INDEPTH: GENDER GAP
Books for boys
CBC News Online | November 25, 2003
Joanne Schwartz's Picks
A short list of books for boys aged 10 to 13, recommended by Joanne Schwartz, children's librarian at Lillian Smith Library in Toronto.
Eric Wilson:
Cold Midnight in Vieux Quebec
Terror in Winnipeg
The Inuk Mountie Adventure
The Ghost of Lunenberg Mystery
Brian Doyle:
You Can Pick Me Up at Peggy's Cove
Angel Square
Louis Sachar:
Holes
Sideways Stories from Wayside School
Kenneth Oppel:
Silverwing
Sunwing
Firewing
Gary Paulsen:
Hatchet
The River
Brian's Winter
Brian's Return
Gordon Korman:
Radio Fifth Grade
Island: Shipwreck
Island: Survival
Island: Escape
Dive: The Discovery
Dive: The Danger
Dive: The Deep
Welwyn Wilton Katz:
False Face
Witchery Hill
Jerry Spinelli:
Wringer
Maniac Magee
Susan Cooper:
The Boggart
The Boggart and the Monster
Iain Lawrence:
The Wreckers
The Smugglers
John Christopher:
The White Mountains
The City of Gold and Lead
The Pool of Fire
When the Tripods Came
Go to your local public library and talk to your children's librarians. They'll track down these exciting books and more.
David Thorne's picks
David Thorne is a teacher at the Cecil B. Stirling elementary school in Hamilton, Ont.
Grade 7 boys:
Gary Paulsen:
Hatchet
Brian's Winter
The River
Grade 8 boys:
S. E. Hinton:
The Outsiders
Video comprehension unit: The Indiana Jones adventure series. Using the videos to examine story structure.
Periodicals:
Sports Illustrated
Motor Trend
Cycle Canada
Transworld BMX
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According to Canadian testing on literacy (SAIP), between 1994 and 2002, girls have maintained a significant advantage over boys in reading and writing.
In 1998, at age 13 girls scored on average 15 per cent higher than boys on reading; at age 16 it was 21 per cent higher.
In 2002, at age 16 girls held a 16.5 per cent advantage over boys for writing.
These are consistent with findings from OECD studies on reading.
On average in developed countries, the gender gap is around 15 per cent.
In Canada in 1993, Canadian tests showed girls were underperforming boys by about 9 per cent in math problem solving.
So the gender gap in reading is greater than the gap for math problem solving ever was.
From Dr. Paul Cappon, director general of the Canadian Council of Ministers:
"In summary, the gap which existed one time in mathematics is closed. There is no gap in science. The gap favouring girls in reading is still wide and the gap in writing appears to be widening."
From the OECD report Education at a Glance, 2003:
"Already at the 4th grade level, females tend to outperform males in reading literacy, on average, and at age 15 the gender gap in reading tends to be large."
University demographics:
In Canada a decade ago, there were about an equal number of males and females.
Today, 44 per cent of university students are men and only 40 per cent of graduates are men. That means of university graduates, 60 per cent are women.
This year, 2003, more women then men applied to Canadian medical schools.
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