Cracking the Boy Code
How to Understand and Talk with Boys
by Adam J. Cox
New Society Publishers, 2018
ISBN 978-0-86571-876-0
$18.99, 176 pp, teacher resource
newsociety.com
This is a good resource for parents, teachers and caregivers who are looking for ways to connect and effectively communicate with boys. Dr. Cox shares his insights, based on his years of working with adolescent boys in his therapy practice. Cracking the Boy Code is written in two parts. The first provides strategies and techniques for talking to boys such as including movement during conversations and the importance of non-verbal communication and vocal tone in adults. The second focuses on deepening the conversations and helping boys identify their authenticity with a focus on work and motivation, including ideas for helping boys to have purposeful experiences and to identify skills, interests and perspectives. Keys to Motivation is a chapter that helps adults understand how to help boys discover and engage in their own momentum. Dr. Cox provides a summary at the end of each chapter with point form key reminders as well as points to consider which provide thoughtful questions the reader can reflect on in considering their own relationship with boys.
Classroom Connections: Cracking the Boy Code suggests ideas for goal setting with boys which would be helpful to parents, but also to educators. General goals could be used for the whole class and specific goals for Educational Plans for exceptional students. As stressed in the book, movement and experiential learning are very important in daily classroom routines. The book is a good reminder of the importance of including project-based learning and high-interest choice activities to engage our male learners.
Review by Cindy Haack.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Fall 2018 issue.
