Jacquis in As You Like It And then

Jacquis in As You Like It And then the whining schoolboy with his satchel and shiny morning face creeping like a snail unwillingly to school. (Shakespeare, 1599) Brozo 2014 1

Reynaldo, a ninth-grader I have no idea how my parents or someone else could get me to read, because I don’t like reading. No one ever read to me before I fell asleep. No one ever bought me a book or some reading material they knew I might be into. And no one ever said, “You can do it, man, ” or something like that. (Washington, DC, 2010) Brozo 2014 2

What Are Your Opinions About Boys and Reading Directions: For each statement, decide whether you Agree or Disagree. Then, be prepared to explain the reasons for your opinions. Discuss your responses with a colleague. Brozo 2014 3

1. Boys read less well than girls because media and pop culture tell boys reading is not cool. _____ Reason: 2. Even if many boys are poor readers, males in our society are privileged and do not need special attention. ____ Reason: 3. There isn’t much that I can do in my role in school or outside of school to improve boys’ reading achievement. _____ Reason: 4. Boys are genetically and cognitively capable of the same high level of reading achievement as girls. _____ Reason: 1. Reading is not as important for boys today, since they can find jobs in service or technology fields that do not require high levels of traditional print literacy. ____ Reason: Brozo 2014 4

6. Our feminized school environment has contributed to boys’ lack of interest and achievement in reading. _______ Reason: 7. The books and other reading material boys are asked to read in school contribute to their lack of interest in reading. ____ Reason: 8. The surest way to get boys to read is to give them text related to what they like to do outside of school. ____ Reason: 9. Electronic media are keeping boys from reading. ____ Reason: 6. Boys should be encouraged to read whatever they like, even if it isn’t quality literature. ____ Reason: Brozo 2014 5

Facts about Boys’ Reading 1. Boys score significantly lower than girls on most measures of verbal ability 2. Boys around the world (PISA/PIRLS) score significantly less well than girls in reading and have lower motivation to read than their female counterparts 3. Far more boys from the same socio-economic group as girls score below Level 2 on PISA reading literacy 4. By 4 th grade the average boy is one-two years behind the average girl in reading 5. Boys read less quantity and less for enjoyment than girls Brozo 2014 6

Facts about Boys’ Reading in Finland 6. The achievement gap in favor of girls on PISA reading literacy is one of the highest of all participating countries 7. Of the total number of students regarded as weak readers (below Level 2 on PISA reading literacy scale), over 80% are boys 8. Far more boys report that they do not read for enjoyment than do girls 9. Swedish boys in Finland have lower scores than Finnish boys, scoring well below the PISA average of 500 10. Boys prefer and demonstrate higher achievement with noncontinuous text and digital reading Brozo 2014 7

The “Big” Issues Academic Achievement p Boys underperform relative to girls on most measures of verbal ability p Boys comprise much greater percentage of weak readers on PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) as compared with girls p For Finland, the achievement gap in favor of girls on PISA reading literacy is one of the highest of all participating countries p Swedish boys in Finland have lower scores than Finnish boys, scoring well below the PISA average of 500 Brozo 2014 8

Point Difference in favor of Girls on PISA 2000 & 2009 for Finland & other Nordic Countries Denmark Finland* Iceland Norway Sweden 2000 25 points 51 points 40 points 43 points 37 points 2009 29 points 55 points 44 points 47 points 46 points OECD Average = 32 points in 2000; 39 points in 2009 *Finland on PISA 2012 had a 62 point gender gap in favor of girls Brozo 2014 9

Gender differences in Finland for Finnish and Swedish speaking students Girls Boys Difference Finnish Speaking 563 510 53 Swedish Speaking 536 484 52 The average PISA score for OECD countries is 500. While Finnish boys score over this average , Swedish boys score much bel Brozo 2014 10

