks,wehaveatoughjobaheadofus.Weneedtostartbylookingatthekindsofbooksthatboysdolike,andifnotoutrightembracingthem,atleastmakingspaceontheshelfforthem.
Sowhatkindsofbooksdoboysliketoread?Here'sapartiallist:
o comics
o Manga
o graphicfiction
o seriesbooks
o "ChooseYourOwnAdventure"books
o nonfiction(history,naturalscience,archeology)
o bookswithmaps(thinkLordoftheRings)
o sports,action,adventure(MikeLupicaandGaryPaulsen)
o humor(DaveBarry,plusanythingwithpottyhumor)
o fantasyandsciencefiction
o booksinwhichrealboysarereflected(JoeyPigzaandallsortsofauthenticmulticulturalliterature)
o anythingthatissquishy,slimy,gruesome,gross,orsticky
Choiceisabsolutelyessentialforboysandforallreluctantreaders!Wemustallowstudentstherightwehaveasadultstochoosewhattheywanttoread.Ourresponsibilityistomakeasmuchgreatliteratureavailabletothemaspossible.
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Other strategies to try(that I just don't have time to talk about):
single‐genderlearningenvironments(tryall‐boyandall‐girlgroups,alternatedbymixed‐gendergroups)
moretechnology(boysandtheirtoys)
createaninteractivewebsiteaboutabook
usedramaandactingoutscenesfrombooks(boyslovetobehams,especiallytheonesthataren'tallthatintoreading)
longerwaittime(30‐60seconds)—thishelpseveryone
