What Successful Readers Do
By
Libby Brown, Ashley Carroll, Hope Guda, and Nissa Dean

“One Monday morning Lilly came to school especially happy. She had gone shopping with her Grammy over the weekend. Lilly had a new pair of movie star sunglasses, complete with glittery diamonds and a chain like Mr. Slinger’s. And, best of all, she had a brand new purple plastic purse that played a jaunty tune when it was opened.” This passage from Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, is an example of type of literature that is often used in classrooms across America. However, literature such as this typically does not spark the interest of boys. More and more boys are slipping through the cracks because they are not being exposed to literature that captures their interest. As a research group we wanted to answer the question; “Among successful and motivated readers, what reasons do boys give for enjoying reading?” Through parent surveys and individual interviews in Kindergarten and first, third and sixth grade, we discovered that boys who enjoy reading read about subjects that relate to the activities that they participate in.
One of the most prominent findings was that these readers are drawn to informational text. These non-fiction books are primarily focused on one topic such as a specific sport, a particular career or an object or person of interest. For example, our interview with Kindergartener Fernando,* revealed his love for baseball which was reflected in his choice of books which he said he read to improve in his sport. Another interview with sixth grader Joaquin,* told us that he spends his free time playing video games. As a result of this interest he enjoys reading gaming magazines that help to better his skills. This information led us to discover that boys not only read informational books but also other literature forms such as magazines and newspapers. We concluded that boys are drawn to material that allows them to pull information and facts quickly. This type of material is also usually very visually stimulating characterized by sharp, colorful images.
Another conclusion we reached in our research is that successful readers read about topics they actually participate in. This meaning a boy who reads about football in a Sports Illustrated magazine is actually playing touch football with his Dad after school. Similarly, a Kindergartener who enjoys playing with his pet dog at home will often choose books about animals. In the primary grades this participation sometimes presents itself through imaginative play. Hans,* a first grader who reads about space travels also imagines himself blasting off into space as an astronaut.
In conclusion, there is a direct correlation between the literature boys enjoy reading and their personal interests and activities. There is a lot of literature available that addresses the interests of young boys. However, it takes a good critic, who is well informed about the literature that will engage boys, to select quality material that will foster lifetime readers. In the words of a