Q2: What strategies can teachers use to fully support boys in their learning?

<Constance Walker> 

In my work with early childhood programs/classrooms, we've cut boys' discipline problems in half through simple solutions like finding ways for boys to move during sedentary activities, increasing time for indoor and outdoor small and large muscle activities, keeping verbal instructions to less than a minute and using more visual aids and manipulatives.  Additional strategies that support boys include having materials for boys  in the dramatic play area, recruiting positive male role models to come into the classroom to read  to the boys, and developing a superhero corner (fantasy/real) to help boys to understand that “there is a superhero in them and that superheroes help people (not hurt).

We're also taking a good look at ourselves. Because so many of us are women, are we expecting boys to act more like girls?  Do our boys need more male role models in our classrooms? Can we interest more men in early childhood careers?

We want all of our young children to thrive. And that means finding new ways to support boys in our early childhood environments. When we do, our experience shows us the girls do better, too.

The work I do with early childhood programs/classrooms are based on the book, Wired to Move: Facts and Strategies for Nurturing Boys in an Early Childhood Setting (2013) written by Ruth Hanford Morhard for Starting Point for Child Care and Early Education.