Frank Cottrell Boyce

A new study by education publishers Pearson has cast fresh light on the struggle to get boys to love reading. The publisher commissioned the study of 500 English teachers across the UK as well as 269 boys aged 11-13. Among the results, the study showed that 57% of teachers were concerned about the high numbers of male students who they viewed as ‘reluctant readers’ (interestingly, only 30% of the boys interviewed placed themselves in this category). The results also showed that many teachers experienced their male students losing interest within the first few pages, with around 70% of teachers noticing a significant drop in attention within the first 100 pages. So-called ‘classic’ authors such as Jane Austen were highlighted as being a hindrance to getting boys to read.

It’s estimated that this drop-off in interest leads to a wide gender gap in the achievement between boys and girls at age 11 – a gap which persists as they get older. The educational organization Unesco suggests that the gender gap in reading ability can be partly attributed to the fact that lower-achieving boys do not read for pleasure.

The reason behind the research project is the launch of a new reading series, specifically targeted at boys. Entitled Heroes, the series is edited by children’s author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce, and aims to combine original fiction with digital teaching resources, aimed at keeping the attention of the most reluctant readers long enough to improve their skills. The gender gap in reading and education is nothing new, however when trying to foster a love of books, Boyce puts it best when he says, “Pleasure can’t be taught. Pleasure can only be shared.”