Do Girls Read More?

It’s a fair question, and one that you may have thought about a great deal. Do girls read more?

Over the years, you’ve likely heard (or read) the studies, which indicate that girls read more than boys, and that their related test scores are also higher.

• “In all 35 countries, including the United States, girls outperformed boys in reading.” – U.S. Student and Adult Performance on International Assessments of Educational Achievement
• “Girls’ higher scores in reading could lead to advantages in admissions to certain university programs, such as marketing, journalism or literature, and subsequently careers in those fields. Boys lower reading scores could correlate to problems in any career, since reading is essential in most jobs.” – Eureka Alert
• “Over the last 15 years, it has become apparent that girls do better than boys at school, not only in Quebec but in most of the developed world.” – Vancouver Sun
• In general, boys are considered more “reluctant readers“… though some girls also have reason to dislike reading.
• Boys tend to become more reluctant readers as they become older.
• The statistical trend continues into adulthood–more women read than men.

It’s disappointing to see the stats about how much more poorly boys do with reading and comprehension, particularly when boys and girls are both capable of reading (and understanding). I think, for some kids (both boys and girls), it just takes a little more creativity to get them to enjoy reading.