National Literacy Gap for Boys Plagues U.S. Education; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Utilizes Technology and Cutting-Edge Program to Combat the Problem

Pair-It Extreme combines years of research with cutting-edge technology and innovative teaching strategies to help reverse troubling statistics and hook students back into books.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The national gender reading gap in K-12 education has widened in recent years to such a degree today that now girls between the ages of 8 and 13 read on average a grade and a half better than boys. The troubling trend is made more serious by the fact that the main predictor of a child’s later academic success is their reading level at age seven. To combat this growing epidemic, global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has delivered to school districts across the country a breakthrough leveled reading program called Pair-It Extreme, focused on developing strong literacy skills for boys in grades K-4.

“We have always known that a solid foundation in reading ability is the gateway to every other kind of learning, and boys in particular are increasingly not making the grade”

According to the Center on Education Policy, the gender gap has been a growing trend for the last 20 years, but reached a crisis point when recent studies revealed that boys have fallen behind girls by as much as 10 percentage points in reading proficiency. For more than twenty years, studies have shown that boys have three times more difficulty reading than girls and today, twice as many boys as girls say they do not enjoy reading. Boys also have the lowest scores on U.S. standardized measures of reading achievement and the deficit has now reached every state in the nation.

“We have always known that a solid foundation in reading ability is the gateway to every other kind of learning, and boys in particular are increasingly not making the grade,” said Mike Lavelle, K–12 president, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. “Pair-It Extreme focuses primarily on generating and maintaining boys’ enthusiasm for reading, and includes benefits for boys and girls alike.”

The Pair-It Extreme series engages a new generation of digital age students by first asking the question, “What do boys like to read?” With thematic clusters of books that incorporate 3D computer-generated, cutting-edge artwork, the series plays on boys’ natural enthusiasm for action-adventure stories in which recurring characters use ingenuity, teamwork and critical thinking to solve problems across thematically connected fiction and nonfiction texts.

The Pair-It Extreme series features 120 titles with innovative Five Pillars Plus instruction, developed in collaboration with consulting author Dr. Michael F. Opitz, literacy expert and professor at the University of Northern Colorado. Five Pillars Plus instruction develops key reading strategies while engaging the whole child by including strategies for critical thinking, listening, speaking and writing. The program also includes interactive software that emphasizes vocabulary, comprehension and the link between reading and writing. Additional resources include the Home-School Exchange feature, which allows parents to be active and supportive in their child’s reading development, and Critical Thinking Cards, which spark discussion and engagement for boys.

To learn more about Pair-It Extreme and view a virtual sample, visit hmheducation.com/pix.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global education and learning company that is leading the way with innovative solutions and approaches to the challenges facing education today. The world’s largest provider of educational products and solutions for pre-K–12 learning, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt develops and delivers interactive, results-driven learning solutions that advance teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Through curricula excellence and technology innovation, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt collaborates with school districts, administrators, teachers, parents and students. Today, HMH education products and services are used by 57 million students throughout all 50 U.S. states and 120 countries. With origins dating back to 1832, the Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. For more information, visit www.hmhpub.com.

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