Riveting Reads: Boys into Books 11-14
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| < What do boys want? | But what about the girls? > |
I've got the books - where are the boys?
Books are only one ingredient in the boys’
reading mix. Think about other factors, including:
Reading’s profile in the school:
Take the library out of the library. Can people
tell, before they
get to the library, that yours is a school that values reading? This
should happen right from the school reception area! Have plenty
around school – posters, signs, photographs, or even small
collections of stock in other locations (sports books in the gym, magazines
in the dining room) – to connect with the library.
Library design:
Is your library central within the school, and on
traffic paths, so that it can be noticed? If not, is it clearly
signposted from all areas of the school? Crucially, has it enough
space? Has it got plenty of face-out display for books, dumpbins, and
reading corners? Does it have floor cushions, easy chairs or sofas to
aid browsing; listening posts for CDs and story tapes? If your
library/classroom needs a re-vamp, get some boys in to advise – or to
help with carrying out the makeover. These things attract all users,
but are all the more critical with boys.
Ambience:
Is your library welcoming, especially to boys?
Does it say ‘be yourself’ or ‘be careful’?
Right from the
start – the displays outside, signs on the door, and the first things they see as they enter – does it look like a comfortable place, one that intrigues, and one that’s cool for boys to be seen in? Does it have big posters of boys reading, particularly ones they know? Is it somewhere boys can drop in, play board games, and meet friends? Do students feel a sense of ownership about your library? Is the library yours, the school’s, or theirs? Boys are more likely to use a facility that other boys endorse, and are involved in.
start – the displays outside, signs on the door, and the first things they see as they enter – does it look like a comfortable place, one that intrigues, and one that’s cool for boys to be seen in? Does it have big posters of boys reading, particularly ones they know? Is it somewhere boys can drop in, play board games, and meet friends? Do students feel a sense of ownership about your library? Is the library yours, the school’s, or theirs? Boys are more likely to use a facility that other boys endorse, and are involved in.
Stock arrangement:
Can boys find genres that interest them, even in A to
Z sequences? Is your library always changing, with ‘author of
the month’, ‘book of the day/week’, mixing of fiction and
non-fiction? Are signs exciting and eye-catching (Dare you read these? rather than Ghost Stories)? Get
pupils to help you choose the genre names, to make them meaningful and
catchy. Many boys say they don’t know what to choose, so make
it easier, using the returns trolley, lots of recommendations, leaving
books out on tables, and other bookshop techniques. Show boys that
you have a huge range of material, including comics and magazines, short
stories, quick reads, poetry, jokes, graphic novels, picture books, and
more.
Finally, make sure that all library staff or helpers
(both adults and pupils) are sensitive towards boys, and that boys –
especially those venturing into the library for the first time – are
genuinely welcomed.
Boys Into Books
Introduction Overview
- Why should you read the introduction?
- Do boys read?
- Is it my problem?
- What’s the background?
- Isn’t it too late by Key Stage 3?
- What do boys want?
- I’ve got the books – where are the boys?
- But what about the girls?
- Who else can help me get them reading?
- Which activities work?
- Doesn’t technology appeal more to boys?
- Can’t parents help?
- How do I know if I’ve succeeded?
- What’s in this list?
- What shall I do with this list?
- What else can I do about boys’ reading?
- Where else can I get help?
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