A Day in the Life of Mom is happy to host Cheryl Carpinello.
Cheryl Carpinello is an author, retired high school English teacher, and Colorado native. Since retiring from teaching, she’s been able to devote her time to writing and traveling. Although she may be away from teaching, she is still a teacher at heart and especially enjoys meeting with kids and talking with them about reading and writing. Cheryl hopes through her books she can inspire young readers and reader’s young-at-heart to read more.
Reading & Writing: Boys Different than Girls? What’s a Parent to Do
This is always a hot topic with parents and educators. Today, I’m passing on what I’ve learned in my 20+ in the high school English classroom, my experience as a parent, and, more recently, my experience as a grandparent of a 10-year-old boy.
There are definitely differences between the mental processing of boys and girls. And, that’s as far as I’ll take that. I’m not a psychologist. I’m an educator, and what I’ve learned about boys and girls comes from watching and interacting with them over the course of my career and life.
With that said, I’m a believer in being a role model for my kids, be they my own, my grandkids, or my students. Boys and girls watch adults carefully and imitate them to a certain degree. And that imitation can influence their choices with reading and writing.
The truth is that kids who see adults reading will be more favorably disposed to reading, be they boys or girls. My kids were both readers, and my husband and I read constantly with them.
As to the differences
I’ve observed that the imaginative process is very evident in girls of all ages. This allows them to easily place themselves in the stories they read. And that is good. I still do that myself. Girls enjoy reading fantasy, time-travel, adventure, and romance.
Boys are a bit more fact-based in the long run. They enjoy fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, and non-fiction. A good deal of reading material falls into these categories. Fantasy appeals to their imaginative side, sci-fi to their scientific side, adventure to their adventurous side, and non-fiction to their search for truth and facts.
Now, you think about this and say, but my boy or girl doesn’t read like that or reads the opposite. Is there something wrong with that? My answer is NO. If your child (boy or girl) is reading, it doesn’t matter if they don’t fit the norm. What matters is that they are reading. Let me repeat that: What matters is that they are reading.
Now as they grow older, the differences between the reading of boys and girls broadens for most kids. As I stated above, girls will likely continue to be drawn to fantasy and probably romance. Boys will move more to the fact–based reading. However, the biggest determiner of what they read will be their interests. And that’s what you want.
The same applies to writing. Girls tend to be more interested in expressing themselves through writing. Boys, not so much. Here again, encouragement is needed.
My two kids (1 boy, 1 girl) only wrote when it was assigned. Unfortunately, I worked full time when they were growing up, and any writing I did was done after they were in bed.
However, my 10-year-old grandson has observed me writing ever since he was born. The result: he started writing stories as soon as he could write. He wrote several, and even though he didn’t complete any, he was writing. Then this past summer, I told
him that he needed to finish a writing project. He didn’t choose any of the fantasy or adventure stories he started. Instead, he wrote a book on the insects that he caught over for the summer.
We published it on Amazon in October 2018. He wrote the text and took the pictures. The gleam in his eyes when his book was delivered was unforgettable! He may continue to write or he may not, but he will never forget his success.
That is what reading and writing should be about for everyone, young or old: Feeling proud of finishing reading a book, or completing a writing project. Don’t worry if your son or daughter is not reading or writing what others are. Encourage them to follow their interests and model for them. That will determine their success.
Please be sure to check out More From Cheryl.
