By Emily Johnsen
According to the American Enterprise Institute for Prager University, boys these days earn lower grades, win fewer honors, and are far less likely to go to college than their female classmates. Boys consistently score lower on national reading tests and, regardless of age group or background, boys are five times more likely to be expelled than girls. Wow! What ever happened to “boys will be boys”? When did things go wrong for our boys, and what can we do about it?
Michael Thompson, renowned child psychiatrist and co-author of New York Times bestseller Raising Cain, explains that girl’s behavior has become the accepted standard in the classrooms of today. Boys, who tend to be more restless, disorganized, and noisier than girls, are treated like “defective girls.” Sadly, this lack of tolerance for “boyish” behavior begins as early as preschool. As a result, our boys are being emotionally and academically mis-educated.
Most of us would agree that good reading skills are the building blocks for future academic success. And yet, our boys are lagging behind or losing interest all together when it comes to reading. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Boys can and do enjoy reading when they are given the right tools. Boys will read if they are interested in the material, if they are encouraged to follow their true interests, and if reading isn’t a struggle due to weak reading skills.
Teaching boys to read when they are young is imperative. According to education pioneer, Dr. Maria Montessori, children under the age of six, experience powerful periods of development specific to language and literacy. Dr. Montessori referred to such phases of spontaneous interest as “sensitive periods of development.” During a sensitive period, children learn naturally and effortlessly. But by age six, this precious window of opportunity has closed forever and the child will have lost the innate interest in learning to read.
Later, when the child is six or seven years old, the creative period will have passed, and he will no longer have the same natural interest in analyzing either the spoken or the written word.
~Maria Montessori
The best way to help a boy take charge of his future is through early mastery of reading. By ensuring your grandchild masters reading early, you can safeguard them against an imperfect educational system. Plus, you impart to them an early love of learning that stays with them for a lifetime. And here’s the best news yet, you can teach your grandchild to read even if you have never taught anything to anyone before through The Royal Road to Reading early childhood reading program. The Royal Road to Reading program is 100% satisfaction guaranteed and as a one-time opportunity, you can enjoy 20% off our regular price by clicking here.
