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

Contents......Page 12
Introduction......Page 20
Brain-Based Research......Page 22
Creating the “Ultimate Classroom”......Page 24
The Gurian Institute at the University of Missouri-Kansas City......Page 25
Boys and Girls Learn Differently......Page 27
Patricia Henley and Terry Trueman......Page 28
I How the Brain Learns: Inherent Differences Between Boys and Girls......Page 32
The Wide Spectrum of Gender in the Brain......Page 34
How the Brain Works......Page 36
Developmental and Structural Differences......Page 38
Hormonal Differences......Page 47
Functional Differences......Page 48
Differences in Processing Emotion......Page 50
Why the Brains are Different......Page 52
A Brief History of Brain Difference......Page 57
The Role of Hormones in the Womb and at Puberty......Page 60
2 How Brain-Based Differences Affect  Boys and Girls......Page 62
Deductive and Inductive Reasoning......Page 63
Use of Language......Page 64
The Likelihood of Boredom......Page 65
Sensitivity and Group Dynamics......Page 66
Learning Differences and the Intelligences......Page 68
Time and Sequence......Page 69
Space and Place......Page 70
Applying the Intelligences to Brain-Based Gender Difference......Page 71
Advantages for Boys, Disadvantages for Girls......Page 73
Advantages for Girls, Disadvantages for Boys......Page 74
Applying Brain-Based Research to Gender Advantage......Page 76
Studies Based on Political Assumptions......Page 83
Creating the Ultimate Classroom......Page 86
3 The Ultimate Preschool and Kindergarden Classroom......Page 92
The Foundation of Early Learning: Bonding and Attachment......Page 93
Handling Children’s Emotional Stress......Page 95
Bonding and Attachment Solutions......Page 97
The Case for Preschool......Page 103
Parents as Teachers......Page 104
Nutrition and Learning......Page 105
Carbohydrates, Proteins, and the School Day......Page 106
Fatty Acids......Page 107
Dealing with Aggressive Behavior......Page 109
Aggression Nurturance......Page 111
Increasing Empathy Nurturance and Verbalization......Page 113
Discipline Techniques......Page 115
The Outdoor Classroom......Page 117
Directing Boys and Girls to Academic Excellence......Page 119
Teaching Math and Spatials......Page 121
Language Development......Page 129
Special Education......Page 132
Creating a Tribe: Bonding and School-Home Alliances......Page 133
Use of Psychotropic Medications......Page 134
For the Boys......Page 139
For the Girls......Page 140
Tips for Parents......Page 141
4 The Ultimate Elementary School Classroom......Page 143
Structural Innovations......Page 145
Use of School Time......Page 146
Class Size, Number of Teachers, and Teacher-to-Student Ratio......Page 149
Using Group Dynamics and Group Work as a Basis of Pedagogy......Page 151
Use of Computers and Other Media in Elementary School......Page 153
The Outdoor Classroom......Page 155
Bonding and Attachment in Elementary Learning......Page 157
Handling Students ’Emotional Stress......Page 165
The Role of the Mentor......Page 171
Community Collaboration: Mentors from Outside the School......Page 173
How to Provide Discipline in the Elementary Classroom......Page 175
Learning from Past Mistakes......Page 176
Discipline Techniques After an Offending Act......Page 178
Discipline Techniques to Prevent Undisciplined Behavior......Page 183
Motivation Techniques......Page 186
CHARACTER plus......Page 187
Dealing with Cruelty, Hazing, and Violence......Page 189
Definition of Terms......Page 190
Zero-Tolerance Policies......Page 191
Innovations for Teaching Language Arts,
 Especially Reading and Writing......Page 195
Innovations for Teaching Math and Science......Page 199
Standardized Testing......Page 204
Special Education, Learning Disabilities, and Behavioral Disabilities......Page 206
Class Within a Class......Page 209
Other Spatial Stimulants and Use of Movement......Page 210
Cooperative and Competitive Learning......Page 211
Sports and Athletics......Page 214
For the Boys......Page 215
For the Girls......Page 216
Tips for Parents......Page 218
5 The Ultimate Middle School Classroom......Page 220
Separate-Sex Education......Page 222
Rites of Passage......Page 231
Use of Uniforms......Page 234
Classroom Size and Other Innovations......Page 235
Bonding and Attachment......Page 237
The Early Adolescent ’s Drop in Self-Esteem......Page 238
Handling Students ’Emotional Stresses......Page 240
Community Collaboration......Page 246
Strategies for Providing Discipline......Page 249
Mandatory Sports......Page 253
Character Education......Page 255
Innovations for Teaching Language Arts and Math and Science......Page 257
Innovations for Teaching Language Arts......Page 258
Innovations for Teaching Math and Science......Page 261
Girls and Computer Science......Page 264
Special Education......Page 265
Rethinking Special Education Through the Lens of Gender and the Brain......Page 267
Innovations for Dealing with Behavioral Elements of Special Ed......Page 269
The Underachiever as a Special Ed Category......Page 272
“Mr.Daba ”:The Power of Bonding......Page 273
For the Boys......Page 276
For the Girls......Page 277
Tips for Parents......Page 278
6 The Ultimate High School Classroom......Page 281
Bonding and Attachment......Page 283
Communication and Conflict Resolution......Page 285
The Art of Mentoring......Page 287
Peer Leadership, Not Peer Pressure......Page 289
Discipline Systems......Page 290
Character Education and Service Projects......Page 292
Class and School Size......Page 293
Uniforms......Page 295
Time and Time-of-Day Innovations......Page 299
The Innovations Students Are Asking for......Page 300
Counterinnovations......Page 302
Rites of Passage......Page 303
Full Psychosocial Education, Not Just Sex Education......Page 305
Improving Sex Education......Page 306
Gender Education......Page 308
Innovations to Improve Academic Learning......Page 311
Teaching Mathematics, Science, and Technology......Page 312
Technology and Gender......Page 315
Teaching Reading and Literacy......Page 316
Standardized Testing......Page 320
Special Education......Page 324
For the Boys......Page 327
For the Girls......Page 328
Tips for Parents......Page 329
What High School Students Are Saying: Their Fears......Page 330
Epilogue......Page 332
Notes......Page 334
Additional Resources......Page 342
The Authors......Page 350