Advice for Teaching Boys
Men and women are different, not just in body but in mind as well. And so, too, are boys different from girls. That means that boys and girls learn differently. An ongoing criticism of education is that the classrooms of the past were geared toward boys, with most of the focus directed toward encouraging and shaping the minds of boys over those of girls. It has also been recognized in recent years, however, that perhaps the pursuit of better education for girls has turned the pendulum just a bit too far in the other direction, slighting boys where girls were once slighted. Today, top teachers in New Jersey see a new understanding taking place ... that boys and girls learn differently and teachers must adapt their teaching methods to meet the needs and specifics that encompass those differences. To understand the differences between how boys learn and how girls learn requires a look into the similarities and differences in the minds of each.
The latest research indicates that male and female brains are, indeed, different, both genetically and socially. (It should be noted that these are generalized indications without suggestion of value.) Boys tend to have more areas in their brains that are purposed for spatial functioning, which is the ability to understand three-dimensional objects. Spatial intelligence is a right-brain function used primarily for deciphering maps and solving puzzles and engineering queries. Additionally, boys' frontal lobes, which are the decision-making and reading/writing areas of the brain, generally develop later than girls' frontal lobes. This accounts for the fact that girls tend to learn to read and write earlier than boys and are often better at these skills than boys. Another important research indication that neurologists note is that boys' brains go into what is referred to as 'neural rest' several times daily. Neural rest can cause boys to look like they are not paying attention. It can also cause them to be disruptive in order to diffuse their boredom. Additionally, girls' brains generally enable them to multitask better than boys, and boys' brains can make them act more aggressively or impulsively. It is very important to note the differences between male and female brains when teaching, especially since differences in learning and impulsive behaviors can be misdiagnosed as learning disabilities or attention disorders when, in fact, they may just be the natural contrasts between boys and girls.
When teaching boys, it is important to remember that they see the world almost as objects moving in front of them. For this reason, their brains need to be continuously stimulated. The difficulty of boys to 'sit still' means the traditional front-of-the-room lecture style can fail them, and it can even cause boys to be misdiagnosed with learning disabilities. If the teacher moves about the room often, this can greatly help boys to learn better. Likewise, boys achieve better results if they, themselves, have the ability to move or just stand up in order to increase blood flow, which will help them pay better attention. Hands-on and group collaboration approaches to teaching tend to work much better for boys because these methods engage boys in activity, which keeps them stimulated. Additionally, because boys tend to have more of a natural aggression and impulsivity, they generally respond better to teachers who speak in a matter of fact tone.
Due to their natural tendencies toward competitiveness as well as their need to keep moving, boys generally work best when they are given tasks that involve physical movement that can help to keep them alert. The collaborative teaching approach is advantageous to boys in this respect because it aids in motivating them, keeping them active, and getting them more involved in learning. Add to that the opportunity to compete with other individuals or groups when working to complete tasks, and most boys will learn more comprehensively and achieve better results.
Because boys are spatial thinkers, images can help them learn better, especially when it comes to learning to read and write. Boys generally are not abstract thinkers, and this means that they tend to see the world in a more matter of fact manner. When teaching boys to read and write, developing lesson plans that include looking at, or drawing, pictures can help them to better comprehend what they are learning. Additionally, this can help to engage boys' specific interests and get them more involved in their own learning activities. Rather than give them subjects to write about that may bore them, it's more advantageous to enlist boys to discuss or write about topics they find more interesting and thought-provoking. Further, including technology in learning activities is also a great way to engage boys to participate more fully.
It is also important to provide boys with positive male role models. Because the communication skills of boys generally develop later than those of girls, elementary age boys often don't express themselves in ways that convey the difficulties they're having. Male teachers help boys to feel comfortable expressing any challenges they may be facing when learning, especially if those challenges occur in subjects they find less interesting.
Often a beneficial style of teaching boys to read and write is the phonics approach. New Jersey educator Shari Duddy trains educators in 'Fundations,' which is a program that provides reading and spelling education through the phonics teaching method. Ms. Duddy also has spent years teaching educators in the 'Developmental Reading Assessment,' which is a program that evaluates students' reading comprehension by determining their reading levels and monitoring reading progress. These approaches can be very effective when teaching both boys and girls.
