This excerpt is the first chapter in David Booth's Even Hockey Players Read. This chapter focuses on uncovering many of the assumptions and stereotypes parents and educators have about boys and how they handle the world of print text.

This excerpt is the first chapter in David Booth's Even Hockey Players Read. This chapter focuses on uncovering many of the assumptions and stereotypes parents and educators have about boys and how they handle the world of print text. This chapter attempts to answer some of the pertinent questions surrounding the literacy lives of boys. Included are the voices of boys and men interviewed by the author, who reveal their literacy challenges, struggles, tastes and values. These "real" voices provide valuable insights into how we can support boys in their journey towards becoming successful readers and writers. Drawing upon his background as a parent and a literacy educator, the author suggests strategies and techniques for promoting an alternative culture of literacy in school and home settings, where children's reading choices are valued as much as what they need to read.(author/mcg)

This professional resource discusses the difficulties that many boys experience in the realm of reading and literacy. Author David Booth clearly acknowledges that socio-economic influences, prior knowledge, and experiences also influence how children learn, regardless of gender.

This professional resource discusses the difficulties that many boys experience in the realm of reading and literacy. Author David Booth clearly acknowledges that socio-economic influences, prior knowledge, and experiences also influence how children learn, regardless of gender. It provides some physiological reasons for the differences in abilities between boys and girls and how the genders approach the English language arts. The author considers the popularity of comics, series books, magazines and non-fiction as well as the impact of television, computer technology, and the lack of male literacy role models. Booth maintains that although the aforementioned texts may not be "classical" in the academic sense, they may be critical in providing an environment that encourages literacy in adolescent boys. This book excerpt can emphasize the necessity of increasing the breadth of experiences in reading to encourage students in the career technical field, whether male or female. (sec)