Friday, January 30, 2009

Boys and girls are different

They approach literature differently, too.

Boys use different parts of their brains than girls to process emotions and words. They relate to characters in books differently, and enjoy reading different kinds of things.

Here’s what most boys like to read:
*Non-fiction
*Facts
*Accounts of real events
*Books with action
*Illustrated accounts showing how things work
*Gross things – the slimier and more disgusting, the better.
*Books that get to the point. Boys don’t want the explanation—they want to get right to the action. Let your boy skip the book’s introduction and any long-winded, explanatory bits.

What most girls like to read:
*Fiction
*Great characters
*Books that let them analyse characters’ motives or emotions
*Books with relationships between two or three people
*Context. Girls want to know why something is happening, and why the characters are acting the way they are. Before opening the book, give your girl an idea what she can expect from it, and what the characters are all about.

Why is Harry Potter so popular with boys and girls? It's got the sports and action boys love, and the great, complex character development girls go for. Accio, Potter!
Our source for this research information:
http://www.nasspe.com/

1 comment:

Michele K. said...

That was a really interesting blog entry, especially in its explanation of the Harry Potter success.
Thank you!