In the United States, it is widely observed that girls score better on standardized reading tests and are less likely than boys to be placed in remedial reading and special education classrooms.
Intrigued by the fact that the same observation is not true in other countries (e.g., Germany, Nigeria, Canada, England, Israel, and Finland), Dr. Donald D. Pottorff of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, conducted a survey of children in grades 2, 4, 6, and 8 in rural, urban, and suburban schools.

Pottorff's study found that all the children responding to the survey reported that girls were better at reading books, reading to younger children, and writing stories. Furthermore, these children reported that their mothers were more likely to read books and magazines in addition to reading books to the children, while fathers were more likely to read the newspaper.

Pottorff's conclusions suggest that children in the United States view reading as gender appropriate for girls, but not for boys. He suggests that fathers, grandfathers, and other significant males need to read to children in the home at an early age as one way of encouraging boys to read more.

Source:

Boys and books. (1996, November 6). Education Week, 16(10), p. 24.