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

Abstract

BOYS AND GIRLS LEARN DIFFERENTLY: A GUIDE FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS MICHAEL GURIAN AND PATRICIA HEMLEY WITH TERRY TRUEMAN JOSSEY-BASS, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, 2001 $24.95 ISBN 0 78795343 1 Maybe girls are not made of sugar and spice and everything nice. And perhaps boys really not made of snips and snails and puppy dogs' tails, but we all know there is a difference between them. Are girls smarter than boys? Do boys have an advantage in math and science classes? Why are more boys enrolled in special education classrooms than girls? Why are more boys enrolled in special education classrooms than girls? These, and many more, are some of the intriguing questions posed by Michael Gurian's Boys and Girls Learn Differently: A Guide for Teachers and Parents from Jossey-Bass Press. Mr. Gurian is an educator, family therapist and director of the Michael Gurian Institute at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. Reading Boys and Girls Learn Differently is a fascinating and revealing process. I was at turns amazed by the wealth of information, cautious about some of the conclusions and made starkly aware of many differences that seem so obvious to anyone who has spent time with students in mixed classrooms. The book is filled with data, some statistical, some more qualitative, to support the ideas presented. The book has a logical organization that makes it not only easy to follow, but also allows readers to select the topics of most interest. For example, high school teachers might want to skip the section on preschool in the interest of time. Part One, "How Boys and Girls Learn Differently," sets the foundation by discussing how the brain works. Gurian ably describes the brain development from both the neurological and sociological perspectives. At this juncture it is difficult to determine which factors are genetically controlled and which are the result of social norms. This section can be glossed over if much of the information is know to the reader, or if the reader would rather cut to the chase and get to the "so what" section of the book. I recommend that readers do spend some time here, however, as the author does refer to this information in the remaining parts of the book. Besides, the brain is such a fascinating organ that most readers will find the sections on chemical, hormonal and functional differences quite interesting. There are two useful tables detailing gender differences here. One cannot help but do some introspection during these pages-"Oh, I see why I am the way I am!" Part One continues with some of the nuances of difference which affect the socialization of developing children, as well as factors which have an impact on the success each gender may find in schools. Mr. Gurian does suggest that schools are both harmful and natural settings for each gender. There are some things that favor one gender over the other, but both genders find some benefits and some disadvantages in our current educational environment. …