Boys and girls learn
differently
- A great amount of
research supports this important concept.
- The difference is
not one of gender superiority or inferiority in general.
There are some things boys tend to be better at than
girls, and vice versa, and learning occurs at different
times for boys and girls.
There are developmental
differences in boys and girls that affect the time at
which things are learned.
Examples include:
- Girls’ brains
mature earlier than boys, in general. Girls often
learn complex verbal skills sooner than boys.
- Boys often have better
spatial abilities such as measuring, mechanical design,
and geography and map reading at an earlier age.
Learning style differences
become apparent by the third grade.
Examples include:
- Boys tend to work
out “codes” among themselves and within
their own cognation process, and rely on coded language
to communicate.
- Girls prefer to have
things conceptualized in usable, everyday language.
- Girls are generally
better listeners than boys.
- Boys tend to use
more space when they learn.
- Girls do not generally
need to move around as much while learning.
- Girls master cooperative
learning more quickly.
- Boys tend to be better
than girls at not seeing or touching something and
yet still being able to calculate it; hence, abstract
thinking.
These are examples illustrating
why gender separation is so effective in the academic
environment. Teachers are able to create lessons that
appeal to the interests and learning styles of girls
or boys.
Why the gender split at
fourth grade?
- The differences
in brain development are most apparent when the student
moves into higher-level math and writing assignments.
- Fourth grade is a
pivotal year because students begin to apply their
reading and writing skills to more complex activities
requiring teamwork and the ability to think deductively
and inductively.
- Applying early math
skills to logic and problem solving is an important
component of math curriculum in fourth grade.
- Fourth grade was
chosen by Clear Water Academy because we want to take
advantage of the ability to approach new learning
in a way that will:
o appeal to the students’ interests.
o recognize developmental maturity.
o remove “gender” role in the classroom,
which becomes apparent by fourth grade.
Dr.
Leonard Sax on Single Sex Education
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