Boys and Girls Learn Differently! A Guide for Teachers and Parents

Michael Gurian is a pioneer and leading authority in gender issues worldwide. The New York Times best-selling author of The Wonder of Boys, The Minds of Boys, The Purpose of Boys, and The Wonder of Girls, he is cofounder of the Gurian Institute, an active research and training organization in the fields of education, family development, and gender studies. Kathy Stevens is executive director of the Gurian Institute and coauthor of five books with Michael, including The Minds of Boys.

• Acknowledgments xvIntroduction 1Who We Are and What We Do 2How to Use This New Edition 5Success Stories Since the Missouri Pilot 6Innovating with Single-Sex Options 8Moving Forward at the Nexus of Science and Practice 91 Part One How Boys and Girls Learn Differently 11How the Brain Learns: Inherent Differences Between Boys and Girls 13The Wide Spectrum of Gender in the Brain 15How the Brain Works 17How Boys’ and Girls’ Minds Are Different 19Developmental and Structural Differences 25Chemical Differences 27Hormonal Differences 27Functional Differences 29Differences in Processing Emotion 312 Why the Brains Are Different 37A Brief History of Brain Difference 38The Role of Hormones in the Womb and at Puberty 40How Brain-based Differences Affect Boys and Girls 43Areas of Learning-Style Difference 44Deductive and Inductive Reasoning 44Abstract and Concrete Reasoning 45Use of Language 45Logic and Evidence 46The Likelihood of Boredom 46Use of Space 47Movement 47Sensitivity and Group Dynamics 47Use of Symbolism 49Use of Learning Teams 49Learning Differences and the Intelligences 50Time and Sequence 50Space and Place 51Applying the Intelligences to Brain-Based Gender Difference 52The State of Boys and Girls in Our Schools 54Advantages for Boys, Challenges for Girls 54Advantages for Girls, Challenges for Boys 56Applying Brain-Based Research to Gender Advantage 57Studies Based on Political Assumptions 64The Political Search for Workplace Privation 66Creating the Ultimate Classroom 67Part Two Creating the Ultimate Classroom for Both Boys and Girls 71Authors’ Note 723 The Ultimate Preschool and Kindergarten Classroom 75The Foundation of Early Learning: Bonding and Attachment 76Handling Children’s Emotional Stress 78Bonding and Attachment Solutions 80Day Care, Preschool, and Kindergarten Community Building 86The Case for Preschool 86Parents as Teachers 87The Parent Education Coordinator 88Nutrition and Learning 89Carbohydrates, Proteins, and the School Day 89Fatty Acids 91Dealing with Aggressive Behavior 92Aggression Nurturance 95Increasing Empathy Nurturance and Verbalization 96Discipline Techniques 99The Outdoor Classroom 101Directing Boys and Girls to Academic Excellence 103Teaching Math and Spatials 105Language Development 113Special Education 117Creating a Tribe: Bonding and School-Home Alliances 118Use of Psychotropic Medications 119The Ultimate Preschool and Kindergarten Classroom for Both Boys and Girls 123For the Boys 123For the Girls 124Tips for Parents 1254 The Ultimate Elementary School Classroom 127Structural Innovations 129Use of School Time 130Class Size, Number of Teachers, and Teacher-to-Student Ratio 133Using Group Dynamics and Group Work as a Basis of Pedagogy 135Use of Computers and Other Media in Elementary School 137The Outdoor Classroom 139Bonding and Attachment in Elementary Learning 142Handling Students’ Emotional Stress 149The Role of the Mentor 155Community Collaboration: Mentors from Outside the School 158How to Provide Discipline in the Elementary Classroom 160Learning from Past Mistakes 161Discipline Techniques After an Offending Act 163Discipline Techniques to Prevent Undisciplined Behavior 168Motivation Techniques 170Character Education 171CHARACTERplus 172Integrating Character Education into the Whole School 173Dealing with Cruelty, Hazing, and Violence 174Definition of Terms 175Zero-Tolerance Policies 176Innovations for Academic Excellence 180Innovations for Teaching Language Arts, Especially Reading and Writing 180Innovations for Teaching Math and Science 184Standardized Testing 189Special Education, Learning Disabilities, and Behavioral Disabilities 191Class Within a Class 193Fast ForWord 195Other Spatial Stimulants and Use of Movement 195The Multisensory Approach to Reading Problems 196Cooperative and Competitive Learning 196Sports and Athletics 199The Ultimate Elementary Classroom for Both Boys and Girls 200For the Boys 200For the Girls 201Tips for Parents 2035 The Ultimate Middle School Classroom 204Structural Innovations 206Single-Sex Education 206Rites of Passage 215Use of Uniforms 218Classroom Size and Other Innovations 220Bonding and Attachment 222The Early Adolescent’s Drop in Self-Esteem 223Handling Students’ Emotional Stresses 225Community Collaboration 231How to Provide Discipline in the Middle School Classroom 234Strategies for Providing Discipline 234Mandatory Sports 238Character Education 240Innovations for Teaching Language Arts and Math and Science 243Innovations for Teaching Language Arts 243Innovations for Teaching Math and Science 247Girls and Computer Science 249Special Education 250Rethinking Special Education Through the Lens of Gender and the Brain 252Innovations for Dealing with Behavioral Elements of Special Ed 255The Underachiever as a Special Ed Category 257“Mr. Daba”: The Power of Bonding 258The Ultimate Middle School Classroom for Both Boys and Girls 261For the Boys 262For the Girls 263Tips for Parents 2636 The Ultimate High School Classroom 266Bonding and Attachment 268Communication and Conflict Resolution 270The Art of Mentoring 272Peer Leadership, Not Peer Pressure 274Discipline Systems 275Character Education and Service Projects 277Structural Innovations 278Class and School Size 279Uniforms 280Time and Time-of-Day Innovations 284The Innovations Students Are Asking For 286Counterinnovations 287Rites of Passage 289Full Psychosocial Education, Not Just Sex Education 291Improving Sex Education 292Gender Education 294Innovations to Improve Academic Learning 297Teaching Mathematics, Science, and Technology 298Technology and Gender 301Teaching Reading and Literacy 302Standardized Testing 307Special Education 310The Ultimate High School Classroom for Both Boys and Girls 313For the Boys 313For the Girls 314Tips for Parents 315What High School Students Are Saying: Their Fears 316Epilogue 319Notes 323Parents’ Book Study for Boys and Girls Learn Differently! 333Teachers’ Book Study for Boys and Girls Learn Differently! 341The Gurian Institute 349About the Authors 351Index 355