1. How significant are 2. Is a learning
problem
the changes in
related to IQ ?
learning rates
between genders?
Why is this
happening now?
7. Can a reading
disability disappear?
3. Why do scientists
4. What diagnostic
believe that verbal
tools are used to
strength for girls and
document cortical
mechanical strength for changes in boys and
boys is not socially
girls?
created?
8. Will students who need 9. Why does it take
10. Do students with
extended time ever
longer for females to learning disabilities
be able to complete tasks complete math
also lack basic skills?
within a time limit?
problems than it takes
males?
5. Do boys and girls
ever catch up to each
other in terms of
cortical
development?
6. What is the
difference between
a learning issue and
a learning
disability?
11. Are there
differences in the
cerebral cortex of
right and left handed
individuals?
12. Why can't we use
an MRI instead of
educational tests to
understand how
someone learns?
13. What can teachers 14. How can a student
do to compensate for improve attention?
cortical differences
between genders?
15. Can we change
16. Why are boys
brain function in adults diagnosed with more
as well as in children? learning problems
more than girls are?
17. What are the
18. Where can I find
academic areas of
memory techniques
strength for boys?
that will help students?
What are the areas of
academic strength for
girls?
19. Why is it helpful to 20. What effect does
have boys and girls in
stress have on
different classes?
learning for boys
and girls?
21. Studying what
22. What motivates
specific areas will help boys and girls?
students perform
better on tests?
23. How do boys and 24. Why are females
girls respond to
better with
criticism?
simultaneous
processing?
25. What helps boys
attend?
26. Why do boys have
27. What kind of
more difficulty with
support do boys need?
attention and often
appear less mature than
girls do?
31. So, say my son
finally is 30 years old.
Is his brain mature?
32. How come so few
girls have ADHD?
28. What is the
29. Can emotional
difference between
issues change
low motivation and a academic function?
learning disability?
30. How can I tell if my
child needs
medication?
The Ratio of College Graduates has
moved from 2/3 Males to 2/3 Females
 In the 1960’s most females studied teaching and the
arts
 Today they dominate almost all areas except
engineering
 Literacy difficulty has held males back in many areas
White Twelfth-Graders
With At Least One College Graduate Parent
Who Score "Below Basic" by Gender and Subject
Subject
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
Male
23%
25%
19%
Female
7%
6%
17%
Hispanic Twelfth-Graders With At Least One College Graduate
Parent Scoring "Below Basic" by Gender and Subject
Subject
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
Male
34%
39%
40%
Female
19%
17%
49%
African-American Twelfth-Graders
With At Least One College Graduate Parent
Scoring "Below Basic" by Gender and Subject
Subject
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
Male
43%
45%
57%
Female
33%
24%
60%
Neuroscientists believe that boys are approximately 1.5 years behind girls
In verbal development in Kindergarten and First Grade.
The computer age has increased the importance of verbal ability.
Whereas many middle management positions were previously
supported by a secretary, today people in these positions have
to do their own secretarial work.
In 1976, Apple I released the personal
computer. By 1980, technology changed the
complexion of business. In 1995, Netscape
opened the internet to the general public.
The ability to communicate almost
instantaneously changed the pattern of skills
employers required in new hires
In turn, this changed the expectations of
college professors from students and these
expectations trickled down to high school,
middle school, elementary school and
finally preschool.
A learning Disability Reflects a 2 SD
Difference between IQ and Achievement
 Technically this would mean that if an individual does not
fall in the “Average” range for IQ, it would not be possible
to diagnose a Learning Disorder (which is the technical
term used by psychologists).
 However, there are some individuals who get support for a
disability which is a legal term.
 People who ask this question are usually asking if disabled
individuals who are not capable of performing certain
academic functions would be allowed to entrance because
of the accommodations they are being provided. The
answer to this question is that the accommodations for
someone would not allow enough compensation if a
learning disorder truly existed.
Brain Differences
between genders
are evident
In utero
– before the baby is born, when it is
still developing in the mother or
during what scientists call the
gestational period.
The Same Gender Specific Learning
Pattern is Found in the Animal Kingdom
Female Rhesus
Monkeys are
More nurturing
and less able to
perform spatial
tasks than
males are
In the male monkey, cognitive
function begins to deteriorate
earlier than in female monkeys.
Scientists Use a Number of
Different Types of Tests
 The Pet Scan measures metabolic rate.
 The following shows the metabolic rate of two
