http://www.whyboysfail.com/2009/12/29/im-not-sure-this-is-the-right-approach-but/ Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:22:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://www.whyboysfail.com/2009/12/29/im-not-sure-this-is-the-right-approach-but/#comment-13400 Anonymous Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:13:59 +0000 http://www.whyboysfail.com/?p=1287#comment-13400 I think this quote from the article says it all: "Child-development specialists have opposed the writing targets for five-year-olds since they were first proposed, arguing that many children, particularly boys, do not develop the fine motor skills needed for writing until they are six or seven." Once again, this is an argument for not starting boys in any sort of formal schooling until they are 6 or 7. And since there is apparently no reason to hold back 4 and 5 year old girls, it is an argument for gender separate education, although some girls might benefit from starting later as well. They could be educated in a third, but much smaller, system. You don't want to start them early and set them up to fail. You want them to succeed whenever they start. I think this quote from the article says it all: “Child-development specialists have opposed the writing targets for five-year-olds since they were first proposed, arguing that many children, particularly boys, do not develop the fine motor skills needed for writing until they are six or seven.” Once again, this is an argument for not starting boys in any sort of formal schooling until they are 6 or 7. And since there is apparently no reason to hold back 4 and 5 year old girls, it is an argument for gender separate education, although some girls might benefit from starting later as well. They could be educated in a third, but much smaller, system. You don’t want to start them early and set them up to fail. You want them to succeed whenever they start.

]]>