Big Issues in Education

While I was waiting for hot cocoa at one of those ubiquitous bookstores, I happened to notice this book:

You should know that Sparx is a super bright 11 year old who has tremendous difficulty sitting still for lessons, can't keep track of his papers, and still hates the physical process of writing. These traits have been stumbling blocks to his schoolwork (and my sanity) for some time. In an effort to find strategies for coping with these "attention deficits" and for encouraging better work habits, I've looked at ADHD sites, learning-style sites, and various and sundry mommy blogs for guidance. Having attended coed elementary school and girls-only college prep school, I've long suspected that the dynamics that girls learn best under are not exactly the same for boys. I did not see Sparx characteristics as necessarily a deficit, but more of a personality that I just did not know how teach to effectively. Naturally, I was interested in this book.

Apparently, I am not the only mom/teacher facing these difficulty. Test scores and interviews from across this country (and several others) show that, on the whole, boys are falling behind in school; and in "chicken or the egg" fashion, are having an increasingly poor outlook on school and learning in general. Check out Five Powerful Strategies for Connecting Boys to Schools by Judith Kleinfeld for a shorthand version of the relevant topics.

If you have sons who are struggling, or girls who are fine, but not excited about school, then you should definitely pick up this book. The author is reflective and fair, and her writing style makes is an easy read. The issues touched on in it affect our sons and daughters, even those who don't seem to have difficulty (see Chapter 19, College for a real eye-opener). It seems to be the case that although boys scores are the ones suffering, many of the strategies that help them succeed also benefit our lovely girls in their enjoyment of and ease of learning. As the academic expectations have increased to meet the needs of a technological society, the teaching methods have not evolved everywhere to accommodate the steep rise in the learning curve. How much better can all of our kids do when the research on learning and the wisdom of our best teachers come together to solve that one?

This book is not a how-to guide, although it does discuss some strategies that have been adopted by schools to help bridge the learning gap between boys and girls. If you son is struggling, I'd definitely suggest looking into some of those ADHD strategies (not medications) that focus on organization and breaking down tasks into manageable size. These are helpful for everyone. If you're looking for some teaching ideas, the UK has been working on the "boy" issue for some time. Here are some links with schooling strategies:

• Boys Can Do Better… Boys & Girls Different and Equal,
• Boys' Achievement in Secondary Schools, and
• Did teachers adopt different teaching and learning strategies for boys and girls? from a digest at The Research Informed Practice Site (TRIPS)related to gender issues (including one about girls called Making the Grade but Feeling Distressed)

And won't Sparx be relieved?