My two older daughters were both reading quite expertly by age 4. By that, I mean they understood the words they were reading and could sound out and pronounce unfamiliar words (as long as they weren’t too many syllables!). They had a real enthusiasm and focus.
My boy, on the other hand, is much less interested. He’s learning, but it’s a struggle. I don’t think he’s any less capable, but he’s physically restless (reads/draws standing up) and isn’t as innately interested.
Have others had the same experience? Is it a ‘boy thing’?
I just posted about this elsewhere, but I’ll mention it here…
My boy is enjoying Little Reader and after maybe 5 or 6 viewings of Leap Frog’s Letter Factory and with the purchase of Sassy’s foam bath letters and numbers, he very quickly memorized every letter and its respective sound - this was actually several weeks ago already (maybe 6 weeks ago or more).
He is just obsessed with his letters and numbers - daily he organizes and arranges his letters, shows me various letters so that I can sing to him about them, etc.
I think the key for us was gifting him large foam letters he could manipulate with his hands. He can recognize the letter no matter how it is arranged (upside down, backwards, straight up, etc.)
In general, I do believe girls begin talking (and maybe reading) before boys because their brains are just wired up a bit different, but my boy is progressing well and talking with very clear pronunciation and with two-word phrases at 16/17 months, so it’s possible!
Maybe get your boy some manipulatives - it could speed him up a bit. Or you could just let him take his time - I’m sure he’ll be reading soon enough - the key is having eager parents who aren’t waiting for the school system to do everything for them, and you clearly have that!!!
Hm. Thanks for your thoughts. I think it’s a boy thing. Girl One is off on a full ride to Yale next year, and Girl Two is only 14 but spends her summers at Stamford. Only to say both have a real love of learning and academics. Without being ‘nerds’ (sorry)… This little boy, though, my wonderful, sweet, hilarious boy – I’m convinced he’s capable, but he’s in such a rush, charges through life…
Leap frog letter factory and other leap frog DVDS can be bought at Walmart, or Amazon.com.
The Letter Factory thought my son his alphabet and the sounds they name, making it easier for me to teach him phonics now that he is older and we are able to use Hooked On Phonics Kindergarten.
The “slower” you’re talking of, seems to be more left brain functions, such as talking, walking and making sense of things they have learned.
If that’s what you are talking about, then yes - generally boys are slower. The corpus collossum is the band of nerve fibres that links the right to the left side of the brain. In boys, this band of nerve fibres generally forms slower than in girls. In addition, the corpus collosum is thinner in boys than in girls, which is why boys / men can’t multi-task as easily - as the messages are not transamitted from left to right or vice versa as quickly.
I think I agree, at first boys are definatly more into physical things. At least that’s what I have seen. We know a few friends with kids the same age, and it seems that the boys are a little behind the girls. My daughter has always been ahead of her peers, boys and girls, so I don’t compare others to her. I’m comparing the boys to the other girls. But I don’t have a boy, so I don’t know for sure.
i believe they are a bit slower
the books by Dr Raymond More have a lot to say on this topic
they suggest delaying formal academics for boys until they are 8 or 9
as boy need more time playing and moving in general
they say when you do start academics they will catch up in no time
and do better then kids started years earlier
the Mores have many many studies to back them up
a lot to think about
I also believe in general girls talk earlier than boys but it does not mean boys are slow.
And as every ‘rule’ has an exception, my sistter grandson (twins girl and boy 2 yrs old) are the other way around. The girl is more into playing and the boy is more talkative , repeating every word he is listening and shows a love of books.
I do not believe boys are slower than girls… I think it generally depends on the kid itself. Each kid is different. I have a son, now 13 months. He was walking without any guidance when he’s 11 months. He’s talking some words now such as: daddy, mommy, yum yum, ball, tita (auntie in our language) and all other stuff. Whereas an officemate of mine with same age as my son only she’s a she… doesn’t even crawl, walk or talk. And another, girl who’se around 21months doesn’t talk any words but only mumbles, she’s perfectly normal though.
However not to praise milestones of my son, my brother was a late bloomer compared to me and my sister. So really, it all depends on the person. Each one of us is unique in some ways.
I didn’t walk until I was 14 months! Speaking with my mother recently, I understand why – I had no need to walk. I had 3 older siblings, my parents and a care giver all happy to give me a ride!
It sounds like, at least for now, your boy may be more of a tactile-kinesthetic learner than your girls were. Many toddlers start out very tactile then shift to aural or visual as their primary learning style. About 15 % of the population remains primarily tactile-kinesthetic into adulthood. I read a really great article on this, but forgot to bookmark it. As I recall the shift took place for most children about the same time elementary school starts, but I could be mistaken. It could be later for boys than girls too. Unfortunately most schools don’t spend much time directed toward people with this learning style. Here is the best link I could find on short notice http://www.pesdirect.com/lsitactile.html.
This gender learning discussion reminded me of my school years.
From the first grade we girls were better studends, always active and participating in discussions,
and the boys were mostly playing, running, fighting and had to be disciplined!
But!!!
When we reached about age 10~ 11 and were introduced to physics, chemistry, geometry and algebra,
everything changed!!! The boys were getting explanations and learning at faster speed!
I always remember this particular boy ( our first grade teacher was pulling his ears and calling him lazy and dumb and what not).
He became honor student in high school, and graduated from university with honors majoring in nuclear physics.
I think boys need to be taught different, since most of the time they are interested in different things than girls.
That said I also agree that every child is different, unique and needs to be “discovered” and no labeling!
Right, but there is also stunning evidence that boys are ‘favored’ in math/science classes as they get older. I saw a news segment once – boys called on more than girls, that sort of thing.
