This document discusses gender differences in language development and learning. It notes that girls generally learn to speak earlier and have larger vocabularies than boys of the same age. While spatial memory develops earlier in boys, language and fine motor skills develop earlier in girls. When classrooms were divided by gender at one school, both boys and girls showed improved test scores compared to mixed-gender classrooms. Respecting gender differences through movement, hands-on activities, and relationship building appeared to benefit both male and female students' language and math development.

1. Kim Bevill
Gray Matters Courses
www.kimbevill.com

2. What do you need to know before you plan
a lesson?
 Girls learn to speak earlier and more quickly than
boys.
 Girls have larger vocabularies and use a greater
variety of sentences than boys of the same age.
 Language and fine motor skills are earlier in girls
 Spatial memory matures earlier in boys
 Males outperform females in Math and more go
into STEM professions

3. Is Language Different with
Females?
 Females use on average 20,000 words daily
 Males use on average 7,000 words daily
 Females have 30% more FOXP2 than males.
 FOXP2 is found in the language region in the left
hemisphere
McCarthy 2013
University of Maryland

4. Cognitive Equality for Males and Females?
 Only in countries where gender is a discriminatory
factor…Finland top 1% in math is FEMALE
Socio-economic is factor:
1. Open Space Exploration
2. Legos
3. Puzzles
4. Video games
Susan Levine, 2010

5. Rock Ridge…A typical year of
growth
 .4
 A Great Year of Growth would be 1.0
 Unbelievable…..2.0
 When they respected the differences? (separated)

6. NWEA/MAPS Language Usage
3.5
3
2.5
Mixed Gender Boys
Same Gender Boys
Mixed Gender Girls
Same Gender Girls
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Traditional
Boys Only
Traditional
Girls Only
Rock Ridge Boys’ Growth was 2.7

7. NWEA/MAPS Reading Scores
3.5
Boys Only
3
2.5
Girls Only
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Traditional
Traditional
Mixed
Gender
Boys
Same
Gender
Boys
Mixed
Gender
Girls
Same
Gender
Girls

8. SPED Growth
Reading
Language Usage
Boys Only
2
1
0
-1
Boys Only
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
Traditional
Mixed
Gender
Students
Same
Gender
Students
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Traditional
Mixed
Gender
Students
Same
Gender
Students

9. At-Risk Freshman MAPS scores
 Teachers divided classrooms by Gender (2008-2009, 2009-
2010)
Grade Level Fall
Language Arts (Boys)
224/219
Spring
225/227
 8 point gain
Math (Girls)
229/226
231/232
 6 point gain (vs. 2 point average)
The effect lasted 10th grade level = 228/233
232/237

10. What did they do???????
RESPECTED GENDER
DIFFERENCES

Movement

Hands-On Activities

Building Relationships