Reading aloud with boys: key issues:
Who?
Why?
When?
What?
Where?
How?

To change the ways and reasons why boys will read we need to make it a legitimate, valued, safe, fun choice for
them: a choice that doesn’t either conflict too violently with their understanding of themselves or perpetuate narrow images of masculinity

Boys and reading isn’t an either/or thing: this is a both/and project.

Why:
• Multiple benefits of literacy engagement generally
• Evidence of positive impact of reading aloud
• Self expression/communication improves behaviour and retention
• Impacts in areas other than ‘english’

When:
Any time, all the time!
We need to create new patterns, new logic…

What:
Anything! Well…almost anything…
• Doesn’t have to ‘perfect’ or prize winning
• Encourage choice
• Don’t be afraid of the popular
• Use multiple forms of texts: fiction, non-fiction;
magazines; comics; graphic novels; multi-media etc
Once we start we can detour, explore, double back, re-start…

Where:
Everywhere!
• Don’t confine books to the house or one area of the house
• Embrace multiple forms of reading--singing, acting, tapes in cars, CDs before breakfast, letter hunts when shopping, bed time stories--and make links to the world

Who:
Everyone
or at least…
• Someone!


How:
• Joyfully
• Confidently
• Actively
• Experimentally
• Flexibly
• Fearlessly
• And NEVER as a test!

Put simply it’s all about:
• Means, motive, opportunity
And everyone can do it….

The most important thing:
• Relationships….
• And beginnings….