About the Book
A manifesto and programme for teachers and parents on how the fundamental difference between boys and girls affects the way they learn. Using recent scientific research on male and female cerebral anatomy, brain development, and hormonal chemistry, it shows why classroom strategy must change, and makes specific suggestions for techniques and innovations which will provide equal educational opportunities, customised for gender difference.
Table of Contents:
Introduction; Brain-Based Research; Creating the Ultimate Classroom; The Gurian Institute at the University of Missouri-Kansas City; Boys and Girls Learn Differently; Patricia Henley and Terry Trueman; PART ONE: HOW BOYS AND GIRLS LEARN DIFFERENTLY; 1. How the Brain Learns: Inherent Differences Between Boys and Girls; The Wide Spectrum of Gender in the Brain; How the Brain Works; How Boys' and Girls' Minds Are Different; Developmental and Structural Differences; Chemical Differences; Hormonal Differences; Functional Differences; Differences in Processing Emotion; Why the Brains Are Different; A Brief History of Brain Difference; The Role of Hormones in the Womb and at Puberty; 2. How Brain-Based Differences Affect Boys and Girls; Areas of Learning-Style Difference; Deductive and Inductive Reasoning; Abstract and Concrete Reasoning; Use of Language; Logic and Evidence; The Likelihood of Boredom; Use of Space; Movement; Sensitivity and Group Dynamics; Use of Symbolism; Use of Learning Teams; Learning Differences and the Intelligences; Time and Sequence; Space and Place; Applying the Intelligences to Brain-Based Gender Difference; The State of Boys and Girls in Our Schools; Advantages for Boys, Disadvantages for Girls; Advantages for Girls, Disadvantages for Boys; Applying Brain-Based Research to Gender Advantage; Studies Based on Political Assumptions; The Political Search for Workplace Privation; Creating the Ultimate Classroom; PART TWO: CREATING THE ULTIMATE CLASSROOM FOR BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS; Authors' Note; 3. The Ultimate Preschool and Kindergarten Classroom; The Foundation of Early Learning: Bonding and Attachment; Handling Children's Emotional Stress; Bonding and Attachment Solutions; Day Care, Preschool, and Kindergarten Community Building; The Case for Preschool; Parents as Teachers; The Parent Education Coordinator; Nutrition and Learning; Carbohydrates, Proteins, and the School Day; Fatty Acids; Dealing with Aggressive Behavior; Aggression Nurturance; Increasing Empathy Nurturance and Verbalization; Discipline Techniques; The Outdoor Classroom; Directing Boys and Girls to Academic Excellence; Teaching Math and Spatials; Language Development; Special Education; Creating a Tribe: Bonding and School-Home Alliances; Use of Psychotropic Medications; The Ultimate Preschool and Kindergarten Classroom for Both Boys and Girls; For the Boys; For the Girls; Tips for Parents; 4. The Ultimate Elementary School Classroom; Structural Innovations; Use of School Time; Class Size, Number of Teachers, and Teacher-to-Student Ratio; Using Group Dynamics and Group Work as a Basis of Pedagogy; Use of Computers and Other Media in Elementary School; The Outdoor Classroom; Bonding and Attachment in Elementary Learning; Handling Students' Emotional Stress; The Role of the Mentor; Community Collaboration: Mentors from Outside the School; How to Provide Discipline in the Elementary Classroom; Learning from Past Mistakes; Discipline Techniques After a...
About the Author :
MICHAEL GURIAN is an educator, family therapist, and author of fourteen books, including the bestselling The Wonder of Boys, A Fine Young Man, and The Good Son. He is an internationally celebrated speaker and writer whose work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time, and other national publications as well as on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, and numerous other broadcast media.
Review :
A new school year is a lot like New Year's Day; it offers the chance to wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start, the chance to move ahead in new and productive ways and the chance to work harder and do better than you did the year before. If you've made a new school year "resolution" to help your child succeed in school this fall, you'll need to some homework. Here is a new book to put in your backpack before the first bell rings. Michael Gurian's Boys and Girls Learn Differently explains the biological factors behind male/female learning, what these differences consist of at various developmental stages and most importantly, how this information can be used to build a student's self-esteem and facilitate learning. Gurian points out that there are no hard and fast "gender rules," but that brain-based research indicates certain tendencies. For eample, he writes, "Boys tend to be deductive in their conceptualizations?girls tend to favor inductive thinking." Gurian outlines what he calls the "ultimate" learning environment for both boys and girls from preschool through high school. He reminds us what it is like to be a sensitive nine-year-old to a turbulent teen and points out that by understanding what are children are going through at different stages in their lives, adults can more effectively help them achieve in school? (Linda Stankard, BookPage August 2001)
"Boys and Girls Learn Differently! offers valuable and much-needed tools to provide boys and girls with true equal educational opportunities. The new techniques Michael Gurian presents here will transform our classrooms and the way parents teach their children in very positive ways." (John Gray, author, Children Are from Heaven and Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus)
"From the beginning of time, parents and sensitive teachers have observed differences in the behavior, learning styles, and focused interests of girls and boys. Defying the political correctness that is today's common wisdom, Gurian and the contributing authors draw on emerging neuroscientific data to justify these perceptions. While never allowing us to lose sight of the reality of individual differences, they suggest creative ways to modify the learning environment to encourage a broader spectrum of achievement in both gender groups." (Edward Zigler, Sterling Professor of Psychology, Yale University, and one of the original planners of the national Head Start program)
"Overflowing with challenging ideas and practical advice, Gurian's research offers parents and teachers a true gift-the knowledge and support needed to create dynamic learning environments for both boys and girls." (Ann F. Caron, author of Mothers to Daughters and Strong Mothers, Strong Sons)
"The insights and innovations in Boys and Girls Learn Differently! have been applied in our classrooms with phenomenal success, leading to better academic performance and better behavior. I highly recommend this book to all parents, teachers, and school administrators." (Dan Colgan, superintendent of schools, St. Joseph, Missouri)
..".Do we need this American publication to help us find the way forward? Frankly and emphatically, yes..."(Educational Research, Summer 2002)
..".refreshing to read such an up-beat and positive book...highly recommended to teachers..." (Debate, December 2002)
"This book will be picked up by parents eager to learn more of what Gurian has to say." ("Publishers Weekly")..".Do we need this American publication to help us find the way forward? Frankly and emphatically, yes..." ("Educational Research," Summer 2002)
..".refreshing to read such an up-beat and positive book...highly recommended to teachers..." ("Debate," December 2002)
