Getting Boys to Read: Kids Book Club
Getting boys to read can be particularly problematic, and if not addressed early, can have deleterious consequences. Consider this alarming statistic by widely-recognized read-aloud expert Jim Trelease:
"...as early as second grade, fully 25 percent (of boys) had developed a negative attitude about reading."(*Trelease, p.156)
This negative attitude stems from a variety of issues including difficulty in finding books for boys targeted specifically towards their interests, a lack of male role models who engage in reading, and a general societal push for boys to favor sports, toys and active play over more solitary activities such as reading. It is, however, possible to avoid this grim prediction, and joining a Children's Book of the Month Club can help.
4 Ways Joining a Kids Book Club Supports Getting Boys to Read
Builds Excitement
There are few things that are more exciting for a child that receiving and opening mail addressed to them, except perhaps opening a gift addressed to them. Kids book clubs capitalize on the excitement that receiving mail can generate. Each month, a brand new title arrives on your child's doorstep, encouraging them to rip it open and delve into the enclosed story. Kids book clubs that gift wrap their selections enhance this excitement even further! Generating excitement about books and reading is the first hurdle to getting boys to read, joining a kids book club is a great first step.
Improves Selection
Kids book club selections are often overseen by experts in the field of children's literature- teachers, reading specialists, librarians and parents- who have a very strong sense of which books kids find engaging. By selecting a kids book club focused on great books for boys, you are increasing the chances that each reading experience your young reader has will be a positive one. And, with each positive reading experience, they are less likely to become part of that 25% of young boys who have developed a negative attitude towards reading.
Eliminates Distractions
increasingly, book stores and libraries are filled with train sets, toys and other distractions both for purchase and to play with. Although these additions are often meant to help encourage young readers to visit, they can often prove distracting to less avid readers. If you find that your young reader often spends more time playing with the model train set that browsing new titles, a kids book club is a great alternative. Book clubs deliver a new title to your door each month, thereby avoiding yet another distractions to boys and reading.
Involves Dad
Young boys often miss out of seeing their male role models engaged in the act of reading. Perhaps it is because their father works late or because the focus of their time spent together is on sports or Lego building. Knowing that their male role models encourage reading and engage in it themselves is essential when getting boys to read. Spreading this message is as easy as having dad, grandpa or a favorite uncle give the gift of a kids book club (a well crafted gift card extolling the joys of reading or identifying a favorite title from their childhood can work wonders!). Selecting a kids book club focused on "boy" books might make reading the books more enjoyable for dad as well, helping involve him in regular story time opportunities.
Getting boys to read is a struggle that many parents face, and the consequences of not addressing it can be crippling. Kids book clubs are a great way to build excitement in reading, to build a library of engaging books, to eliminate distractions that get in the way of picking up a book, and to involve male role models.
I would love to hear from you. What titles or strategies have you found particularly helpful in getting boys to read?
What are you waiting for? Browse our book sets featuring books for boys.
*Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook, Fifth Revised Edition (New York: Penguin Books, 2001).