Imagine a young reader settling down with a new book on a rainy afternoon. Is it a girl or a boy? Most of us would say it's a girl. Why is that and where does Hong Kong stand internationally for reading ability?
10 year-old girls and boys in Hong Kong are better readers than their peers worldwide except for Russia, according to a study released late last year,* but the boys still trailed the girls. Statistics are consistent. From the UK to the US, from Kuwait to Singapore, boy readers generally lag behind girls. However, in the US, Hong Kong, and Turkey, boys did better at certain reading tasks in certain grades. The tables could turn as electronic books catch on, given that technology is traditionally seen as a male preserve. But girls are rapidly catching up in that area too.**
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