Struggling School-Age Boys

If it is true that our kids are being offered so much education in the early grades, why are they so far behind the rest of the world in everything, especially math and science? Also, what happens to all that knowledge that is being presented to them? They dont seem to show it in later grades as far as I can tell. The educational ap with the rest of the world is extremely wide, even for our more gifted students. A couple of years ago I saw a PBS program about the rigorous training of an Indian student trying to get into IIT and it was an eye-opener. I would not expect that all of our students or all Indian students would be able to keep up with that training but it does not seem to have the same effect on those kids according to what they said in the program. The kids that they interviewed seemed to be quite well adjusted.

We on the other hand have all this nonsense on the TV glorifying entertainers, movie actors and sports stars and the like. All of those endavors are OK but thay are getting far more of the attention than they deserve. Shows like American Idol elevating maginally talented individuals to lofty enviable levels in our society. Quasi news shows like GMA spend an inordinate amount of time with tabloid quaility segments. I think the kids are interested in the entertainment, sports, movies, singing careers, etc. and have no stomach for the hard work, which many around the world think we are not up to.

I am by no means an expert in this area but I have my doubts also about some who are writing these articles.

Thank you,

Farmkell

I have sat on my local school districts PL221 commitee, just to fill a quota as a parent, and I have been a substitute teacher for all grades. I believe it's a break down on both fronts the home and the schools. Students are allowed to fail every class and pass, they fail ISTEP and nothing is recommended on how the student can improve. Whose to blame for these issues? The schools. What I have seen as a substitute teacher, is that they are being taught by memorization. They have to be taught this way in order for all kids to be able to comprehend. They are given test however using different techniques or verbage. Were setting our kids up to fail. On the parent front, sometimes the parents are lazy or they give up. They don't want to invest the time into their children making sure their homework is done, or they're tired of nagging. I have a 13 year old boy. He use to be a great student in the third grade. He had a terrible teacher in the 4th grade, I pushed him through. He had him again in the 5th grade. I later found out the teacher was not certified to teach past the third grade. Whose fault? MINE I put up with it and allowed it to happen. Now I'm constantly pushing my son. And I agree with the posting from Kilganon. Our young boys of today do not have enough strong male role models to show them what hardwork is or true responsibility is.

I think children of all ages need to be responsible for SOMETHING. A pet, a chore, their own room, whatever you, as parents, decide. And as they get older, a bit more responsibilty.
Privileges should be EARNED, not freely given just because they are kids.
That's the key to self respect, self esteem and the road to being reliable adults.

I agree , the kids are pampered and lazy. NOT all but a large percentage. PARENTS are not following thru with any thing these days. Parents do not realize it is THEY, who are responsible FIRST,
to their childern and their education, not the teachers they send them to.

Boys, by nature are explorers, conquerors, discoverers. They never were meant to sit in a chair for 5 -6 hours a day, then sit again for 2-4 hours at night for homework. The overscheduling is also information overload. Video, I-pod, video games, Tv...all input that is constant. Where is the quiet time that used to be for reading, or just creative play outdoors, or indoors building, creating art or music? I believe in exercise, but the parents that expect major league play out of 10 year olds is increasing. Whatever happened to childhood, sandlot ball games and community fellowship among the kids...sportsmanship was peer pressured...we all learn to get along by being with each other...not isolated or scheduled to be together.

Please don't drug your boys and teachers etc...lighten up!! Let the boys play. Hunters and gatherers...are still among us...let them hunt and gather!

klklklk

This study is not a surprise to teachers and other who work with children. I was shocked to learn that my children's school has one 15 minute recess in a day that goes from 8:05 to 2:15. Boys suffocate under those conditions. They need recess. They need hands-on learning. The way we teach is geared toward the way girls' brains work. The push over the last few decades to increase academic opportunities for girls and bring equality to the classroom has resulted in a lopsided curriculum yet again. Before, it favored boys. Now, it favors girls. As a woman and the mother of 2 strong girls, I appreciate how far we have come for girls. As the mother of a young boy as well, however, I see that he is being hurt because the pendulum has swung too far. Of course, that is only half the problem, in my opinion. Boys also need men to emmulate and, increasingly, they don't have any in their lives. .The break down of the family has much, much more to do with the struglge our boys face than anyone cares to admit. Unfortunately, the solutions for our boys are all pretty politically incorrect.

