Most boys are tactile and kinesthetic learners, meaning they learn by touching and by doing. Boys learn through active play and by manipulating physical things; movement and sensation are both important to their learning experience. In recent years, educators have made a concerted effort to ensure that math and science are accessible to girls. Today, some experts are calling for a change in the way reading and writing are taught in order to meet the needs of boys.
In a typical American school, children begin learning to read and write in kindergarten, when girls have already developed their fine motor skills, but boys have not. Teachers rely heavily on verbal and listening skills, which are not strong points of tactile and kinesthetic learners. Many states now have rigorous testing in the lower grades, which has forced educators to increase their academic focus and cut back on physical outlets like recess. In at least these ways, the typical elementary classroom and the typical boy are diametrically opposed.
In today’s schools, boys are twice as likely as girls to be diagnosed with a learning disability. The equivalent of one student in every classroom has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Of those, boys are four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ADHD. Interestingly, as kinesthetic learners, boys may inadvertently exhibit characteristics typically associated with ADHD. This does not necessarily mean that they have ADHD, but it does mean that they may be misdiagnosed. Some experts believe that boys are being labeled as learning disabled when, in fact, they may be normal, but simply unable to function within the confines our conventional education framework.
Parents can help their boys be good learners.
- Choose to read books that are of interest to him. That may sound obvious, but developing this habit early will pay off later. Continue to read aloud together as many years into elementary school as possible; most families stop reading aloud together way too early. Also, encourage him to tell you his own made-up stories, which is a great pre-reading verbal skills-builder. Make reading interesting, relevant, and useful to him. Consider that most teachers are women and people naturally tend to assign reading that is comfortable and familiar to them. So while some of his teachers may try to get him to read books that deal with inter-personal relationships, he may actually get excited about reading if he is given the choice to read something about knights or race cars, for examples.
- Expect him to need to be in motion. This is realistic. Create a safe area for him to enjoy active play. Incorporate movement into learning activities, allow time for stretch breaks, and reinforce learning with action, such as building a wooden block tower together, going for a hike to look for bugs, or taking turns acting like his favorite animals.
- Provide lots of opportunities for your boy to socialize with other kids, both boys and girls, his age. Join a playgroup, go to your local playground on a regular basis, sign him up for a mother's day out program, or enroll him in preschool two or three mornings each week. If he is in daycare, he is getting plenty of opportunity to practice his social skills. Boys who practice and learn social skills and develop an emotional awareness realize better academic success in school and beyond.
- Provide a positive male role model. Studies show that boys with fathers who are actively involved in their academic life perform better at school. Encourage dad or another strong male figure, such as an uncle or grandfather, to help with homework, volunteer for the PTA, and have conversations with your boy about topics he is studying at school. It is not enough to just be involved in your son's sports. Starting with preschool, ask him questions about what he did and did not like about school today, what snack he ate, what book was read aloud to the class, what craft they made, who he played with, and where he played on the playground.
- Schedule outdoor play and exploration. As kids enter elementary school, their lives get very busy. If your child will be in a full day kindergarten program, and certainly by the time he gets to first grade, he will be at school until about 3:30 p.m. four to five days a week. He will have homework and he may have extra curricular activities. That is a lot to squeeze into one day! What you may find gets sacrificed is time for outdoor play and exploration. Do not let that happen! Make it a point to spend at least one hour outside every day, so that a habit and an appreciation for the outdoors is developed and is more likely to be sustained through the school years.
It's useful to know how your child learns best, so that you can provide an environment that supports his learning style. Research shows that most boys do, in fact, learn differently than most girls. But while it’s important to be aware of gender-based trends, do not get caught up in absolutes. In other words, do not pigeon-hole your child according to his gender. You may have a boy who actually learns best in a traditional classroom or you may have a girl who learns best doing hands-on activities. One way is not better than the other. Both are normal. Try to identify your child's learning style, so that you can help him learn to the best of his ability.
Reference and other reading:
Boys Project
Business Week: the New Gender Gap
National Association for Single Sex Public Education
National Mental Health Information Center
Newsweek: the Trouble with Boys
PBS Parents: Understanding and Raising Boys
Supporting Our Sons
White House Fact Sheet: Helping America's Youth
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