Did you know?

· Boys are, on average, read 1.5 years behind girls (grows to 3 years by 11th grade)
· Boys receive 70%-80% of the D’s and F’s on report cards
· When asked about reading, 1/2 of high school freshmen and 1/3 of college freshmen responded that they “didn’t read”
· By third grade, 1 out of every 3 boys is in some kind of remedial program

According to librarian, author and boys’ reading advocate Michael Sullivan, we need to change the way we approach reading in our schools and libraries. Michael will share research and solutions that will help us connect boy with books at a free, full day workshop, Connecting Boys with Books, to be held at the Schenectady County Public Library on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. The workshop will run from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., with lunch on your own. Library staff, volunteers and educators are encouraged to attend. Pre-register by calling or emailing Serena Butch, SCPL (sbutch@mvls.info; 388-4513) by February 22. Be sure to invite your local educators, too, as continuing education credits will be issued!

If you can’t make it to the full day workshop, Michael will also be presenting an evening program especially designed for parents, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Attendees will be entered in a drawing to win a gift basket of great boy books for both programs.

(Connecting Boys with Books Program is supported by a generous donation from the Friends of the Schenectady County Public Library, and is co-sponsored by the Schenectady County Public Library, the Mohawk Valley Library System and Capital Region BOCES.)