As a mother of five and a grandmother of six. I have always thought if you don't teach children discipline as children then they have no personal discipline as adults. Regardless the task, or expectation. If children are not allowed the freedom of creativity in childhood then they have no creativity in adulthood. If they don't have freedoms for choice as children then as adults they make bad choices. As far as this ADHD goes!! Could we all please look at nutrition? And yes not enough FREE play.

Get rid of the video games. It's the media(TV & video games )that are the problem, and the parents are working to much to pay their second mortgage and car payments and or they are not active in their childs education (thats not new). The public school system has been sending.kids through since I can remember, the 70's. I was one of them. Its a no brainer! Remove the video games and tv and get active in your childs life and quit buying things you don't need, Pepole are still trying to keep up with the Joneses. Things do not bring happiness. My wife home schools our children. They all read music and have played piano since they were seven. Two tested in the top 7% the other in the top 15% in the nation, Iowa skills test. http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/

I think children need to be allowed to be children. It seems everyone is forcused on what sports they play and when they can start to play them. Children need more time to be imaginative and learn how to work things out for themselves instead of having everything planned and arranged for them.

Question: has anyone thought to consider the role that changing gender roles have in society??? Men were traditionally the sole bread winners, women were traditionally nurturers. Men protected their family, women saw to the emotional development of the children and even looked after their men in that respect. Men now however have lost that traditional role in society. This unclear gender role will have unforseen consequences on the development of young men. This is not to say that a return to a more patriarical society is necessary, but consideration of this fact is important.

Also Consider: 50 years ago food was wholesome and we could identify how each ingredient was made. Now with chemicals introduced into our food sources to provide larger, and quicker growing sources, would this also not have an effect on children. Rapid sexual development, and the size of children???

Consider: video games and our babysitters (whoops I mean TV and videos). The rapid transitions between one shot and another in a 1 min interval is 60 or greater. This has to affect a developing brain. Boys more often play video games and watch tv .... could there be a link between these items and struggling school age boys???

PUSH,PUSH,PUSH......gotta do better.......bull hockey!! I say let our kids be kids for a lot longer and stop pushing them to be "young adults" so early. I see our kids as growing up with no imagination, no freedom to think their own thoughts, a rigid world so full of rules it suppresses their natural desire for freedom until the point where they explode into radical behavior that "shocks" everyone around. The popularity of these video games is because it gives them the freedom to escape this rigid world and go play in a world where they make or break the rules without consequence. Every little wrong that we used to get a slap on the wrist for, is nowadays a misdemeanor or felony with lasting damage to their lives. I'm 53 and feel the hopelessness of the world....in a tailspin that we won't pull out of.....but I have lived a full life and remember the warning that there WILL BE an end of days, just watch the signs,.....I just didn't realize it would be so soon.....I feel sorry for
the children.....give them the freedom to enjoy life at their own pace.

I have two boys that are both very active as well as a nephew and have seen and heard that my nephew and my oldest son get in trouble simply because they are active and can't sit still. They need to be moving more and have more physical activity if they want them to learn more. It's about time that someone is bringing this up to everyones attention so that we can work on this together as parents. Not everyone will agree but kids need their free time to play what they want and when they want but to have limits on what to do and what not to do.

I think the real problem with our children today is that they are the victims of terrorism. We have been terrorized by child preditors and they have sequestered our children in our homes or closely supervised. We need to reverse this trend.

Well, a large problem with schools seems to be that they HAVE to base their learning off the lowest common denominator. In most cases this means memorization. I'm not an expert in this field by any means, but I've taken a few classes and see this trend. Governments base a school's worth on how many children pass, the easiest way to get the largest group of kids to pass is by forcing most of the curriculum to be on memorization. So, this does exactly what it intends to, however, it leaves many children just flat out bored and they become destructive. Also, this is a stereotype but oh well if it offends you get over it. But women at least appear to do better with memorization than guys do. Personally I don't remember fine details but rather larger events. My girlfriend however, can tell you the finest details of everything that has happened. Again, I picked this up from a class. So, different strokes for different folks. Just now that stroke is severely limited.