Gender and literacy

There is ongoing concern about boys’ and men’s underachievement in literacy and, in particular, boys' attitudes to reading and writing have been the focus of much attention in recent years. There is a wealth of evidence which justifies this concern, and it is acknowledged by the Government that boys' performance is lower than girls' in all literacy related tasks and tests in England.

The National Literacy Trust runs several initiatives which motivate boys and men to engage with reading. Through Reading Champions, a project run in both schools and prisons, male reading role models have been used to boost the achievement of other boys and men. Projects run by Reading The Game, such as Premier League Reading Stars and Sports Stories, use the motivational power of sport to promote literacy and hold great appeal for a male audience.

In order to achieve our vision, organisations need to work together to engage men. The importance of the family in turning children into readers is well known, yet within the home this often falls upon the female figure. Mums are still twice as likely as dads to read bedtime stories to their child (National Year of Reading, 2008). NLT is a partner in the DCSF Think Fathers campaign which aims to raise awareness of the need for father-inclusive practices.

Did you know?

• Motivating boys and men to read is not an issue unique to the UK. International comparisons show that girls read more than boys across the developed world. (PIRLS, 2006).
• Ten-year-old boys read more comics and newspapers than girls. In a recent study 28% of boys said they read comics and comic books every day, compared to 14% of girls. 16% of boys reported that they read a newspaper everyday compared to 8% of girls  (PIRLS, 2006).
• Although boys perform less well than girls the differences are relatively small compared to the differences in achievement between different social and ethnic groupings.
  
  

  Historical reference resources

  Below are two resources that cover wider issues surrounding gender and achievement. These are no longer updated, but have been included here for reference. Gender related articles now appear on the news section of the website.

  • Frequently Asked Questions about gender and literacy
  • Gender and literacy

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