Brain Development in Girls and Boys

I was doing what I always do, research for this blog, and look what I found at the National Association for Single Sex Public Education (NASSPE) website: "The most profound difference between girls and boys is not in any brain structure per se, but rather in the sequence of development of the various brain regions. The different regions of the brain develop in a different SEQUENCE in girls compared with boys -- this is the key insight from the past five years of neuroscience research in brain development. In 2007, the world's largest study of brain development in children published their most comprehensive study to date, demonstrating that there is no overlap in the trajectories of brain development in girls and boys.

You can download the full text of the NIH study by clicking here." Given the current concern that more and more boys don't have the same motivation as their female counterparts in school, one author suggests single-sex education as an option. "For many boys (as Dr. Sax shows in Boys Adrift), the single-sex format can change a boy's attitude toward school from sullen resentment and apathy to enthusiasm and energy. That doesn't happen automatically just by putting all the boys in one room, of course. Teachers have to know how to take advantage of the all-boys format. Teachers have to have the right kind of training."

According to the website, "Boys at single-sex schools have more diverse role models of their own sex. Andrew Hunter, a school principal who has taught at both coed and single-sex schools, says that "there is a subtle pressure toward gender stereotyping in mixed schools.

In boys' schools, boys feel free to be themselves, to follow their interests and talents in what might be regarded as non-macho pursuits: music, arts, drama." We've heard from many young men who have shared how their interest in poetry, or history, etc. only began after they enrolled in a single-sex school. In the single-sex environment, they didn't feel any embarrassment in showing an interest in those "non-macho" activities.

Brian Walsh, who has been a principal at private boys' schools and private coed schools in New England, made this observation: "Boys ordinarily do not even try to sing in a coed school, whereas they love choral singing in a boys' school; in the coed setting they make fun of French pronunciation, whereas in the single-sex setting they enjoy becoming fluent in French; in drama, they muck up or clown around to avoid seeming imperfect in a coed setting, whereas they excel at drama when by themselves."

I went to a single-sex high school and for me, it was a good experience. While I've always been an outgoing person (maybe too talkative sometimes), being around all females provided me with a sense of comfort in knowing that I could just be myself. If I wanted to run for class president, I could without feeling judged by the guys or enduring obnoxious comments or distractions. This would work in favor for a more introverted student as well. Being among people with similarities provides  comfort and confidence to step out of the shell.

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