Percentage of Boys and Girls Who Responded “I do not read for enjoyment” in PISA 2000 and PISA 2009 for Nordic Countries Denmark (N=5718) Finland (N=5725) Iceland (N=3582) Norway (N=4598) Sweden (N=4490) 2000 2009 2000 2009 Boys 36 41 35 47 37 49 45 50 45 49 Girls 18 23 10 19 23 28 24 30 25 27 Brozo 2014 11

Percentage Distribution of Weak Readers (Below Level 2 on PISA Reading Proficiency Scale) by Gender on PISA 2000 and 2009 for Nordic Countries From: Northern Lights on PISA 2009 – focus on Brozo 2014 reading 12

Gender differences in overall print reading on PISA 2000 & 2009 for selected countries & OECD average Brozo 2014 13

Index of Reading for Enjoyment Mean Scores and on Average for five selected countries & OECD average (2009) Brozo 2014 14

The “Big” Issues New Literacies p Definitions of literacy are expanding to include digital literacies, youth media, and virtually any act of meaning making as “reading. ” p Evidence can be found for male youth participating actively in the “mediasphere” p Boys’ expertise with digital and media literacy may not be privileged and/or valued in most academic contexts Brozo 2014 15

The “Big” Issues Social & Economic Justice p Immigrant boys have the lowest levels of reading achievement p Boys from low-income households have very low reading achievement Brozo 2014 16

The “Big” Issues Sociopathy p Males commit most suicides p Males perpetrate most homicides p Males commit most acts of family violence p Males comprise most of the homeless p Males comprise most drug addicts p Males comprise most AIDS carriers *Low levels of literacy are often associated with these syndromes Brozo 2014 17

The “Big” Issues Insidious Sexism p Males continue to dominate political, corporate, and institutional life in Europe and elsewhere in the world p As girls make significant strides academically and professionally, advocates of boys’ academic needs ensure male primacy by regularly invoking “crisis” to rally popular support Brozo 2014 18

The “Big” Issues Hegemonic Masculinity p “Boy-friendly” curricular schemes do little more than perpetuate gender myths and stereotypes p Binary notions of gender as a basis for literacy curricular decisions exclude all the different ways of “being male” or “being female” Brozo 2014 19

Debbie Zambo & Bill Brozo, International Reading Association, 2009 Brozo 2014 20

From Bright Beginnings for Boys “Failing to meet the literacy needs of all young boys isn’t so much a crisis as it is an imperative educational challenge. Furthermore, concerns about boys’ reading attitudes and achievement should be framed around more responsive literacy instruction and interactions for all children. Boys need to be engaged and capable readers not solely to be as good as or better than girls, but to increase their educational, occupational, and civic opportunities and, above all, to become thoughtful and resourceful men. ” Brozo 2014 21

2 nd Edition of To be a Boy, To be a Reader: Engaging Teen and Preteen Boys in Active Literacy To Be a Boy, To Be a Reader Brozo 2014 22

“A Boy’s Love of Reading Doesn’t Begin with Scholarship… It Begins with Discovery” Brozo 2014 23

Four Important Guidelines for Supporting Boys on Their Literate Journeys 1. Match Reading Material to Boys’ Interests 2. Bridge Competencies with Familiar Texts to Academic Literacy 3. Form Cross-Age Tutoring Partnerships and Use Community Mentors as Reading Buddies 4. Expose Boys to Texts with Positive Male Values and Archetypes Brozo 2014 24

1. Match Reading Material to Boys. Interests ’ “My Bag”; Book Talks; Boys Book Clubs Brozo 2014 25

DISCOVERING BOYS’ OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL INTERESTS WITH THE “MY BAG” STRATEGY The Goal of the “My Bag” Strategy is to Tie Reading and Learning Experiences to Students’ Interests Boys Should be Shown That They Can Read About What They Like to Do Brozo 2014 26

“My Bag” * A Strategy That Allows Teachers and Librarians to Get to Know Students in an Interesting and Fun Way * Students Gather Emblems, Symbols, and Other Items That Represent Who They Are; Their Interests, Hobbies, Loves, Relationships, etc. * Emblems Often Include Photographs, Memorabilia, Souvenirs, Toys, etc. * Items Are Placed in a Bag or Backpack and Shared With Classmates in Small Groups and the Teacher * Students May Also Create a digital My Bag * Students Should Provide a Written List of Items and a Brief Statement About Each Item’s Significance Brozo 2014 27

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My Bag Help in Finding Entry Points can to Active Literacy for Boys Entry Point Texts: p The Reading Material that First Captures One’s Imagination p The Beginning of a Lifelong Journey Of Reading p All of Us Start Humbly Down the Path of Active Literacy p We Should Not Be Too Judgmental About a Boy’s Initial Reading Choices, Because They May Become His Entry Point to Active Literacy Brozo 2014 29

REFLECTION * Think back and try to recall the material that served as your entry point to a lifetime of reading – share with your neighbor Remember, entry points are found at different times and at different places in our lives For some, an entry point was found as a child; for others, it wasn’t until adolescence or even adulthood The key is that an entry point was found * Have you been fortunate enough to help a boy find his entry point? Please describe Brozo 2014 30

WHY FINDING ENTRY POINTS TO READING IS SO IMPORTANT TO BOYS ØThe More Boys Are Engaged in Reading and Learning, the Higher Their Academic Achievement ØEngaged Male Readers Can Make Up for Low Family Income and Parental Educational Backgrounds ØMotivation for Boys is Inextricably Tied to the Text Topic, the Level of Difficulty of the Text, and the Instructional Practices Used with the Text ØBoys Who Are Non-Disruptive But Disengaged Are Often Ignored While They Continue to Lose Skill and Interest in Reading Brozo 2014 31

BOOK TALKS * EXPOSING STUDENTS TO NEW BOOKS AND OTHER TEXTS * “SELLING” BOOKS AND TEXTS TO STUDENTS * A SHORT, EXCITING GLIMPSE OF A BOOK * A PERSONAL INTRODUCTION TO A BOOK * INCLUDES: ENTHUSIASTIC DELIVERY, EXPRESSIVE READING OF EXCERPTS, AND CLIFF-HANGING CONCLUSIONS Brozo 2014 32

Book Talks with Boys in Mind p Learn about boys’ interests in books and outside of school p Select books for booktalking based on boys’ interests or on what might interest boys p Include excerpts from male’s point of view p Excerpts should be exciting, action-packed, mysterious, gory, funny p Make time and space for books to be read Brozo 2014 33

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SETTING UP A BOYS BOOK CLUB • Identify Male Students Who Would Most Benefit • Struggling Readers, Unmotivated Readers • Create a Time and Space for Book Club Activities • In school, within the context of the instructional day • After school, in school and/or public libraries • On weekend, in public libraries • Determine The Right Stuff At The Right Level • Since the goal of the book club is to promote engaged reading, every effort needs to be made to put into boys’ hands reading material they find interesting, and accessible in terms of difficulty Brozo 2014 35

BOYS BOOK CLUB • Create Opportunities for Club Members to Choose Texts • Allow Book Club Members Multiple Modes of Expression • Make Having Fun With Books a High Priority • Ensure Adult Men--Preferably Those Who Are Active Readers--Participate in the Book Club Brozo 2014 36

PREFERRED READING MATERIAL FOR A BOYS BOOK CLUB • SHORT IN LENGTH • ACTION PACKED • MALE PROTAGONIST • HUMOROUS • ARCHETYPAL • INFORMATIONAL Brozo 2014 37

Actual Boys Book Clubs p He-Man Book Club – Kalispell, MT p Club BILI – Alexandria, VA p Books and Balls – California p Boys, Books, and Blokes – Australia p Guys Read – Fairbanks, AK Brozo 2014 38

