Too many boys think reading for fun isn鈥檛 鈥渃ool.鈥�
This isn鈥檛 breaking news. Global studies from the found boys are less likely to read for pleasure than girls, a trend that continues . But it matters, a lot.
Experts point to a direct correlation between reluctant readers and lower reading proficiency. And the abysmal reading scores on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, released this week, show a dire need to improve reading proficiency among all students鈥攅specially boys.
The NAEP results were poor overall: Just 31 percent of 4th graders performed at or above the 鈥� level on the reading assessment; 26 percent of all 8th graders scored proficient. But boys鈥� average reading scores were lower than girls鈥�, as they were in 2022, and they fell further than girls鈥� scores from 2022. Notably, NAEP findings also concluded that lower-performing students reported feeling less confident in their reading skills.
It鈥檚 not surprising that students who lack confidence in their reading ability would avoid reading for fun鈥攁nd, conversely, that reading more regularly leads to mastery. The 2022 NAEP results showed that 73 percent of high-performing 9-year-olds reported reading for fun either almost every day or once or twice a week, compared with 58 percent of their low-performing peers.
In response to the nation鈥檚 persistently poor reading report cards, a growing number of states in recent years have introduced sweeping legislation to mandate that schools implement evidence-based reading instruction in their classrooms. But overall, students鈥� reading test scores have yet to show significant improvement, and the number of 鈥渞eluctant readers鈥� grows.
Now, some educators are bearing down on a strategy they hope will create better, and lifelong, readers: pleasure reading. Here鈥檚 a look at how four teachers across grade levels are piquing boys鈥� interest in reading for fun.
Hook them early
David Buskirk is on a mission to get his young students to become literate鈥攁nd hooked on reading. For him, it鈥檚 personal.
鈥淚 know education could really, really change the lives of children coming from poverty. I know because I grew up receiving a reduced-priced lunch,鈥� said Buskirk, a kindergarten teacher at Beall Elementary School in Frostburg, Md., and the 2024-25 Allegany County teacher of the year.
He feels a particularly strong responsibility to introduce his male students to the joy of reading.
鈥淏oys, especially from lower-income families, they just don鈥檛 have that role model of males who are reading at home, who are interested in academics,鈥� he said.
In his classroom, the 15-year veteran educator focuses not just on early literacy skills but on gripping storytelling. Buskirk chooses a lot of fairy tales and folk tales to read to his students during class time.
鈥淭he kids, they really like it,鈥� he said of the classic tales that he calls 鈥渒ind of creepy.鈥�
His efforts appear to be paying off. In any given year, the majority of students enter Buskirk鈥檚 kindergarten below where they should be on reading readiness,and, by the end of the year, they鈥檙e testing well above average, based on standardized literacy-assessment tools, said Buskirk.
Make it a group activity
When Susan Grover, now the principal of Symonds Elementary in Keene, N.H., was a 4th grade teacher, a male student, whom she referred to as a 鈥渞eluctant reader,鈥� refused to pick up a book for pleasure reading. The moment was a turning point for Grover.
鈥淲hatever I was doing wasn鈥檛 inspiring him,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o I decided to change the way I was approaching reading with my class.鈥�
She turned reading for pleasure into a book club format, providing students with choices from a wide sampling of books.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e reading books because you want to and you鈥檙e reading them with other students in your class,鈥� Grover said of the tactic which, according to her, helped 鈥渋mmensely鈥� in getting that once-reluctant reader interested in reading for fun.
Model a reading culture
Henry Melcher, the head of the middle school at Boys鈥� Latin, an all-boys K-12 private school in Baltimore, said his staff has created numerous opportunities for students to read for pleasure throughout the school day鈥攁ll of which involve an educator sharing in the activity.
Reading for pleasure is embedded into the school schedule: two 20-minute periods per seven-day cycle. During these periods, all the adults in the room are reading, too.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly important that we鈥檙e modeling what we want to see from kids,鈥� Melcher said.
To further motivate the students to read, gradewide incentives are built in for those who read the most pages, with prizes ranging from footballs autographed by professional players to pizza lunches. For boys who want to read even more, the middle school offers additional opportunities.
One is called Whatcha Reading?, a low-key periodic occurrence during the school day that students sign up for in advance, Melcher said. On the designated day, the boys bring whatever book they鈥檙e reading into the library during lunch, eat pizza, and discuss their book with their classmates and participating teachers and coaches. The educators talk about their own books, too.
鈥淭he straightforward, low-lift activity sends the message to boys that 鈥榠t鈥檚 normal to read, it鈥檚 cool to read,鈥欌�� Melcher said.
Offer choice and make reading material accessible
Joseph Rodriguez was determined to create a different reading environment for his students than the one he experienced in high school.
鈥淚n high school, I had to read my teachers鈥� favorite books, and that tormented me,鈥� said Rodriguez, a language arts teacher at Akins Early College High School in Austin, Texas, and a teaching fellow at the National Book Foundation.
鈥淢ost of my English teachers in high school were white middle- and upper-class women, and I had absolutely no relationship with their favorite characters,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥淚 believe that I can connect with readers who are boys in ways that maybe some of their teachers haven鈥檛 in the past.鈥�
While Rodriguez does assign his nearly 180 students specific reading tasks, he makes sure they include a diverse array of material鈥攆rom analytical and science-based essays to classic works like Geoffrey Chaucer鈥檚 The Pardoner鈥檚 Tale. He also makes sure his students know where they can access reading material for pleasure.
鈥淚 have a classroom library. We have a school library, and then we also have an online digital library from our school library, and we also have a public library, and down the street is a little free library,鈥� Rodriguez said.
Allocate class time for pleasure reading
Rodriguez鈥檚 students need options for finding reading material, as every 90-minute language arts period consists of 20 to 30 minutes of independent-choice reading鈥攁n embedded part of the curriculum used by all teachers in the high school鈥檚 language arts department.
It鈥檚 important, Rodriguez said, to let students have time to read (or listen to) what they choose鈥攚hether it鈥檚 a graphic novel, how-to article, or audiobook.
Rodriguez takes seriously the responsibility of ensuring that his students are readers: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a way to understand the world around us鈥攐ne that keeps changing so quickly.鈥�
