Creating and Sharing pt. 2

I've started playing around with PowToon quite a bit, and I think I have a good feel for how it works. Before I actually start making a video, I'll need to record the oral part of my presentation so that I can line up the animation effects with my voice. I've typed up a script in Google Docs, but thought it would be a good idea to post it here as well so that my whole process is represented in the journal.

The finalized script:

For decades, librarians, teachers, and parents alike have shared a common struggle: getting boys to read.

National statistics show that female students consistently score higher in reading than males. However, that gap has begun to close in recent years as teachers and school librarians put forward countless strategies to help struggling male readers in the classroom.

These solutions are often applicable to schools, but not to public libraries, where childrens’ librarians much assist frustrated parents who just can’t find books their sons will read.

So what can public librarians do to help?

One of the most basic ways to encourage boys to read is to simply promote the sorts of literature they enjoy. Often, the books schools and libraries deem “good” are limited to character-driven fiction while graphic novels, short stories, and magazines are dismissed. Including the latter types of stories in displays, recommendations, reading lists, and programming sends a message to boys that “good readers” read all kinds of materials, not just fiction novels.

Teachers have also found success with male students by encouraging active learning. Incorporating writing, drawing, and acting and other hands-on activities into traditional reading programs offered by libraries can help boys associate reading with the types of learning that come most naturally to them and dissipate the belief that being a “good reader” means sitting perfectly still and silent.

Having male role models who enjoy reading is also crucial to boys’ literacy development. Children model what adults do, so it stands to reason that boys who don’t see men reading might simply assume that reading is not a masculine pursuit. Male librarians can challenge this idea by discussing book's with young patrons; female librarians can encourage fathers, older brothers, and male teachers to be seen reading often and with pleasure.

Guys Read, an ongoing project to encourage boys to read, lists book recommendations submitted by young readers. This is an excellent start when providing readers’ advisory for boys and their parents.

Some of my personal favorite boy books are listed below. (This slide will have pictures of some "boy books" I like.)

When looking for books for boys, consider some of the elements they tend to prefer. Is the book funny? Is it fast-paced and narrative driven? Are there visual elements? And, most importantly, what do other boys say about it? When in doubt, boys themselves are the best sources of information about what they and their peers want to read.

For more information and a list of sources used in making this video, please visit boyslitinquiry.blogspot.com.