My Participation in a Boys Book Club p Book Club Members included Nara, Colin, Ricardo, Jaimi, Michael, Renard, Tony and Esteban p All were male youth of color in a school with an ethnic mix to the overall school population: 46% Hispanic American; 22% African American; 22% Euro American; and 9% Asian American Brozo 2014 39

“Renard” Brozo 2014 40

“Tony” Brozo 2014 41

“Estaban” Brozo 2014 42

Context and Method p My participation spanned seven months from October to May p The eight male students along with their teacher read various culturally relevant texts and engaged in culturally informed practices p I was a cyber member of this all-boys book club Brozo 2014 43

Examples of Culturally Relevant Texts p Scorpions (Walter Dean Myers) p Trino’s Choice (Diane Gonzalez Bertrand) p The Watson’s Go to Birmingham— 1963 (Christopher Paul Curtis) Brozo 2014 44

Examples of Culturally Relevant Texts § Member-Centered – Reading material was selected based on boys’ interests and approval --Boys’ helped generate and were given choice of response options to material read Brozo 2014 45

Examples of Culturally Informed Practices Sample Activities in Response to Books: § Exploration of violence by gangs and male youth within book club members’ neighborhoods and community § Research on programs for boys and youth in club members’ neighborhoods and community § Celebration of members’ family histories Brozo 2014 46

Major Findings p Boys were more engaged in book club than in regular reading class p Boys attitudes toward reading improved p Boys developed healthier understanding of masculinity p Six of the eight boys passed the reading portion of the state test that spring Brozo 2014 47

2. Bridge Competencies with Familiar Texts to Academic Literacy Brozo 2014 By eliminating barriers between students’ competencies with outside-of-school texts and classroom practices it is possible to increase engagement in learning and expand literacy abilities for striving readers (Sturtevant, Boyd, 48 Brozo, Hinchman,

Take advantage of boys’ relative strengths with language and literacy outside of school • playing computer and video games • reading comic books and graphic novels • reading magazines related to their hobbies (skateboarding, collecting, sports) • listening to music and reading and writing song lyrics Brozo 2014 49

Bridge Books and Texts p Goal is to motivate reluctant and disinterested boys to read required academic texts p Canonical and required texts, even if “readable, ” may turn boys off to reading without prior exposure to bridge texts p Transition boys into challenging academic texts with texts that are engaging and put knowledge bases in place for academic literate tasks Brozo 2014 50

Examples of Bridge Books/Texts Young Adult Novel p Across the Barricades as a bridge to Romeo and Juliet Graphic novels Max Axiom as a bridge to reading and studying science p Palestine as a bridge to reading and learning about the Arab/Israeli conflict p Graphic novel & Manga versions of Shakespeare plays p Websites p Skateboard Science as a bridge to reading and studying laws of physics http: //www. exploratorium. edu/skateboarding/ Brozo 2014 51

Professional Note My newest book with Teachers College Press demonstrates how to integrate graphic novels into the four major disciplines. This approach appears to have a particular appeal to boys. Brozo 2014 52

Graphic Novels: An Ideal Bridge Text for Boys p “Mr. Brown” – American History teacher n n p Incorporated graphic novels into units and lessons Had students read Incognegro (Pleece, 2008) in connection with a study of pre-Civil Rights era southern U. S. “Dane” – 10 th grader in Mr. Brown’s history class, unmotivated, struggling reader, African-American Brozo 2014 53

“Dan e” Brozo 2014 54

Incognegro by Matt Johnson & Warren Pleece Brozo 2014 55

Dane’s journal response to Incognegro The main character is a real light colored Black guy named Zane Pinchback. So am I. My mother is white. She’s from Germany and my father was from Ethiopia. Some kids with tans look darker than me. My hair is curly but not kinky. My mom is cool about who I hang out with. My friends are all Black. I also like this book because it’s a graphic novel. For me, these kind of books are a lot easier to read. I can read the words and if I’m not sure what’s going on or if the dialog isn’t too interesting, I can also look at the illustrations. The illustrations in this book are awesome. They really help you get into the story. Brozo 2014 56