individuals engaged in the same activity.
 One of these individuals has been diagnosed with
ADHD.
The PET Scan Shows Metabolic Rate Which measures
the Amount of Glucose Used.
The MRI Has Been Available to
Researchers for Several Years
 It shows the anatomy of the brain.
 The functional MRI shows the amount of oxygen used
by the cortex while performing an activity.
 Most of the time the activities that have been studied
are verbal tasks.
 Nonverbal tasks can be performed by various parts of
the cortex, making the use of this instrument difficult.
MRI vs. fMRI
MRI studies brain anatomy.
Functional MRI (fMRI)
studies brain function.
The functional MRI
fMRI
With the fMRI, the
information that
scientists obtain
includes watching
the process of what
happens in the
cortex during an
activity. The fMRI
creates a number of
slides which,
when placed together,
create a movie
showing second
by second cortical
activity. The movie
produced by the fMRI
gives us information
which is more
explanatory than an
x-ray or PET scan.
It Depends What “Catch Up” Means
 Because individuals usually continue to study what
they do best and avoid what is difficult, they normally
favor tasks that were easier when they were in
childhood.
 The physiology of the brain will catch up in most
areas.
 However there are some cortical differences that
remain. For example, the Corpus Callosum is 20-25%
larger in the female, making simultaneous processing
easier. The IPL in males is larger than in females
which means that mental math is easier for them.
Average
With a learning disability there is a 2 SD
difference between IQ and achievement.
So an individual who’s IQ emerges at +1
on the IQ would have to score at -1 on an
achievement test in order to be diagnosed
with a learning disorder.
With a learning disorder there is
no criteria because there is no
diagnosis. The individual is not
entitled to accommodations.
-2
-1
+1 +2
Normal Distribution
Do Reading Disabilities Disappear?
Dyslexia
Was
Saw
As an individual progresses in
Beautiful
school words become longer
and more complex. This makes
Dyslexia less problematic.
Sound Symbol Difficulty
Phone
Fone
Individuals with reading disabilities may exhibit poor recognition of the
written word, slow oral/silent reading, many mistakes in oral/silent reading,
and poor comprehension of what has been read. They often have difficulty
finishing exams within an allotted time because it takes them longer than
the average student to sound out words. Sometimes the process of sounding
out words interferes with comprehension. As a student progresses, word
recognition becomes the basis of reading and students who “sound out” words tend
to have less difficulty. Technically the reading disorder does not disappear, however,
it may no longer interfere with functioning.
Will Students Who Need Extended Time Ever Become
Quicker With Processing Speed?
 As tasks become more familiar, the need for extended
time will likely disappear.
 New tasks may always require more time.
 Organization may always require more time.
Hemispheres of the Brain
In women the
connection between
hemispheres is larger.
Women tend to make
math problems verbal.
Males solve a math
problem directly.
Asymmetry – difference in size. The
difference in size of the brain hemispheres
in men is greater than the difference in the
size of the two hemispheres in women. In
both genders, the left hemisphere is larger
than the right.
Women tend to use verbal mediation when solving a math problem. Men solve it
directly. Women tend to use both hemispheres to solve math problems,
men use only the right hemisphere.
Students with Learning Issues
Often Lack Basic Skills
 Sometimes students will basic skill problems are
erroneously diagnosed as LD.
 Students with LD tend to take a great deal of time
doing homework, and therefore, they are not made to
fix basic errors.
 Sometimes parents and teachers believe the student is
“already trying hard enough,” and the student’s work
is accepted.
Left Handed and Ambidextrous Students Often
Have a Different Cortical Pattern than Right
Handed Students
Sometimes Verbal Skills are in the right hemisphere of
the brain. Sometimes both hemispheres share
functions that would only be expected to be housed in
the left hemisphere or visa versa.
Sometimes, however, there is no difference in where the
information is stored.
The fMRI is a Very Brief Look into
Cortical Function
 Other tests such as the PET scan or Xray give the
practitioner no information on function, only
structure.
 Brain function is very difficult to measure without
information on IQ, emotional functioning, etc.
 The fMRI has given us a great deal of insight into
function, but it does not replace functional tests.
Types of Tests to Assess Learning
and Other Functions
 Educational Tests – Achievement Tests (final)
 IQ Tests – Aptitude (Wechsler)
 Medical Tests – (X ray, functional MRI, CAT scan, PET
scan, etc.) shows physiology
 Neuropsychological Assessments – (Luria Nebraska
Neuropsychological Battery) – shows functioning
 Psychological Tests – (Beck
Depression Scale) Depression, Anxiety
 Specialty Tests – (Nelson Denny Reading Test) level of
achievement First
What Helps All Students Learn?





