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Do more boys than girls have reading problems?
Kevin Wheldall1, Lisa Limbrick
1Macquarie University Special Education Centre, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia. kevin.wheldall@mq.edu.au
Journal of Learning Disabilities
|April 9, 2010
Summary
This study found more boys than girls experience reading difficulties, confirming prior research. However, the gender gap in reading problems may be smaller than previously thought.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Literacy Studies
Background:
- Controversy exists regarding the prevalence of reading problems in boys versus girls.
- Previous research has suggested varying degrees of gender disparity in reading difficulties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relative prevalence of reading problems in boys and girls using large-scale Australian student data.
- To provide updated statistics on gender differences in reading difficulties among primary school students.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of reading data from the New South Wales Basic Skills Test (BST) for third and fifth graders from 1997 to 2006.
- Identification of poor readers as students scoring in the lowest two performance bands (Bands 1 and 2) on the BST.
- Calculation of boy-to-girl ratios for reading difficulties in specified grade levels.
Main Results:
- Average boy/girl ratios for third graders scoring in Band 1 were 1.66:1, and 1.44:1 for combined Bands 1 and 2.
- Average boy/girl ratios for fifth graders scoring in Band 1 were 2.26:1, and 1.99:1 for combined Bands 1 and 2.
- Findings indicate a higher incidence of reading problems in boys compared to girls across both grade levels.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms that more boys than girls experience reading problems.
- The observed gender differences in reading difficulties appear to be more modest than some previous research suggested.
- Large-scale, representative data provide valuable insights into gender disparities in student literacy outcomes.
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