There are undoubtedly many differences between boys and girls. They play differently, they communicate differently, they act differently, and they like different things. But arguably one of the biggest differences between boys and girls is the way they learn. As a parent or educator, understanding the way children learn is crucial to promoting their academic success. All kids are different, but looking at what some psychological studies have found can help us to get a general understanding about the differences between boys and girls in the classroom.
Boys interpret the world as objects all moving through space. The cerebral cortex in the male brain is dedicated to spatial functioning, meaning that boys visualize movement and action when learning. For this reason boys are likely to play with movement based toys, such as spaceships, cars, and trucks, and favor action movies, books, and comic books. Aesthetically, boys are attracted to dark cool colors such as silver, blue, black, grey and brown, which have a calming effect on the male brain. Research has also shown that boys absorb the most information when working with a teacher or parent who has a louder voice, and acts similarly to a sports coach, continuously encouraging and pushing them. This research suggests that boys maintain attention best and foster a healthy competition with others when the teacher continuously moves around the room, and calls randomly on boys, keeping them on their toes.
Girls, on the other hand, are very different. The cerebral cortexes of girls’ brains are more dedicated to verbal functions. Rather than interpreting the world through movement, they value the world and themselves through communication with others. It is this orientation towards communication with others that gears girls toward playing with dolls or dressing up with friends, acts that allow them to communicate. Girls are also naturally drawn to warmer colors such as red, yellow, orange, and pink, and they visualize things with more details. Unlike boys, girls typically do not function well when they are called on at random. Girls prefer to work in a warm environment with face to face interaction with their teacher and peers. Girls communicate and learn best when the teacher or parent is facing them, making eye contact and speaking in a soft, nurturing manner.
These biological differences have lead for a push from some parents and educators towards single-sex classrooms. These educators believe that dividing girls and boys up allows them both to flourish academically. They argue that single-sex education would allow boys to be more physically active and to receive instruction that meets their needs, while girls would be able to learn in environments in which they aren’t exposed to negative stereotypes such as “math is for boys.”
There has been debate over how much of the learning differences between boys and girls is biological rather than learned behavior. However, the majority of studies conducted on the topic suggest that a mix of the two has lead today’s children to their learning styles.
As a parent or educator there are various things you can do to promote success among students of both genders. One of the biggest recommendations experts have is to include physical activity in the classroom environment or homework setting. Studies have shown that allowing kids to get up and move around increases focus, attention and memory. Another thing to consider incorporating is reading for fun. While this may sound like an obvious solution for boosting academic success, it is important to include the fun part of reading. Researchers have found that introducing comic books or graphic novels to boys who would rather play video games than pick up a book is a good way to bridge the gap. These books have an action plotline that piques boys’ interests and the pictures included can allow boys to visualize the story as it goes along.
While a child’s gender does influence the way he or she learns, it is important to remember that no one student is like the next. All children are unique and some strategies can work wonderfully for one student while hindering another. Studies have shown that personalized instruction works to improve academic success for both genders, and it is my belief that with a little flexibility and trial and error, any student can be academically successful.