Since I have two boys, I cannot help but be interested in information to help me understand the unique needs of boys. Below is a list of books and online resources that I have found, and I plan to add to this list as I find more. I hope you’ll contribute to this by leaving me your recommendations in the comments section! I know there is a lot more out there, but I haven’t had much time to research it.
Books
The Wonder of Boys by Michael Gurian – I owned this book before I even got married! I liked the first chapter, especially, because it describes the difference in brain development of boys and girls. It’s fascinating. At the time, I guess I needed some insight on understanding the opposite sex, but after I had two boys, I sat down and finished the whole book. I highly recommend this to any parent who has a boy.
Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph – Recently I read Biddulph’s Secret of Happy Children, and now this book is sitting on my night stand ready to be opened. I’ll be sure to review it once I’m finished.
Online Resources
Bloggin’ Bout Boys – Jennifer Fink’s blog has a treasure trove of information. She should know since she has four boys. And she has homeschooled them too!
Why Boys Fail – I haven’t read through Richard Whitmire’s blog yet, but it looks like a good source of information and I want to go back to it.
Building Strong Boys - Not Just Cute - This looks to be a promising series about boys, risk factors and the positive things they need.
Interesting Articles
Schools “relearning” how to teach boys - recent article on king5.com
Why Boys Are Failing in an Educational System Stacked Against Them - by Lori Day of the Huffington Post – Very good article. I especially like this quote: “Particularly relevant to this discussion is the theory of “natural learning,” which takes for granted that a learner is a whole person — a living system — and that every aspect of a person, boy or girl, contributes to his or her learning.”
Our boys are falling behind in education – 2010 op-ed in Denver Post
New Studies highlights needs of boys in K-12, Higher Education - article in Science Daily
The Truth About Girls and Boys – a 2006 article that offers a different point of view
Teaching boys to be men - Interesting article about a boy’s school in Kenyan newspaper. The quote I found most provocative in the article: “Why boys? Though she knows she might sound unpopular, Purity believes that the girl child has been empowered at the expense of the boy.”
Teacher and dad Michael Reist urges retooled approach to raising boys in new book
Anything Boys Can Do…Biology may play only a minor role in the math gender gap: Scientific American
A Huge Gender Gap Persists In College Degrees, Do We Need A White House Council On Boys And Men? by Mark Perry
Boys falling behind girls in education, experts look for solutions by Bruce Lindsay for KSL.com-Utah
All-boys’ classes grow confidence, leadership by Tamara Shephard on InsideToronto.com
Who says raising boys is easier? by LZ Granderson, CNN Contributor
Learning to live with ‘boy energy’ by Stephen Bede Scharper
Book boys can’t resist – the notebook.org
Thousands of boys’ at least four years behind in reading – telegraph.co.uk – I see articles similar to this one almost everyday. Something is wrong with how kids are being taught to read!
How to Help Your Kinesthetic Learner Do Better in School - NannyPro.com
Educating Boys - ABC Sydney – Australian Broadcasting Corporation – Though this sounds like a good school, I don’t agree with the statement that boys are different because we nurture them differently. They are just different! And we nurture each child according to his/her needs.
Why You Should Care About International Men’s Day - Blogging ‘Bout Boys
‘Girls’ better behaviour results in higher grades than boys’ - Education – Scotsman.com – This is an irritating article. Boys are no less well-behaved than girls. They (and some girls) have different needs, including the need for a better learning environment where they can move and do more hands-on activities! This article is from Scotland, but the expert quoted happens to be from a local university.
How to Help Boys – Blogging ‘Bout Boys
As I noted above, this is my attempt to start collecting resources on this topic. I’ll be adding more as I find them, and I hope you’ll contribute by leaving your recommendations in the comments below. Thank you!
Do you think there’s a difference between boys and girls and how they learn?
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Homeschooling
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