The Center on Education Policy recently released the results of a study on boys' and girls' proficiency in math and reading. The study analyzed data from state achievement tests for students at elementary, middle, and high-school levels. The good news for girls is that they have caught up with boys and are performing, in general, about as well as boys in math.

When it comes to reading, girls are out-performing boys. While that is great news for girls, it is bad news for boys. Boys' reading scores trailed in every state that supplied data. And this gender gap in reading performance is neither new nor unique to the United States. A 2005 article in The Washington Post noted that British education professor Stephen Gorard analyzed scores from twenty-two countries and found that the reading gap exists in all twenty-two.

Studies have shown--and parents and teachers concur--that boys are less likely to read and comprehend stories (unless they are full of adventure and suspense), and are more likely to read and absorb informational texts such as newspapers and magazines.

That is why we at Reading A-Z offer such a variety of leveled titles--both nonfiction and fiction--for independent reading, with new titles added every month. We want to ensure that teachers and parents have access to great tools to help both boys and girls become proficient readers.