Questions from teachers
An article by Christina Hoff Sommers in TIME may be of interest to parents of boys – click here to read it. Even if you are not in favor of single gender education, you probably are concerned that coed schools seem to find that normal boy behavior creates problems. I myself might be concerned if … Read more
At the end of June, the International Boys’ Schools Coalition had their annual meeting. It’s always a pleasure to be with a large group of people whose focus is on educating boys, especially since those schools are both state and independent schools, and they are from all over the world. Attendees came from the USA, … Read more
For any kid, moving up from elementary to middle school presents a challenge. For boys, who are almost always still children – i.e. have not hit puberty yet – when they enter middle school, that change might not seem too much of a change at first. The learning shift that happens in middle school – … Read more
Friendships Boys are much more emotional creatures than society, and cultural norms, would have you believe. Friendships and buddies are very important to boys. My research, and research by others, says that boys get more social support from their buddies than from their parents, or from girl friends. The group that your son belongs to … Read more
Stress “Fight or flight” – we’ve all heard of it. We’ve all experienced it. When in a stressful situation, your body reacts with an elevated heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, increased breathing rate, dilated pupils. You’re on alert, ready to fight or flee in response to the stressor that caused the reaction. In … Read more
If your little fellow is headed to first grade in the fall, you’ve been spending over five years getting him ready. You’ve helped him learn how to interact and socialize with other people – kids and adults. You’ve read to him, talked with him, sung songs and played games that have helped light up the … Read more
“I can’t do math, I’m not left-brained.” “I’m an artist, I’m right-brained.” At birth, the left side of a little girl’s brain is developing faster, while the right side is developing faster in a little boy’s. The left side of the brain is considered to be the language center, and the right side is where … Read more
Q. The suggestions that you offer for ways to help children just seem to be reinforcing stereotypes. I want to make sure that my child grows up able to cope with the world in many different ways. A. We all know that we shouldn’t stereotype others, but what can you do when the stereotype is … Read more
Dr. James appeared as a guest on a recent episode of the award-winning radio program With Good Reason. Her segment is at the beginning of the show – click here to listen to her thought-provoking discussion with Sarah McConnell. Abigail’s experience in the classroom at the beginning of her teaching career led her to kicking … Read more
Q. I’ve recently read that boys really aren’t having trouble in school, that it is all hype. Is that true? A. A recent report by the American Association for University Women (AAUW) entitled Where the girls are: the facts about gender equity in education says that there is no “boy crisis” in schools. The report … Read more