Curiosity Cottage

1.  Why is it important to learn history?

History allows us to understand our society.  It contributes to moral understanding.  The lessons of heroes, triumph, and dilemmas allow us to test our understanding of our own identities and have an understanding of good citizenship.

2.  Why do boys need to read a lot?

Reading benefits and challenges kids mentally.  Reading builds vocabulary and teaches grammar and punctuation.  Through reading fantastical stories and adventures children can grow their imagination.  Mastering reading skills and comprehension are essential to building a solid future.

3.  Why are boys falling behind girls in reading scores?

For the past 30 years, the U.S. Department of Education has reported boys scoring worse than girls on reading tests in every age group, every year.  There are several theories explaining this that are a combination of biological and cultural/social.  Biologically, boys develop slower than girls, leading to problems keeping up with reading and writing.  In addition, as most schoolteachers and librarians are female, boys do not have many positive male role models talking about the importance of reading.  Boys may start to view reading as something that is not important for them, or “girly”.   Reading material may be limited and what boys are asked to read often does not appeal to their interest.  Finally, because boys are such competitive and action oriented learners, sitting and reading goes directly against their interests.  See the site www.guysread.com for a further discussion.