How Boys And Girls Differ

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How Boys And Girls Differ Page i of 11

 How Boys And Girls Differ
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How Boys And Girls Differ Page ii of 11

The Program
Summary
What are the real differences between how boys and girls develop? Recognizing developmental differences is
essential to understanding child development.

After viewing How Boys and Girls Differ viewers will understand:

Infant girls have more acute hearing than boys and begin talking sooner.
Boys show superior spatial intelligence.
Girls start life growing physically faster and at a steadier rate.
Boys tend to grow in spurts and dont pass girls in size until around age five.
By age three, girls are ahead of boys in fine motor skills by about six months.
Infant boys cry and fuss more than girls.
Boys are more physically aggressive than girls, girls may be verbally aggressive.
Girls develop social skills sooner than boys and are more interested in people and feelings.
How parents can nourish the whole child.

How Boys And Girls Differ Page 1 of 11

Discussion Questions
1. How does the video say boys and girls differ during the first year?
Newborn girls respond more enthusiastically to visual stimuli Infant boys fuss more than girls. Infant girls are easier
to soothe. Infant girls' hearing is more acute. Infant girls' bones' are more developed Girls start growing faster and
at a steadier rate. Boys and girls are equally active.

2. How do parents treat boys differently from girls in the first year?
Girls receive more face-to-face contact. Parents treat boys more physically. They carry infant boys over their
shoulder.

3. Think about the language abilities of children who you know. Cite examples supporting or refuting the idea
that boys' language abilities tag behind girls until age four or five.

4. Some early childhood specialists suggest boys start kindergarten a year later. Does your school district
treat kindergarten boys differently than girls? Discuss.

5. Name activities that give young children practice with fine motor skills.

6. How can parents and caregivers encourage girls to play with toys which may help develop their spatial
skills?

7. Give examples of toddler and preschool boys being more physically active when indoors.

8. Why do you think boys are more active?

Boys and girls experienced different levels of sex hormones before birth. The higher levels of testosterone that male
fetuses experience are associated with high activity after birth. Higher levels of estrogen and progesterone that girls
experience seem to be linked to relatively lower activity.

9. Give examples of young boys take longer to calm down when faced with a stressful experience.

10. Do you think boys act out their frustrations more than girls? Give examples.

11. Give examples of how girls' and boys' social skills differ.
Girls are more interested in people and feelings. Girls are more likely to compromise and take turns. Boys tend to
look after themselves while girls look after the group. Girls play in smaller groups than boys; they cooperate because
it works out for them socially.

12. Give examples of boys being more influenced by other boys than girls are by other girls.

13. The video states that girls tend to show their aggression verbally, and boys physically. Discuss real life
examples which support or refute this statement.

14. The video states that many children prefer same sex playmates at school because boys and girls have
different playing styles. Was this true when you were in elementary school? What are examples of
activities you think are "for girls" and "for boys?"

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15. The video shows Logan and Michaela playing differently with the same purple sand. Give other examples
of boys and girls approaching the same activity differently.

16. Give examples in which parents unconsciously turn subtle differences between boys and girls into large
ones.

17. In families with an older girl and a younger boy, the boy may prefer gender neutral toys like puzzles, to
boyish toys like action figures. Give examples of families where this is true.

18. Discuss examples from your childhood when you were attracted to activities and toys geared towards
your opposite gender. Did adults ever discourage this play?

19. Researchers find that mothers discuss emotions other than anger more with girls than boys. What are
some ways to let boys know its O.K. to express sadness?

20. Why do many parents discourage boys from getting emotional? Give real life examples in which this
happened.

21. Discuss ways to encourage gentleness and a sense of responsibility in boys.

22. Why is it a good idea to give boys dolls to play with?

23. How do parents show affection and attention towards boys and girls differently?

24. Discuss examples of parents protecting daughters more than sons.

Studies show that parents are more protective of daughters than of sons. Children who are not permitted to fall
down and learn from their mistakes can become fearfuL

25. What are some examples of media encouraging kids into sex roles?

26. How did gender influence how you were raised?

27. Discuss these statements from the video:

"Parents do indeed push children into limited gender roles. They treat boys and girls differently."

"Parents often neglect to strengthen the skills and behaviors that are more difficult for their children.

"Parents are more tolerant of so-called masculine play in their daughters than they are of feminine play in
their sons.

Individuality suffers in the presence of limiting gender models."

"My son has dolls. That's the only way he'll learn how to be a father."

"Big boys do cry. Tears are a human response, not a female one.

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"Children whose parents talk about emotions with them when they are young develop a greater
awareness of other people's feelings then do children whose parents avoid conversations about feelings."

"Parents talk more about anger with sons; they tend to minimize the extent their sons might dwell on
sadness."

"Parents are more apt to roughhouse with their boys than communicate face-to-face."

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How Boys And Girls Differ
True or False Quiz

TRUE OR FALSE

1. _____ Boys master toilet training earlier than girls.

2. _____ Boys show superior spatial skills from a very early age.

3 _____ By the time they are three, girls' and boys' fine motor skills are equal.

4._____Tears are a female response.

5. _____Girls develop language skills faster than boys.

6. _____ Research suggests mothers talk more about distress and sadness with daughters than sons.

7._____ Infant boys are more responsive to visual stimuli than girls.

8. _____ Stringing together beads may help develop fine motor skills.