Dane’s journal response to Incognegro I have a lot of respect for Blacks who fought for civil rights. They risked their lives. Zane is afraid whites will figure out he’s black, but he does what he can for his brother anyway. Reading about Zane and looking at the drawings of him, his brother, the angry whites and the other people made the book so real. Could I ever show the kind of courage Zane does or all those people who fought for their rights? I don’t know. But I think I am strong enough and proud enough. There’s one part of the book where Zane is looking right into your eyes. He is in Mississippi and he has found out who really killed the white woman. When I look into Zane’s eyes in that picture, it’s like I can see myself. He’s scared but confident that he must do the right thing. Brozo 2014 57

Dane’s literate practices outside of school: Rappin’ with his “Wingmen” This beat ain’t right, ” Dane tells Kwame and Jovan, stopping his rap after just a few lines. “It’s gotta be more lazy for the mood I’m trying to create. ” “That’s cause you lazy, ” Jovan quips, leaving the three of them laughing. Dane and his two friends are in a small room adjacent to Dane’s bedroom that has become a make-shift recording studio. Kwame searches another website where they usually find the best beats and calls up a slower, almost jazzy one with a muted though emphatic bass. Jovan returns to the cheap Casio keyboard, the one he had since he was a kid, that he excavated from the back of his closet, and puts down a repeating pattern of chords to go with the beat. Dane, using the handle King Negus, smiles, shifts his head from side to side with the rhythm, and restarts his rap: Brozo 2014 58

Dane’s literate practices outside of school: Rappin’ with his “Wingmen” One plus two plus three ways to be It don’ matter to me ‘cause I’m divisible by three Other brothas wanna be one thing, one thing only But there’s a whole lotta lonely in acting one way Thinking one way like this is yo last day to live Give, unable to deliver when somethin’ new Comes yo way When I was a kid I got these faces from my dad One had a smile one was sad Like my face when my rap goes down Or goes down in flames… Brozo 2014 59

Popular Music as Context for Learning and Using New Vocabulary With the American rapper Snoop Dogg’s lyrics for “I Love to Give You Light” a 7 th grade special reading class of mostly boys found numerous examples of words with /ck/ and /ch/ blends. These words were written into a t-chart in their vocabulary notebooks. _____ch choir such alchemist preach chuuch teachin watchin each preachin reach purchase Beach child ck background jackers glock blocked black Brozo 2014 60

Popular Music as Context for Learning and Using New Vocabulary p The students worked with a partner to think of new words with the /ch/ and /ck/ sounds and add them to the t-chart. p Student pairs then wrote their own rap lyrics that contained all or some of the new words they generated for the two word families. p As one student read the rap the other kept rhythm on his desk top: I put my socks in my backpack when I go to school. I put my backpack in my locker or I look like a fool. I get my socks from my backpack when I go to gym Where I catch the ball then stick it in the rim. q As a result, students were better able to recognize and pronounce words with these elements that they encountered in their school-related and everyday reading. Brozo 2014 61

3. Form Cross-Age Tutoring Partnerships and Use Community Mentors as Reading Buddies “THE MOST POTENT BENEFIT OF SUCH A PROGRAM (CROSS-AGE TUTORING PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM) IS THAT IT IMBUES STRUGGLING READERS WITH A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND PURPOSE FOR IMPROVINGT Brozo 2014 62 HEIR OWN ABILITIES” --BROZO & HARGIS, (2003)

Mentors and Reading Buddies for Boys p Gender- and cultural-matched role models have the most positive effect on educational outcomes (Zirkel, 2002) and are sorely needed in the lives of many boys (Brozo, 2010) Brozo 2014 63

COMPONENTS OF A CROSSAGE BUDDY READING PROGRAM FOR BOYS • One older struggling male reader paired with one younger novice or struggling reader • Older student prepares reading material and strategies • Reads to and with younger male student, helping with word attack and comprehension • Makes a book or some other project together based on younger student’s interests and experiences • One to three sessions per week • Can occur in the school or public library 64 Brozo 2014

