Johnny can read but he doesn't want to

Ken Braiterman — Sat, 12 May 2007 22:11:00 -0400

Johnny can read. He just doesn’t want to. Adolescent boys read less than any other segment of the population, studies show. Girls between 8 and 13 read, on average, a grade and a half better than boys, according to child development studies cited by Michael Sullivan, a children’s author and librarian from Portsmouth. This developmental gap, which closes by about 13, often leads adults to ask boys to read on their own before they're ready -- because the girls are doing it. In addition, parents, librarians and teachers often fail to encourage boys to read the kind of books boys like, he says. By 13, many boys have already decided reading is not for them because they’re not good at it, or because it’s not a “manly” activity.

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Johnny can read but he doesn't want to