Attention Cues, Goals, Organization
Multiple chances for success
Choices – reading material and assignments
Teaching the importance of details
Know how to address issues that relate to gender
differences, for example, feedback, encouragement,
honesty, etc.
 Know the gender strength, and make appropriate
accommodations, i.e., challenge boys and give them
reality checks, encourage girls.
Know Specific Gender Differences
 Encourage computer use particularly for females
 Encourage females to play with puzzles without having
time limits
 Connect Science and Math to the real world especially
for females
 Be aware that noise is more distracting to girls because
their hearing is more acute, even though boys typically
are more easily distracted.
 Know that ADHD presents differently in boys and
girls. ADHD girls are labeled low achievers; boys are
labeled as behavior problems.
Improving Attention
 Have the student understand the importance of






attention
Let the student sit near the presenter (teacher)
Pre-read, go over the lecture immediately afterwards
Use interactive techniques to study
Turn headings into questions when reading
Let the student become aware of the modality best
suited for learning and use it
If it doesn’t work, use ANYTHING else
Neoplasticity
 Every time you perform a function, you change the neuronal





format of the cerebral cortex.
Every time you try something new, you rearrange or create new
connections.
When you continue to perform an activity you strengthen the
neuronal connections associated with that specific task.
When you stop performing an activity the neuronal connections
used with that task become continuously weaker.
Brain functioning is always changing in young children the
neurons are forming and/or falling off, in young adults there is
more formation, and in older adults there is decreased
functioning in spatial functioning.
Neoplasticity is harder to create in individuals over 40 years old.
This has major implications for cortical injury
In females, the right side of the brain is almost the same
size as the left. While most verbal functions are housed
in the left hemisphere, women have some verbal functions
housed in the right hemisphere. The tendency for women to
use both hemispheres suggests that some verbal skills are duplicated
in the right hemisphere. This may explain why fewer females
are diagnosed with Reading Disorders.
Boys Lateralize Brain Use Girls
Generalize
In addition to a larger right
hemisphere, females have a larger
corpus collasum, which is the
structure that connects both
hemispheres. So females have
better access to both hemispheres
as well as more storage in the right
hemisphere.
Why are Boys Brains More
Vulnerable?
• Brain scientists believe that the slower growing cerebral
cortex of the male makes him more vulnerable to the
environment, and that’s one of the reasons that there are
more learning problems in males.
• Researchers recognize that brain function decreases after
middle age; it decreases more quickly in males.
• Scientists recognize that women are protected against
heart disease (atherosclerosis) or what lay people call
hardening of the arteries. They believe the brain is also
protected from deterioration by the same mechanism.
Directions
The parietal lobes are large, and different segments of the lobe have specific responsibilities.
For example, the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) is implicated in spatial and mathematical
reasoning. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have reported the inferior parietal lobule is
significantly larger in men than it is in women. The left side of the IPL is larger in men than
