Tips for Getting Your Son to Read this Summer
You likely know how important reading during the summer is to help students from experiencing the documented “summer slide.” But, actually getting your kids – especially boys – to read can be a challenge. As the mom of two boys, ages 9 and 11, whose interests and temperaments are very different, I’ve discovered a formula […]
Getting Boys to Read
You gotta love the AP headline: “Boys trail girls in reading; can fart jokes help?” The topic — boys’ lack of interest in reading — isn’t a new one to readers of this blog. Neither is the solution, which is to “meet boys where they are” — fancy psycho-speak for “capitalize on their interests.” Boys, […]
Books for Boys: Comics
Most boys — even boys who hate reading — find it hard to resist comic books. The attraction is obvious: active, colorful pictures; few blocks of text and ridiculous, courageous or hilarious scenarios. What’s not to like? If you live with a struggling or reluctant reader, I challenge you to check out some comic books. […]
Books for Boys: Fantasy Football Guidebook
‘Tis the season — for football! Those football fans among you have probably been enjoying the season for weeks now (depending on your team). And the die-hard football fanatics are probably already well-aware of the phenomenon that is fantasy football. For the uninitiated, though, fantasy football is a game in which players “draft” real, live […]
Reading as Torture
I finally — finally! — signed my kids up for swim lessons. It’s been a good year and a half, at least, since anyone has had a formal swim lesson because, well, when you have four kids at four different skill levels, scheduling is a devilishly tricky thing. The last time I looked, I would […]
writing vs. Writing
Do your boys like to write? Most boys don’t. Boys’ fine motor skills tend to develop later than girls’, and so for most boys, the physical act of holding a pencil or pen and creating words is frustrating and painful. But what if I told you that’s not writing? Oh sure, it’s writing in one […]
Books for Boys: The Legend of Vinny Whiskers
Happy October! Today, we kick off a new feature: Books for Boys. Approximately once per week, I’ll highlight a Book for Boys (or Boy Parents), a book I think your boys will love — or one that will make your job as a boy parent a little bit easier. Each Book for Boys day will […]
Why Won’t Boys Read?
Richard Whitmire has a great post about boys and reading on Why Boys Fail. Basically, he says video games and peer pressure are not the cause of boys’ poor reading skills. Poor teaching is. I think he’s onto something. I don’t mean to imply that teachers are bad, or even that the sole responsibility for […]
Independence Day Edition
Want this 4th of July to be about more than food and fireworks? Revisit the very origins of our country with a couple of these books, chosen just for boys. Nothing dry or boring here; just book after book about boys in the midst of history. The Minute Boys of Bunker Hill by J.W. Kennedy. […]
Q and A with a Comic Book Writer
Wisconsin-native Rich Koslowski has worked as a comic book and graphic novel writer and illustrator since 1996. He’s best known for his series The 3 Geeks and the two graphic novels Three Fingers and The King. He has been nominated and won many of the comic book industry’s most coveted awards including the Eisner, Harvey […]