President's Day and more

We went to the Berlin library for a special President's day story hour and look who was there!

I was reading an article in Boston Parents Paper on "What do Boys Need? 10 Tips for Parents" It was interesting and a little disturbing....this is why I try not to read too much and just go by gut instinct. I will share some of the things that stood out to me. In the educational system, a divide is opening between accomplished, motivated girls and drifting, disdainful boys. Statistics like: boys are expelled from preschool at nearly five times the rate of girls. By high school, girls rule. They take harder classes, do better in them and dominate most extracurricular activities. More than 57% of all college undergrads are female and this disparity is expected to keep growing. One author questions the wisdom of sending young boys to today's academically-driven preschools, where finger paints and blocks have been pushed aside to make room for reading and writing. 9% of elementary school teachers are male. What happens, when boys are educated almost exclusively by women, who may favor a feminized curriculum and may not be trained to understand boys needs. One author says that it now appears that the language areas of the brain in many 5-year-old boys look like the language areas of the brain in the average 3-and-a-half-year-old girl. Then he suggests that waiting until 7 years of age to begin the formal, 'rigorous' reading and writing curriculum of today's kindergarten might reduce the problems we see with boys and school. Here are the 10 tips (simply put)the author suggests to help sons:
1. Let his imagination soar.
2. Moms: tune out.
3. Promote spontaneous play.
4. Don't try to toughen up little boys.
5. Look closely at preschools (make sure curriculum is play-based)
6. Dads, open those books!
7. Find reading material to match his interest.
8. Lobby for recess.
9. Demonstrate confidence in your son.
10. Find places where men teach boys.

I thought this all very interesting and would love any feedback!