Boys and Girls Learn Differently! a Guide for Teachers and Parents

by Michael Gurian, Patricia Henley, Terry Trueman, et al.

Book Overview

A thoroughly revised edition of the classic resource for understanding gender differences in the classroom

In this profoundly significant book, author Michael Gurian has revised and updated his groundbreaking book that clearly demonstrated how the distinction in hard-wiring and socialized gender differences affects how boys and girls learn. Gurian presents a proven method to educate our children based on brain science, neurological development, and chemical and hormonal disparities. The innovations presented in this book were applied in the classroom and proven successful, with dramatic improvements in test scores, during a two-year study that Gurian and his colleagues conducted in six Missouri school districts.

Explores the inherent differences between the developmental neuroscience of boys and girls Reveals how the brain learns Explains when same sex classrooms are appropriate, and when they're not

This edition includes new information on a wealth of topics including how to design the ultimate classroom for kids in elementary, secondary, middle, and high school.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470608250
• ISBN13: 9780470608258
• Release Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Astounded

I'm truly astounded at the ignorance of the reviewer cc, who clearly has an agenda of her own (just click on her profile).Any mother who has a son and a daughter CLEARLY understands that you can put a doll in a little boys hand for the rest of your life and all he will do with it is twirl it around by it's hair or launch it in a rocket blaster.I too believed that nonsense of nurture when I learned that in college and encourage my first born son to play with all types of different toys. My son was obsessed with balls from day one, in fact, his first word was ball, not mama or dada. Any doll was quickly ditched for a chance to throw something, build something or bulldoze something.Having my son start kindergarten was an eye opener for me as well. Schools are set up for girls, not boys. My son does not want to sit still all day, my son does not want to sit and read books like my daughter will do all day long. My son wants to be physical, wants to conquer, wants to be busy doing... he wants to learn by doing. Unfortunately, schools want him to sit and act nice. Teachers at this stage in education do not understand the differneces and consistantly recommend drugging boys well into adolecence to get them to "behave". My son is a perfectly well adjusted very sweet kind young boy. He does not have any emotional problems, he just wants to do other things that girls do not want to do. I praise Gurian for writing the books that he has. They have given me tremendous strength and wisdom to know what's "normal" for a boy. And yes, boys and girls are different. I don't believe that is politically incorrect to say. It's a fact.

A Must for All Teachers and Parents

This book is a MUST for current teachers, parents, and anyone working with children of ALL ages.This book will help the reader understand how brain research has and should be included in every certified teacher curriculum materials. This "textbook" should be provided for in-service instruction for current teachers, child care workers, parents, guardians, mentors, tutors, and ANY one working with children.The MI (Multiple Intelligences) approach is still valid and is in fact relied on by many to answer the age old question: "How do Boys and Girls Learn? What are the differences in learning styles." By taking your knowledge regarding MI and include the latest reserach on brain research, the child in your life will benefit and you too will feel like you are making the difference in the life of a child.Go get the book, read it, then apply that knowledge within the classroom, home, church, day care, and anywhere/anyone working with children.DG

Closing the Gender Gap

An excellent resource for parents and teachers in understanding the difference in how boys and girls learn. In Elementary grade classrooms, many particle applications are provided. However, I feel that the training sessions through the Gurian Institute needs to trickle down from a Lead Assessor to teach the teachers.Prior knowledge of Multiple Intellegencies, brain research, and how students learn as they develop from K-12 is required to get the most of this material.Good resource may be Cynthia Tobias's tape series and book entitled "The Way They Learn: Understanding Learning Styles" and a book about Brain research. Brain research is key to this book, but may be very confusing as to how to Apply the learning into the home, classroom and everyday life. Instead of instilling sterotypes Boys vs. Girls, Teachers may refere to students as class, friends, team names if group work anything but "boys and girls." Anything to help remove the sterotypes the teachers, parents and society place on young children since that is how they grow up. Boys play sports, like to be leaders. Girls like close friendships with their peers, fluffy toys, play house, etc. Enjoy the book! I did. I took notes and found that useful towards moving in the direction of implementation of Gurian's suggestions.DG

Do your child a favor - give the teacher a copy!

This book resonates with "a ha's"-those rare moments when something you've just read makes such perfect sense you can actually feel it. What I like is the way Gurian blends brain-based research & classroom observation so the reader really can understand the neurological differences in boys & girls that drive their learning & behavior patterns. The extraordinary value in the book is that Gurian provides dozens of suggestions & real-life examples for teachers & parents to nurture a child's intellectual, emotional & creative development. Gurian's book offers valuable & practical insights spanning preschool through high school so I suspect my copy will be dog-eared from frequent use over the next 10 years. Do yourself -and your child-a favor: give this book to your child's teachers & encourage your school district to develop teaching standards that recognize & reflect the fact that boys & girls learn differently. Teachers, kids & parents will all benefit.

"The Restoration of Balance"

The age-old battle between Nature and Nurture has been brought by the politically correct of the recent past to a premature and lopsided conclusion. Hence gender is widely viewed as wholly a social construction. With more than enough evidence to back him up, Gurian wisely dissents from such simplicity. While retaining full awareness of the role of culture in shaping us, he restores attention to our anterior hard-wiring by nature, which we ignore, he argues, only at our peril. Gurian's latest work is a healthy corrective to certain biases which flourish within the educational establishment; it should be read with seriousness by parents and teachers who have no agenda other than wanting the best education for children of both sexes.