Teaching the Female Brain : How Girls Learn

In this work, Abigail James examines how girls' unique sensory, physical, cognitive, and emotional systems affect their performance in the classroom, and provides specific suggestions for how teachers can use that information to benefit girls either in single-sex or co-ed settings.The book focuses on math and science instruction, since women are under-represented in these courses at the university level and in related fields, despite current incentives for female students to select math, science, or engineering majors. A large part of the problem appears to be that math and science classes are not taught in ways that complement the female brain. James shows teachers how to incorporate research-based findings and adapt classroom experiences to assist girls' learning within the best standards of classroom instruction.

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
About the Author	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Quiz	p. 2
The Problem	p. 6
How to Help	p. 6
The Influence of Cognitive Gender Differences	p. 9
Quiz	p. 10
The Brain and Senses	p. 12
What the Brain Looks Like	p. 12
Sensory Differences	p. 16
The Mind	p. 22
Verbal Skills	p. 23
Analytic Styles	p. 29
Brain and Cognitive Differences	p. 31
Differences in Learning Approaches	p. 33
Quiz	p. 34
Learning Modalities	p. 35
Auditory Learning	p. 35
Verbal Learning	p. 37
Kinesthetic Learning	p. 37
Visual Learning	p. 39
Group Size	p. 42
Fairness	p. 42
Learning Disabilities	p. 44
Dyslexia	p. 44
Dysgraphia/Dyspraxia	p. 45
Dyscalculia	p. 47
Synthesizing Versus Analyzing	p. 48
Learning Differences and the Classroom	p. 49
Dealing With Stress	p. 51
Quiz	p. 52
Stress	p. 52
Management of Test Anxiety	p. 54
Math Anxiety	p. 57
Ability Versus Effort	p. 58
Self-Handicapping	p. 60
Focus	p. 62
Management of Distractions	p. 64
Teaching Math to the Female Brain	p. 65
Quiz	p. 66
Performance in Math	p. 67
Testing Differences	p. 67
Why Girls Don't Like Math	p. 72
Lack of Confidence	p. 72
Lack of Skills	p. 72
Differences in Problem-Solving Approaches	p. 75
People Orientation Preference	p. 78
Manipulatives	p. 79
Exact Solutions	p. 80
What Can be Done to Help?	p. 81
Early Introduction	p. 81
Attitude Change	p. 83
Clearer Instruction	p. 85
Focus on Process, Not Product	p. 86
Peer Influence	p. 87
Math and Girls	p. 88
Teaching Science to the Female Brain	p. 91
Quiz	p. 92
Why Girls Don't Like Science	p. 93
Access (or the Lack of It)	p. 93
Science Is Uninteresting	p. 95
Collaborative Learning Style	p. 96
Science Background	p. 97
Spatial Relationships	p. 100
Other Sensory Differences	p. 103
Why Girls Should Do Well in Science	p. 104
Study Skills	p. 104
Self-Discipline	p. 104
What Can Be Done to Help?	p. 106
Encouragement and Mentors	p. 106
Methods to Change Girls' Minds	p. 106
Science and Girls	p. 113
Teaching Math and Science to Girls in a Coed School	p. 115
Sociocultural Issues	p. 116
History	p. 116
Families	p. 116
Other Teachers	p. 117
Role Models	p. 118
Verbal Versus Visual Approach	p. 119
Single-Sex Classes or Programs	p. 123
Practical Applications	p. 125
Final Words	p. 128
Gendered Instruction	p. 129
Virginia Standards of Learning	p. 130
Differentiated Instruction	p. 131
Components of Differentiated Instruction	p. 132
Multiple Intelligences	p. 136
Tasks for Each of the Intelligences	p. 137
Learning Modalities	p. 138
Unit Design	p. 142
Empowering Girls as Learners	p. 152
Test-Taking Strategies	p. 152
Beginning Strategies	p. 152
Strategies for Specific Item Types	p. 154
Final Words	p. 157
Resources and Other Help	p. 159
Math Techniques	p. 159
Verbalizing Math	p. 160
Box the Operator	p. 161
Books	p. 162
Books With Interesting and Simple Science Experiments	p. 162
Books With Interesting Approaches to Math	p. 163
Web Sites	p. 163
Engineering Web Sites for Girls	p. 163
Science Program Web Sites for Girls	p. 164
Web Sites With Good Materials for Math and Science	p. 165
Learning Style Assessments	p. 166
Elementary School	p. 167
Secondary School	p. 170
References	p. 173
Index	p. 185
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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Teaching the Female Brain : How Girls Learn Math and Science

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Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials