2010). What Needs to Be Done

The research quite clearly suggests that something needs to be done about the gender gap in literacy rates and the lower comprehension and skill levels of male students. What is somewhat less clear is exactly what needs to be done or how to go about implementing the necessary changes. This is not to say that certain strategies and methods have not been suggested, many of which have even been studied and demonstrated to have a positive impact, but developing a full teaching strategy that addresses this gap in many ways requires an overhaul of general teaching practices that is complex and difficult to concretely define let alone implement. Certain entrenched policies and practices also increase the difficulty of implementing the necessary adjustments to curricula and methodologies.

Education has tended towards greater freedom for independent exploration and less rigid instruction, and while this can lead to improvements in some areas for many students it has been detrimental to boys in reading if not in other subjects (Booth et al. 2004). Providing more rigidly structured lessons and daily guided reading experiences with detailed instructions and straightforward response activities can both go a long way towards improving literacy in boys, though these run counter to current prevailing teaching philosophies in some ways (Booth et al. 2004). Clearly defined assessments and explicitly described processes and explanations of reading material can help boys unlock the "secrets" of reading and improve reading comprehension as well as eagerness, which is fundamental...

2004).
Right now, there is a policy in Ontario schools that mandates the use of professional activity days to inspect curricula and the processes of curriculum development, implementation, and review. Policy 151 uses language that does relates to overall curricula for all students, however, and does not address the need to examine sub-populations within the larger student body for specific problem areas and demographics, in an effort to ensure an equal opportunity at education for all students. Getting teachers and administrators to focus on male students that do not face other noticeable social or learning difficulties can be quite arduous, despite the clear and compelling evidence that this demographic is being left at a disadvantage by current teaching practices. This policy must be implemented on a more specific and purposeful basis if it is to have its intended effects of improving overall educational standards and successes and especially if it is to have the effect of improving boys' literacy and closing the gender gap when it comes to reading skills.

Conclusion

There is an immediate and pressing need to address the continued and growing gender gap that exists in literacy rates and reading skills. With boys increasingly identifying as non-readers as they progress through school, and beginning at younger ages, they are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to higher education and opportunities later in life. Addressing this issue early in education is essential to creating successful learners out of our boys.