Clear Goals and Feedback

I attended a lecture not too long ago where the speaker talked about video games and their allure. Besides the obvious reasons for kids being drawn to them, he talked about how they are intriguing because they all supply “clear goals and feedback,” much like sports and other things that are popular with boys. This chapter reminded me a lot of that lecture. Almost all of the boys interviewed, talked about a need for instant gratification in the activities that they enjoy.

Smith and Wilhelm also suggest that magazines and newspapers are more sought after texts by boys than novels. These kinds of texts give choices when it comes to reading, which is less intimidating and more interesting to students. With a selection of articles, students can choose which articles they are interested in to read and skip the ones that do not interest them, unlike novels which build a story and are more aesthetic vs. efferent.

“The focus in aesthetic reading in not what can be learned but what is experienced.” (Smith, 40) This is what boys seem to struggle with but they can be taught. One of the boys interviewed stated that, “[My teacher’s] been kinda showing me the road and the path. I kinda thought reading was dumb, but now I’m kinda getting more into it.” (Smith, 40) So, how do we get there, you ask?

Well, Smith and Wilhelm also discuss the importance of socialization to the boys that were studied. It is another significantly important aspect to their lives. The study showed that boys share almost all activities that they enjoy with their friends, and think of schooling as a venue for socializing. Because there is a “social dimension to competence,” teaching “should precede development, leading the learner into uncharted and challenging waters that can be navigated with assistance.” (Smith, 40)

So again, don’t overwhelm, give choices and make social connections with text. Oh yeah, and make it just a little challenging.