the right side. In women, this asymmetry is reversed, although, just as with other parts of the
brain, there is less asymmetry in women. The right side of the IPL was discovered to be
larger in Albert Einstein’s brain as well as in brains of other physicists and mathematicians
than it is in other individuals. Researchers speculate that IPL size correlates
with mental mathematical ability (symbolic working memory).
 Women use the right parietal cortex.
 Men also use the left hippocampus, a nucleus deep
inside the brain which is not activated in women’s
brains during navigational tasks. The left
hippocampus automatically codes where you are in
space.
Strength: a
relative male
strength
Hearing: a
relative female
strength
Boys Lateralize Brain Use Girls
Generalize
This means that girls use both sides
of the cortex which slows down
processing speed when solving math
problems. However they are better
at simultaneous processing tasks.
Girls see more details of a problem
which often compromises their
ability to choose correctly on
multiple choice tests. Boys are less
adapt at verbal tasks and this
compromises their ability to answer
essay questions.
Men are better at sticking
to the point.
 Men use fewer words than women on a daily basis.
 A husband looking through the paper came upon a
study that said women use more words than men.
Excited to prove to his wife that he had been right all
along when he accused her of talking too much, he
showed her the study results. It read “Men use about
15,000 words per day, but women use 30,000”. The wife
thought for a while, then finally she said to her
husband “It's because we have to repeat everything we
say.” The husband said "What?" (mistupid)
Challenge boys. Don’t challenge girls. Girls
get upset by challenges. Girls want to work
together and be friends. Boys want to be
challenged. They want to win. Say to a
boy, “I wonder if you can go through 3
weeks without missing one homework
assignment. If you do? maybe we can go
golfing together.” (Or you will put away so
much money for when he wants to buy a
car or whatever.)
The Bruno Memory Method
Each number is translated into a letter

1
= T
And a symbol
An N has two points
2
= N = Noah
An M has 3 points

3 = M + May
Four

4 = R = Ray
 May


and
Ray
Rhyme
Five

5 =
L = Law
Six

6
=
J
= Jaw
Seven

7 =
K
= Key
Eight

8 = F = Fee
Nine

9 = P or B = Bay
Zero

0 = Z
Ten
 10 =
TZ
=
TOES
Eleven
 You can add any letter you like between
 The two letter to create a NOUN

11 = TT = TOT
Twelve

12 = TN = TAN
Thirteen

13 = TM = Tomb
Fourteen

14 = TR = TAR
Fifteen
 15 = TL = Tail
Sixteen

16 = TJ = Tissue
Seventeen

17 = TK = Tack
Eighteen

18 = TF = Taffy
Nineteen
 19 = TP or TB = Tap
Twenty
 20 = NZ = Nose
Twenty One

21 = NT = Net
Twenty Two

22 = NN = NUN
Twenty Three
 23 = NM = Name
Twenty Four
 24 = NR = Nair
Twenty Five

25 = NL = Nail
Twenty Six
 26 = NJ = Niche
Twenty Seven

27 = NK = Neck
Twenty Eight

28 = NF = Navy
Twenty Nine

29 = NP = Nap
Thirty

30 = MZ = Maze
Forty
 40 = RZ = Rose
Forty One
 41 = RT = RAT





1 Venus is the only planet to rotate clockwise.
2 Walt Disney was afraid of mice
3 The song Happy Birthday is copyrighted
4 No two zebras have stripes that are exactly alike
5 There are more than 50 different kinds of
kangaroos.
 6 A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself
in a mirror, but monkeys can't.
 7 About 10% of the world's population is lefthanded
8





A woodpecker can peck twenty times a second
9. Dolphins sleep with one eye open!
10. A jellyfish is 95 percent water!
11. Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than
toes
12. The vocabulary of the average person
consists of 5,000 to 6,000 words
13. The average person laughs about 15 times a
day.