Reading Buddies • 17 -year-old Tremayne & 2 nd grader La. Bron in a cross-age tutoring program • Read about and researched Chicago Bears football • Led to reading about performance enhancement drugs, steroids • Explored the exaggeratedly muscled heroes and villains in computer games, such as True Crime: Streets of LA (Activision), WWF Wrestlemania (THQ), Take No Prisoners (Red Orb), The Hulk (Vivendi-Universal), Army Men: Sarge's Heroes (3 DO), and X-Men: Mutant Academy (Activision) Brozo 2014 65

Reading Buddies • Pictures were then downloaded into Adobe Photoshop so they could be altered • Tremayne and La. Bron learned how to rework the main characters' physiques, reshaping them in ways that were more proportional to normal muscle development • They displayed their work in a Power. Point presentation with "before" slides, accompanied by captions warning of the dangers of steroids and other illegal substances for building muscle, and "after" slides with statements about good health, diet, and fitness Brozo 2014 66

4. Expose Boys to Texts with Positive Male Values and Archetypes Brozo 2014 67

Books with Positive Male Values p p p Imbue young boys with images and models of positive male values while at the same time capture their imaginations with print and engage them as readers. Help boys envision ways of being male that are different from the stereotypic images of masculinity that saturate popular media and culture in society Help boys incorporate thoughtful and competent reading into their burgeoning male identities Brozo 2014 68

Children’s Books with Positive Male Values Respectfulness -Alley Oops (Levy, J. 2005) p Responsibility - Just a Dream (Van Allsburg, 2002) p Honesty - The Empty Pot (Demi, 1996) p Courage - More Than Anything Else (Bradby, 1995) p Brozo 2014 69

Children’s Books with Positive Male Values Cooperation - Elephant on my Roof (Harris, 2006) p Tolerance - Teammates (Golenback, 1992) p Generosity - Sam and the Lucky Money (Chinn, 1997) p Perseverance - Leonardo’s Dream (de Beer, 2004) p Brozo 2014 70

POSITIVE MALE ARCHETYPES “The templates for the uniqueness of males are found in masculine archetypes of humanity’s collective past. ” --Carl Jung p Recurring patterns or models of masculine behavior that have ancient roots and are thought to be universal p Positive male archetypes stand in sharp contrast to popular media’s spurious conceptions of masculinity p These archetypes can be found in literature both old and new, classical and popular p Brozo 2014 71

TEN POSITIVE MALE ARCHETYPES p Pilgrim p Patriarch p King p Warrior p Magician p Wildman p Healer p Prophet p Trickster p Lover Brozo 2014 72

Instructional Activities with Texts with Positive Male Archetypes Expose boys to texts with real or fictional characters that embody these archetypes p Boys can be brought to see the multifarious nature of masculinity and ways of being male p Boys can be asked to explore their own identities through these archetypes p Boys can engage in activities and projects around these texts p Brozo 2014 73

Archetype Project Kim De. Rose, Secondary Reading Teacher Cumming, Georgia, USA 74 Brozo 2014

Archetype Project Kim De. Rose, Secondary Reading Teacher Cumming, Georgia, USA Brozo 2014 75

“King” Brozo 2014 76

“Magician” Brozo 2014 77

“Wildman” Brozo 2014 78

“Healer” Brozo 2014 79

“Trickster” Brozo 2014 80

REMEMBER… WHEN IT COMES TO BOYS AND READING… ØThey need the right stuff, at the right levels, in the right ways ØParents, teachers, and librarians should respect boys’ interests and work cooperatively to gain and hold boys’ reading interests ØAll adults can model for boys the pleasures and benefits of active literacy ØFinding entry points to a personal literate journey is the highest goal when working with boys ØViewing boys as a resource in their own literacy development will improve the chances of elevating their achievement Brozo 2014 81

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