Following on from last week’s article, we can examine in depth the kind of action that can improve our boys’ engagement with reading to the point where they can possibly cultivate a passion for the practice.

The website, Literacy for Boys https://www.literacyforboys.com.au/boys-love-lfb-heres-what-they-say/ recommends setting up a routine whereby boys are reading for 10 minutes a day. The mood should be kept upbeat by choosing a time that he is not tired or hungry and make sure you compliment their progress. It is also suggested that you shouldn’t give up – it’s a matter of attitude – encourage rather than enforce. Opting out will be counteractive in establishing resilience, determination and dedication as well as rob him of developing the skills required for not only reading but having the confidence to speak publicly – conquering reading sets him up to conquer his world!

Daniel Willingham (2015) espouses that “reading self-concept is both built by and a contributor to positive reading attitudes and the act of reading.” This is where the reading self-concept can be more important than reading attitudes. If being someone who reads becomes a part of a boy’s self-concept, it will engender a natural inclination to do it more frequently. The diagrams show the vicious and virtuous cycles of a reader.

The experts recommend a few more elements to add:

• Getting dad on board – the influence of a positive male role model does help, and not just having dad sit with him and listening to him read but also the boy seeing dad read for his own leisure sets a great example.
• Dad reading the same book encourages even more engagement; being able to compare what each other is up to in the latest David Walliams, or discussing the exploits of a Horowitz spy hero forms that bond almost akin to co-conspirators in a private plot.
• Matching reading material to current films or television and building on interests is always successful, and don’t discount non-fiction – a book about Marvel characters is still processing the written word.
• The experts encourage the use of technology for some boys to make it easier for them to engage but never underestimate the value of accessing libraries, learning how to select suitable material, and holding a book in the journey to hone reading skills.