Boys and Girls in the Classroom: What teachers need to know Abigail Norfleet James, Ph.D. EASSE April 19, 2013

Brain Differences Left side of the brain develops first in girls, the right in boys Probably source of girls’ verbal skills and boys’ spatial skills Hippocampus and Amygdala Hippocampus (memory) develops first in girls and amygdala (emotions) first in boys Pre-frontal lobes – Executive Decisions Girls develop by early 20s, boys may not finish development until late 20s

The Effect of Difference  Girls tend to be language based learners, boys tend to prefer visual and kinesthetic activities  Pedagogy more effective when tailored for learners’ strengths Left (girls first) Right (boys first) Hippocampus (girls first) Amygdala (boys first) Memory of Nouns/details Memory of pictures/gist Performance – “Watch me!” Spelling, reading words, vocabulary

Sensory Differences Hearing Boys have more ear infections, lower auditory sensitivity Problem with phonemic awareness, reading Vision Boys have more visual clarity especially for moving objects Girls good at interpreting facial & body language Saccades may cause problems with reading Touch Girls have lower pain threshold, less tolerance for cold Boys learn best when instruction involves hands-on activities

Emotional Differences Fight or flight – adrenalin Leads to movement Tend and Befriend – oxytocin Leads to freezing Do not praise or discipline with global terms – use specific references Without specific references, failure means boys get angry and girls become anxious Boys’ bad behavior may be impulsive not purposeful

ADHD More males due to social bias? Cause of inattention may be something other than learning problem – bored? Dyslexia More males – but is it a developmental problem? Dyspraxia/Dysgraphia more males – but is it due to social expectations? Dyscalculia Actually a problem with memory Girls give up too easily because of social beliefs Boys will avoid math Learning Differences

Girls and School Believe effort is the key to doing well Stress hinders learning for girls Need to learn to identify and self manage Combination of emphasis on effort and stress type can lead to test anxiety Focus on words, tend to be verbal learners Need practical applications for math Solve problems face-to-face

How to Prepare Girls for Math and Science Give scientific or technical explanations when girls ask for more information Praise what they do, not how it looks (content not cover) Take them to science museums or other areas for science activities Support them in their successes and do not let failures deter them Provide role models

Boys and School Believe ability is the key to doing well Stress helps boys to learn Standing gets their attention Learn well from seeing and doing Start there, move into reading and listening Work well in groups Teacher’s influence is very important Shoulder-to-shoulder when dealing with problems

Classroom Strategies for Boys Write early Deconstruction as approach Use visual skills Graphic novels, comic strips, graphs, charts Train the ear Use their curiosity and competitiveness 24, chess, logic puzzles Language games Book bingo, bookmarks

Conclusion There are cognitive differences between boys and girls which are brain based Behavioral differences exist which may be brain based or as a result of the interaction of brain differences and environment Understanding those differences will help you provide a positive and encouraging environment for your students Helping your students respect their own learning strengths will help them throughout their life