The reading gap between boys and
girls in England is widening but there is no official strategy to address it, a
report says.
The All-Party Parliamentary Literacy Group Commission says some boys find
reading "nerdish" and receive less parental encouragement than girls.It calls for action in schools, home and communities.
The government said it was focusing on getting every child to read using phonics and reading for enjoyment.
The Boys' Reading Commission took evidence from teachers, 226 schools and 21,000 young people in the UK .
Its report, compiled by the National Literacy Trust, found that although there had been improvements in boys' reading since the National Literacy Strategy was introduced in 1998, in recent years the gender gap had started to widen again.
Last year, 80% of boys reached the expected level in
reading at age 11 compared with 88% of girls.
In the early years of secondary school the gap widens further, with boys
outstripped by girls in English by 12 percentage points at age 14.Last year, 59% of boys achieved an A* to C in English GCSE compared to 73% of girls.
The findings also suggest girls are enjoying reading more than boys and that this difference has been intensifying in recent years.
Full piece at BBC
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