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How Boys And Girls Differ
True or False Quiz Answer Key
TRUE OR FALSE

1. __F___ Boys master toilet training earlier than girls.

2. __T___ Boys show superior spatial skills from a very early age.

3 __ F___ By the time they are three, girls' and boys' fine motor skills are equal.

4.__ F___Tears are a female response.

5. __T___Girls develop language skills faster than boys.

6. __T___ Research suggests mothers talk more about distress and sadness with daughters than sons.

7.__ F___ Infant boys are more responsive to visual stimuli than girls.

8. __T___ Stringing together beads may help develop fine motor skills.

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How Boys And Girls Differ
Multiple Choice Worksheet
1. _____ By the time an infant boy enters the world he trails the average girl developmentally by:
(A) three months
(B) six months
(C) nine weeks
(D) six weeks

2. _____ Gender constancy describes:

(A) girls play with dolls and boys play with action figures
(B) girls prefer to play with girls and boys prefer to play with boys
(C) a girl knows she will always be a girl, and grow up a woman, a boy knows he will always be a boy and grow
up to be a man
(D) the perception that blue is a boy color and pink is a girl color

3. _____Young boys can benefit from:

(A) direct face-to-face speech
(B) discussing all feelings
(C) trying fine motor activities
(D) all of these

4. _____ Girls:
(A) took after themselves
(B) are most interested in approval of peers
(C) look after the group
D) have separation anxiety more than boys

5. _____ To develop spatial skills in girls:

(A) encourage block and truck play
(B) read to them
(C) give them dolls to play with
(D) give them crayons to draw with

6. _____Boys calm down:

(A) when they play alone
(B) after recess
(C) on the playground
(D) when they play in groups

7. _____ Boys who play with dolls:

(A) think they are girls
(B) are developing their spatial and fine motor skills
(C) are developing social and language skills
(D) are not normal

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How Boys And Girls Differ
Multiple Choice Worksheet Answer Key
1. __D___ By the time an infant boy enters the world he trails the average girl developmentally by:
(A) three months
(B) six months
(C) nine weeks
(D) six weeks

2. __C___ Gender constancy describes:

(A) girls play with dolls and boys play with action figures
(B) girls prefer to play with girls and boys prefer to play with boys
(C) a girl knows she will always be a girl, and grow up a woman, a boy knows he will always be a boy and grow
up to be a man
(D) the perception that blue is a boy color and pink is a girl color

3. __D___Young boys can benefit from:

(A) direct face-to-face speech
(B) discussing all feelings
(C) trying fine motor activities
(D) all of these

4. __C___ Girls:
(A) took after themselves
(B) are most interested in approval of peers
(C) look after the group
D) have separation anxiety more than boys

5. __A___ To develop spatial skills in girls:

(A) encourage block and truck play
(B) read to them
(C) give them dolls to play with
(D) give them crayons to draw with

6. __A___Boys calm down:

(A) when they play alone
(B) after recess
(C) on the playground
(D) when they play in groups

7. __C___ Boys who play with dolls:

(A) think they are girls
(B) are developing their spatial and fine motor skills
(C) are developing social and language skills
(D) are not normal

How Boys And Girls Differ Page 8 of 11

Tips For Gender-Neutral Child-Raising
Raising Girls
Encourage physical activities that will help her muscle development. Offer her all kinds of activities and
let her choose what she likes.
Develop a sense of self by giving her direct eye contact and by using her name.
Give her a variety of toys, not just so-called "girl's toys." Give her transportation toys and toys that
develop spatial skills.
Give her a variety of clothing styles besides dresses.

Raising Boys
Encourage gentle behavior from the time he is very young.
Give him a doll and soft toys to cuddle.
Don't always play boisterous games; select toys that aren't always loud.
Allow him to cry and show a full range of feelings when appropriate.
Minimize aggression by being gentle but firm.
Dads can positively influence sons by actively joining in activities traditionally associated with females.
A boy is naturally loving; encourage his sensitive loving side.

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How Boys And Girls Differ The First Six Years
Development of Boys Girls

Natural Superior Spatial Language skills

Abilities skills. develop earlier.
Have more More advanced
speech fine motor skills
problems

Social Exhibit more Develop social

Abilities separation skills earlier.
anxiety. More likely to
Interested in compromise.
approval of boy
friends.

Behavior & Tend to look More interested

Personality after themselves in people &
rather than the feelings, even in
group. Infants first 12 months.
startle, excite Easier to
and cry more. soothe.
More physical &
active
behavior.

Physical Grow in spurts Grow faster and

Attributes more steadily.
Toilet trained
earlier.

How Boys And Girls Differ Page 10 of 11

Bibliography
ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Childhood Education www.ericeece.org

Eliot, Lise. What's Going on in There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of
Life (Bantam Books, 1999).

Gilbert, Susan. A Field Guide to Boys and Girls. (Harper Collins 2000).

Gurian, Michael. Boys and Girls Learn Differently (Jossey-Bass, 2001).

Marone, Nicky. How to Mother a Successful Daughter. (Harmony Books, 1998).

Mulrine, Anna "Weaker Sex? " U.S. News and World Report, July 30, 2001.

Newberger, Eli. The Men They Will Become (Perseus Book Group, 2000).

Pollack, William and Cusman, Kathleen. Real Boys Workbook (Ballantine Books, 2000).

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