How often does one listen to reports regarding boys dropping below girls in their literacy scores?
It is indeed a somewhat widely known academic concern that boys often drop behind girl in
terms of reading and writing abilities. The USA, Canada, and the UK all have done studies that
show that boys’ literacy scores are lower than the girls’, that boys are more likely to be placed in
special education, and that boys are more likely to drop out of high school. So, how does this
relate to fun literacy spelling games? Keep reading……
Some say that publishing companies, schools, and in particular, school libraries are dominated
by girls. Moreover, that boys, in general, prefer to read nonfiction, which is not supported in
most schools as much as fiction. It could just come down to the fact that boys are not motivated
by literacy because the methods of teaching it aren’t interesting to them. Now, that is just a
generalization, but, on the whole, it is true.
Boys typically love anything technological. Yet, parents all the time wonder, “How can I get my
son off of the computer?” How about, instead of trying to ban the things they love, we try using
them to our advantage?
Providing boys with the opportunity to learn literacy through technology, including things like
children education games, can increase their motivation, which, in turn, can boost their literacy
scores. In an environment that is play based where boys can explore meaningful literacy skills
through the medium of technology in a competitive, multiplayer game, teachers could “sneak” in
some very complex reading comprehension skills. This is especially true in technology that
contains fun literacy spelling games to be completed within a larger overall game so that kids
earn something (ie..lives, energy, bonus points, etc..) for spelling correctly.
Academic technology is nudging literacy teaching beyond its customary oral and print based
version to welcome internet and digital texts as well as multimedia. Computer systems are
producing modern possibilities for writing and teamwork. The web is producing global links for
pupils to communicate, underscoring the demand for secure reading and writing competencies.
By altering the method in which information is taken in, processed, and applied, technology is
affecting how boys AND girls read, write, listen, and communicate.
If technology makes literacy skills practice more appealing and motivational for boys… well then,
what are we waiting for?