With boys underachieving in reading and writing tests, and girls still under-represented in a range of popular texts, literacy remains an area where there is a need to strike a balance between differentiation and inclusion.
Making Gender Work is a brief and sensible account of the findings of recent research and a compendium of practical proposals, based on successful initiatives in real classrooms. Ideas such as “proteced reading times”, and suggestions for developing forms of writing featuring super-heroes, are put forward in a thoughtful and generous spirit.
Making Gender Work by Judith Baxter costs pound;4.50 from the Reading and Language Information Centre, University of Reading, Bulmershe Court, Earley, Reading RG6 1HY. Tel: 0118 931 8820. Fax: 0118 931 6801. Email: reading-centre@reading.ac.uk. Website: www.ralic.rdg.ac.uk
