Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Why Are Boys So Disorganized?

That's the question posited by researchers and educators in this recent New York Times article by Alan Finder. Why are boys more likely to bring home backpacks that resemble black holes, while their female classmates quickly adopt filing systems?
Some educators think the tutors are on the right track, whether or not there is science to back them up. “The guys just don’t seem to develop the skills that involve organization as early,” said Judith Kleinfeld, a psychology professor at the University of Alaska and founder of the Boys Project, a coalition of researchers, educators and parents to address boys’ problems.
What's your sense of things? Do male students have a harder time staying on track and keeping organized? Or is this another gender stereotype? What do your teachers do to help students stay on track organizationally?