You can find Cheryl at –
Website: http://www.cherylcarpinello.com
Writing Blog: http://carpinelloswritingpages.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.carpinello1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccarpine1/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Cheryl-Carpinello/e/B002GGGZY6
Twitter Home Page: https://twitter.com/ccarpinello
Linkedin Page: www.linkedin.com/pub/cheryl-carpinello/25/671/a02
Google URL: https://plus.google.com/110918922081424857545/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ccarpine/
— Blog Tour Dates
October 15th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Be sure to stop by the launch day post for Cheryl Carpinello’s blog tour for her book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend where we interview the author and you have the chance to win a copy of the book. http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
October 16th @ Write Like Crazy
You’ll go nuts today over at Mary Jo Campbell’s blog where author Cheryl Carpinello talks about finding stories within stories as you write. Also you can enter to win a copy of the book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. https://www.writelikecrazy.com/
October 19th @ Lori’s Reading Corner
Visit Lori’s blog where you can read Cheryl Carpinello’s post about where her search for the Legend of King Arthur has taken her. http://www.lorisreadingcorner.com/
October 19th @ Jill Sheets Blog
Visit Jill’s blog today where Cheryl Carpinello talks about the continuing popularity of the King Arthur Legend. https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/
October 19th @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf
You’ll want to stock up your bookshelf once you visit by Veronica’s blog, where she reviews Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend by Cheryl Carpinello. https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/
October 20th @ A New Look on Books
Stop by Rae’s blog and take a glance at author Cheryl Carpinello’s blog post the importance of reading and understanding myths, legends, and mythology. https://anewlookonbooks.com/
October 22nd @ A New Look on Books
Come by Rae’s blog and get a new look on Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. https://anewlookonbooks.com/
October 23rd @ A Day in the Life of a Mom
Stop by Ashley’s blog where she shares Cheryl’s guest post about do boys respond to reading and writing differently than girls? And what should parents do about that? https://adayinthelifeofmom.com/
October 25th @ A Day in the Life of a Mom
Check out Ashley’s blog again where she shares her opinion on Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. https://adayinthelifeofmom.com/
October 25th @ Fiction Thoughts
Stop by Emilie’s blog where she shares her opinion about the book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. https://www.fictionthoughts.com/
October 28th @ Leonard Tillman’s Blog
Stop by Leonard’s blog where he shares his thoughts on Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. http://leonardtillerman.com/
October 29th @ A Storybook World
Journey to today’s blog post where Deirdra shares Cheryl Carpinello’s blog post about how the author’s years as an educator led her to writing Tales & Legends, (or why the author writes Tales & Legends for Reluctant Reader). http://www.astorybookworld.com/
November 1st @ Look to the Western Sky
Make sure you look to Margo’s blog today where she interviews the author Cheryl Carpinello, author of the Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. http://margoldill.com/
November 2nd @ Author Anthony Avina Blog
Visit Anthony’s blog where he shares his thoughts about Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend and read an interview with the author. https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/
November 3rd @ The World of My Imagination
Stop by Nicole’s blog where she shares her thoughts on Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com
November 4th @ Author Anthony Avina Blog
Stop by Anthony’s blog today where you can read author Cheryl Carpinello’s blog post about whether it is really necessary for kids today to read the classics such as stories and plays from Ancient Greece, Rome and Shakespeare. https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/
November 5th @ Coffee with Lacey
Grab a cup of your favorite brew, and join us at Lacey’s blog where Cheryl Carpinello talks about the definition of reading and what medium qualifies as actual reading. https://coffeewithlacey.wordpress.com/
November 7th @ Choices
Visit Madeline Sharples’ blog where she shares Cheryl Carpinello’s blog post about building characters that young readers bond with and how the author uses a combination of traits from my students over the years. http://madelinesharples.com/
November 8th @ Fiona Ingram’s Blog
Stop by Fiona’s blog where she interviews a character from Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/
November 9th @ For the Hook of a Book
Make sure you stop by the book blog For the Hook of a Book and catch their review of Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. https://hookofabook.wordpress.com/
November 10th @ Chatty Patty’s Place
Stop by Patty’s blog where she spotlight’s Cheryl Carpinello’s book and also does a giveaway of the book for one lucky reader. http://www.chattypattysplace.com/
November 11th @ Bri’s Book Nook
Stop by Briennai’s blog where she shares her thoughts about Cheryl Carpinello’s book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. https://brisbooknook.wordpress.com/
November 18th @ David Chuka Blog
Stop by David’s blog where he interviews author Cheryl Carpinello about her and her book Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend. http://davidchuka.com/blog-2/
Thanks for sharing and hosting me.
I agree with your general idea. My friend and I used to share books when we were kids, until we hit early teens.Then outta nowhere our interests changed and we suddenly didnt read anything common. Not that I was into romance or chiclits then. But the books he was into had to do a lot with Sci-fi, action and mine was into horror and thrillers. I hope this made sense.
Definitely makes sense. Thanks for stopping by.