eptember is National Literacy Month and the start of the new school year, which is a great time for parents to ask themselves a vexing question: How do we inspire our sons to enjoy reading as much as our daughters? Experts suggest that parents do the following to make boys into lifelong readers: Make Reading Material Widely Available One way to inspire boys to read, says Dr. Patricia Furstenberg, a medical doctor and children’s book author, is simply to “leave reading material around the house.” Melissa Fenton, a children’s librarian, agrees. She recommends that parents “keep books all over the house, in all the places your boys will be: by their bedside, on the breakfast table to encourage reading over cereal, on coffee tables, end tables, and even in the bathroom.” She even suggests that parents create a book display corner and highlight seasonal and holiday titles, like bookstores do to entice customers. The message should be clear: Reading is fun, and there’s a lot of it to be enjoyed. S Help Them Find Interesting Things to Read Help your sons find reading materials that interest them. Drs. Paula Schwanenflugel and Nancy Knapp, the authors of The Psychology of Reading, say that parents should “let boys choose, and help them find, the kind of books and other materials they want to read.” While you don’t want to unnecessarily limit your sons’ reading interests, studies show that boys prefer to read about topics that relate to their lives, interests, and imagination. Dr. Jeff Wilhelm, a professor of English Education, sums it up well: “Boys like to read what’s toolish, not schoolish,” meaning that “boys prefer reading things that have something they can immediately use, talk about, argue about, or do something with.” Take Them to the Library Take them to the library and let them explore available books and collections. As Dr. Furstenberg says, “Let your son wander around the library, pick a book, and sit down to page through it.” Ms. Fenton agrees, suggesting that parents should make visits to the library “a family habit and as common as a regular visit to the grocery store.” Young boys can browse shelves with picture books on their own, while older SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 Hawaii Parent 113
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==