DADvocate

Scouter magazine has an execellent article about Michael Gurian's new book, The Minds of Boys." In his book, Gurian points out the differences between boys and girls, apparently without implying one should be more like the other.

Some of the points made:

• 80% of high school dropouts are boys.
• Up to 70% of all D's and F's are made by boys.
• 80% to 90% of all discipline problems are boys
• 70% to 75% of children diagnosed with learning disabilities are boys
• More that 80% of children on Ritalin or similar medications are boys.

With figures like these it seems the problems lie in the way we try to teach and deal with boys as much as in the boys themselves. Gurian describes the heart of the problem:

At the heart of Gurian's theory: Boys learn differently than girls learn because boys' brains are wired differently. Culling research from the emerging study of "gender science," Gurian believes that conventional approaches to education are often mismatched to boys' brains and learning styles. And these differences aren't just educational curiosities, Gurian argues; they are the source of a crisis in boys' academic performance.

The article is a quick, easy, but informative read.

Michael Gurian has written many books concerning boys and other child, family and social issues.