Development of Boys

Today in education for the diverse and exceptional learner, we watch a video on the development of boys. It talked about how boys are raised differently then girls, and how that affects them.

They did a study where a mother played with her baby daughter for several minutes. Then the mother kept a straight face and looked straight ahead. The girl simply just looked around the room, staying calm. When a mother did this to her baby son, the son started whinnying and crying. The study concluded that although boys are viewed as less emotional, in all reality, boys seek just as much attention as girls do.

The video talked about how some schools like to leave out violent stories, but that it may actually be better to let the children work through the violence and talk about how it makes them feel. However, graphic violence may be harmful to children under the age of 7.

I also found it interesting that 70% of D's and F's in the younger years, are from boys. It explained that boys don't like to sit and listen and keep focus for as long as girls do. Boys are 3X more likely to have ADHD, however, it is questionable as to if boys really need drugs, or if this is just the way boys are.

I also found it interesting that recess may be more important then we think. Recess gives children a chance to get out of the classroom and run off some energy. This will help them to focus better when they are in the classroom. I think it would be a bad idea to get rid of recess altogether.