Prep Talk
The Difference an All-Male Classroom Makes in Bringing up Boys
Posted December 7th, 2015
Boys are Different
Any parent who has raised both boys and girls can tell you that they learn differently and mature at different rates. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that teaching boys requires a different strategy than teaching girls. And there’s scientific evidence to back it up. For instance, did you know that the male brain requires more rest than a female’s brain to recharge? Also, boys’ brains also have more cortical areas dedicated to spatial-mechanical functioning. This is what makes them want to move objects through space and play video games, and is why they learn better with pictures and charts than sitting through lectures. These differences (and others) are why we believe an all-male classroom is beneficial to teaching sons, especially in high school, when hormones are thrown into the mix.
The Statistics are In
Differences in brain development between boys and girls (from GRA infographic)
Recently the Grand River Academy (an all-boys college preparatory school in Ohio), published an infographic entitled Science Behind the Male Brain, that illustrates many of the reasons all-male classrooms are beneficial in educating boys. Check it out, and you’ll definitely see a correlation to how your son learns. Some of the highlights of the infographic regarding traditional education for boys are quite telling. In fact, according to statistics, boys in traditional education settings account for:
- 65% of learning disabilities
- 90% of discipline referrals
- 70% of Ds and Fs and fewer than half of As
- 80% of high school dropouts
These are some pretty dismal statistics, but the good news is that parents do have choices in how they educate their children, and many are exercising that choice by seeking an alternative learning environment to traditional education. There are a plethora of choices, including home schooling, charter schools, private schools (K-12), boarding schools and single-sex preparatory schools. But which is best for your son? An article from ourkids.net outlines the top benefits of all boys schools, including one of the biggest factors that worry parents about changing their son’s school: acceptance. Many parents worry about their son “fitting in socially” in an all-boys environment, but according to Ourkids:
“Single-sex schools can offer an atmosphere free from stigma and stereotypes. Boys can discover their true identity in the safety of the community. They are also encouraged to build their emotional sides, which is more difficult in co-ed situations.”
Understanding how each sex learns and develops is the first step in providing the best education possible for every child. Our sons may not be from Mars and our daughters from Venus, but the science is clear; there are major differences in learning between boys and girls that should be taken into account in their educations.
Find out how St. Augustine Prep prepares young men to succeed in college and beyond. Speak to our Dean of Enrollment Management today.