Engaged readers have a much greater chance of staying in school, expanding career and life options, and maturing into self-actualized adults” (Brozo, 2010). The BoysLit project aims to make reading an integral part in the life of boys aged 10-15, who are currently unenthusiastic about books. BoysReading asserts that this can only be achieved if teenage boys acquire control over their reading and choose from books that address their needs and interests. One in five EU 15-year-olds has poor reading skills (OECD), while the majority of poor and reluctant readers and eventually high-school drop-outs are male youths. The situation will only improve when the gender gap decreases. The LLP 2013 call acknowledges the “differences between male and female students in interest and performance” and urges to develop students’ basic skills, reduce early school leaving and promote gender equality and inclusive approaches to learning. The EU High Level Group of Experts on Literacy (2012) asks to “focus on motivating boys to read and write in order to close the gender gap”; “open up schools to appealing materials, including digital ones, to make reading and writing relevant to boys’ individual preferences”; “facilitate contact with male role-models engaging in literacy”; and “develop initiatives aimed at making language development fun and appealing” especially for adolescents. The BoysReading project shares these objectives; to achieve them, it informs and trains educators of boys aged 10-15 through: 1. A Research Report on effective reading promotion to teenage boys 2. The BoysReading Toolkit that features I. Introduction to Literature for Teenage Boys II. Review of Significant Texts for Boys III. Guidelines and Ideas for Successful Reading Promotion to Boys IV. Guidelines and Ideas for Incorporating Boys' Literature in the Curriculum V. Sample Actions and Activities for Reading Promotion to Boys VI. BoysReading Case Studies VII. BoysReading Teacher Professional Development Modules
Engaged readers have a much greater chance of staying in school, expanding career and life options, and maturing into selfactualized adults” (Brozo, 2010). The Boys Reading project aims to make reading an integral part in the life of boys aged 11-15, who are currently unenthusiastic about books. The project strive to convince, encourage and educate all stakeholders, and especially educators of boys aged 11-15 to: 1. Raise the motivation and interest of boys to read and write in order to close the gender gap; 2. Open up schools to appealing materials, including digital ones, to make reading and writing relevant to boys’ individual preferences; 3. Facilitate contact with male role-models engaging in literacy; and 4. Develop initiatives aimed at making language development fun and appealing for adolescent boys. Eight oranizations participated in the Boys reading project (FFST, Croatia; ENTER, Austria; CARDET, Cyprus; IPCB, Portugal; INNOVADE, Cyprus; ULO, Poland; UPIT, Romania). FFST is the central higher education institution in the areas of social, humanist and interdisciplinary sciences of the University of Split, including teacher education and literacies. Some of the key areas of specific expertise of the teachers and researchers relate to the project are: engage in basic and applied research in the areas of language learning and teacher education; design and develop education and training initiatives across sectors and age groups; conduct research and evaluation in the areas of change management, strategy, and human resource development. ENTER Network is the European leader in dissemination and has a rich experience in project management both as partner and coordinator in different funding programmes. In Boys Reading project E.N.T.E.R. sees its role as partner responsible for the dissemination and exploitation of the project activities and results. CARDET is the leading independent education research and teacher education centre in Cyprus. It has participated in more than 20 projects relating to boys reading and literacy, in more than 20 countries, while leaded similar projects like Lifelong Readers (a multilateral project on whole-school reading promotion in primary education) and leads or participates in several other relevant projects. It can thus lead effectively participate in various project activities and outputs like development chapter of the Boys Reading toolkit, translations, curriculum review in Cyprus, etc. IPCB has been extensively involved in applied research and practice in what concerns children’s and young adult literature and reading. IPCB is currently involved in international reading competitions and has a network of regional primary and secondary schools, through which it disseminates results of its applied research projects and to the needs of which it responds through in-service training for teachers. INNOVADE is an SME based in Cyprus, with a team of professionals with several years of experience and deep expertise in e-learning development, project management and evaluation, as well as in the area of dissemination and exploitation of results. ULO is one of the largest higher education institutions in Poland. International Educational Projects Office is a specially designed unit which is responsible for management, quality assurance and valorization of international projects carried out at the university and provides support for the academic staff who participate in educational programmes. Ekpaideutiria Douka are one of the most innovative schools in Greece where students’ " have e"-schoolbag (Tablet-PC) apart from their books and sheets, it also contains virtual labs, simulations, multimedia material, and other ICT tools connected to the educational process. UniPIT's academic staff is are experts in teacher education and language learning. They have participated in more than 60 EU projects, and coordinated more than 15. The main activities of the Boys reading project were: 1. Completion of the research report on effective reading promotion to teenage boys 2. Completion of the Boys Reading Toolkit that features I. Introduction to Literature for Teenage Boys II. Review of Significant Texts for Boys III. Guidelines and Ideas for Successful Reading Promotion to Boys IV. Guidelines and Ideas for Incorporating Boys' Literature in the Curriculum V. Sample Actions and Activities for Reading Promotion to Boys VI. Boys Reading Case Studies 3. Design and implementation of Boys Reading Teacher Professional Development Modules 4. An interactive portal with resources and material in partner languages The listed activities produced planed results and had impact on the Boys Reading stakeholders that include in-service teachers and school librarians, pre-service teachers, pupils between 11-15 years old, teacher trainers, instructional designers and curriculum developers, educational authorities, policy makers, and researchers at the European, national, and regional level.