Measured against 65 other countries, Canada places fifth overall in reading, seventh in science and eighth in mathematics in the Organization for Co-operation and Economic Development’s education assessment released Tuesday.
Quebec emerged as a Canadian leader in math scores, while Albertans topped the science and reading tests.
Girls outperformed boys in reading tests in every country and in every Canadian province. That gap was greatest, close to 10 per cent of total scores, in PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador.
“It’s time to take a leap and look at what strengths in reading we can bring in particular to our boys,” said Denis Mildon, a literacy expert and education consultant.
Because they represent close to half the population, boys provide an excellent target for efforts aimed at improving Canada’s PISA scores.
The writer does not claim to be an expert in the field having no academic credentials specifically in reading education. However, as a very slow, almost laborious child reader, and later a teacher of English for twenty-five years, especially conscious of the attitudes of many males to "reading," I can make a few tentative observations:
- boys want and need to differentiate themselves from "girls" especially in adolescence
- boys find the discussion of human emotions a little "girlie" and therefore a little "untouchable" for them
- boys substitute their feelings, especially those of compassion and empathy, with bravado and often ironic "dissing"
- boys like to manipulate things and, when turning a story into a moving picture, become quite engaged in the legitimate learning activity
- boys naturally like stories that focus on the life experiences of other males, especially those with whom they can relate, and even admire
- boys do not generally engage in lengthy conversations about "thematic" subjects but can become animated when they feel a competitive sense, even if that competition is basically friendly and cordial
- boys are essentially curious, and while they present an exterior of strength and confidence, they are much less strong and confident, especially those who are over-committed to that mask of bravado
- questions like "what would you do in similar circumstances" have provoked much better conversations in my classroom than "will this relationship in the novel survive?"
- there is a "ham" inside virtually every male student, and tickling that ham goes a long way to establishing a relationship with words, ideas, stories and the male "reader/student/explorer" in the classroom
- finding the interior questions that a boy who is coccooning might ask would begin a process of engagement and "connection" between instructor and male student
- exploring the subtle differences between "withdrawal" from others as a strength and as a "running away" could help male students in their search for their own legitimate responses to life situations
- rather than "how-to" manuals devoid of any narrative story line, teachers might use the story lines from newspapers, magazines, movies and even music as entry points to reading...wherever there are humans speaking, musing, writing, debating or even arguing...there is human drama (duh) and male students do enjoy a good "competition" and will sometimes even take sides, and begin to "dubb" for their favourite...
- it is the engagement with the internal self, the interior thoughts and feelings, and the capacity to articulate those thoughts and feelings that is a legitimate goal of any meeting of male adolescents and their reflections in stories, movies, novels, plays and even poems...(The Rag and Bones Shop of the Heart is an excellent source of poems for male readers.)
No comments:
Post a Comment