Taking into consideration the differences between how boys learn and how girls learn is one of the most important applications in today's classrooms. Too often in the past boys and girls were treated the same when it came to how they saw the world, the strengths they brought to the classroom, and the challenges they faced while learning. Thankfully, top teachers in New Jersey are taking increased time and effort to discover and analyze the situations that boys and girls learn best in, and this distinction greatly aids teachers in deciding how to develop more gender-specific lesson plans.
The latest research indicates that male and female brains are, indeed, different, both genetically and socially. (It should be noted that these are generalized indications without suggestion of value.) Boys tend to have more areas in their brains that are purposed for spatial functioning, which is the ability to understand three-dimensional objects. Spatial intelligence is a right-brain function used primarily for deciphering maps and solving puzzles and engineering queries. Additionally, boys' frontal lobes, which are the decision-making and reading/writing areas of the brain, generally develop later than girls' frontal lobes. This accounts for the fact that girls tend to learn to read and write earlier than boys and are often better at these skills than boys. Another important research indication that neurologists note is that boys' brains go into what is referred to as 'neural rest' several times daily. Neural rest can cause boys to look like they are not paying attention. It can also cause them to be disruptive in order to diffuse their boredom. Additionally, girls' brains generally enable them to multitask better than boys, and boys' brains can make them act more aggressively or impulsively. It is very important to note the differences between male and female brains when teaching, especially since differences in learning and impulsive behaviors can be misdiagnosed as learning disabilities or attention disorders when, in fact, they may just be the natural contrasts between boys and girls.
When teaching boys, it is important to remember that they see the world almost as objects moving in front of them. For this reason, their brains need to be continuously stimulated. The difficulty of boys to 'sit still' means the traditional front-of-the-room lecture style can fail them, and it can even cause boys to be misdiagnosed with learning disabilities. If the teacher moves about the room often, this can greatly help boys to learn better. Likewise, boys achieve better results if they, themselves, have the ability to move or just stand up in order to increase blood flow, which will help them pay better attention. Hands-on and group collaboration approaches to teaching tend to work much better for boys because these methods engage boys in activity, which keeps them stimulated. Additionally, because boys tend to have more of a natural aggression and impulsivity, they generally respond better to teachers who speak in a matter of fact tone.
Due to their natural tendencies toward competitiveness as well as their need to keep moving, boys generally work best when they are given tasks that involve physical movement that can help to keep them alert. The collaborative teaching approach is advantageous to boys in this respect because it aids in motivating them, keeping them active, and getting them more involved in learning. Add to that the opportunity to compete with other individuals or groups when working to complete tasks, and most boys will learn more comprehensively and achieve better results.
Because boys are spatial thinkers, images can help them learn better, especially when it comes to learning to read and write. Boys generally are not abstract thinkers, and this means that they tend to see the world in a more matter of fact manner. When teaching boys to read and write, developing lesson plans that include looking at, or drawing, pictures can help them to better comprehend what they are learning. Additionally, this can help to engage boys' specific interests and get them more involved in their own learning activities. Rather than give them subjects to write about that may bore them, it's more advantageous to enlist boys to discuss or write about topics they find more interesting and thought-provoking. Further, including technology in learning activities is also a great way to engage boys to participate more fully.
It is also important to provide boys with positive male role models. Because the communication skills of boys generally develop later than those of girls, elementary age boys often don't express themselves in ways that convey the difficulties they're having. Male teachers help boys to feel comfortable expressing any challenges they may be facing when learning, especially if those challenges occur in subjects they find less interesting.
Often a beneficial style of teaching boys to read and write is the phonics approach. New Jersey educator Shari Duddy trains educators in 'Fundations,' which is a program that provides reading and spelling education through the phonics teaching method. Ms. Duddy also has spent years teaching educators in the 'Developmental Reading Assessment,' which is a program that evaluates students' reading comprehension by determining their reading levels and monitoring reading progress. These approaches can be very effective when teaching both boys and girls.
Taking into consideration the differences between how boys learn and how girls learn is one of the most important applications in today's classrooms. Too often in the past boys and girls were treated the same when it came to how they saw the world, the strengths they brought to the classroom, and the challenges they faced while learning. Thankfully, top teachers in New Jersey are taking increased time and effort to discover and analyze the situations that boys and girls learn best in, and this distinction greatly aids teachers in deciding how to develop more gender-specific lesson plans.