14. All polar bears are left handed.
 15. Ants don't sleep
 16. The fear of animals is called zoophobia
17. Women blink twice as many times as men do
 18. The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue
 19. Coca-Cola was originally green.
 20. The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters.
 21. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in
their hair.
 22. A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows
why.
 23. Hang On Snoopy is the official rock song of Ohio.
 24. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
 25. Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected
intravenously.
 26. 93% of all greeting cards are purchased by
women.
 27. A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
 28. Maine is the toothpick capital of the world.
 29. On average, an American family sends and
receives 28 Christmas cards each year.
 30. On average, the life span of an American dollar
bill is eighteen months.
The right hemisphere is
involved in hands-on activities
and helps an individual
understand the "big picture."
It allows the individual to
appreciate spatial perception.
The functions of this
hemisphere help individuals
see patterns and weigh
possible solutions. The right
hemisphere is used for tasks
that demand imagination,
insight, risk taking and future
planning. For this reason,
functions of the right
hemisphere are particularly
important in business.
Gender Specific Activities –
activities that are usually engaged
in by a specific gender
Girls
music and art
cooking
nurturing
writing
play house
Boys
sports
mechanics
leadership
math
rough house
What Affect Does Stress Have on
Learning for Boys and Girls?
Exposure to stress has diametrically opposed effects on
males and females.
Moderate anxiety improves the learning curve of males,
and impairs the learning curve of females.
Fear of humiliation impairs learning for both genders.
Factor Analysis Indicates that Studying Vocabulary is the
Most Effective Way to Increase Academic Performance
 Increasing vocabulary is the most effective means of
increasing test performance
 Remind students to underline vocabulary wards on the
border of the page
 Remind students to look at the Chapter Review
 Increasing writing ability also increases academic
performance, but not to the same degree as increasing
vocabulary.
What Motivates Boys and Girls to
Perform Better?
 Boys are less concerned about pleasing adults, such as
parents and teachers. They respond better to financial
rewards.
 Girls will perform for the sake of pleasing teachers and
parents.
Criticism
Boys tend to compartmentalize suggestions;
Girls tend to globalize them.
Confrontation works well with boys, they see it as a
direct challenge.
Girls do not respond as well to direct confrontation.
The Corpus Callosum
 The portion of the
brain that connects
one hemisphere to the
other (the corpus
callosum) is larger (20
to 25 percent) in
females. Therefore,
there are more
pathways to exchange
information between
hemispheres in
females.
Keep boys active. They learn
through activity.
Put them on a soft couch and
they may enter the nothing
box.
How to Approach a Boy
With boys, stay away from feeling questions:
Don’t ask what we feel… we don’t know and it doesn’t
work.
Encourage boys to read anything
they are interested in. Boys like
gory stories, stories about
people, stories about sports.
Remember that any kind of
reading will help a boy get
better at reading skills and ask
him about it later.
Frontal Lobe
 The Frontal Lobe is the executor of the brain.
 It helps with organization, planning, and attention.
 It begins to mature earlier in females and may
continue to mature in males until age 30.
The faster development of the
frontal lobe makes it easier for
girls to be organized and to pay
attention.
 Boys need more space personally, when they are





calculating math problems, for homework.
Boys should use graph paper with math.
Boys do not always make smart decisions.
Boys need adequate monitoring especially when they
are doing something that is frustrating and difficult for
them.
Boys do not read social or academic cues
Boys have more trouble managing time.
Know that attention and concentration is
very difficult for boys. They do not think
the way girls do. They do not consolidate
material the way girls do. If you tell them
something like, take the bus home,
especially if they are doing something else
like packing up their things or getting out
of the car … say… “What did I say?” Or
“This is important,” or “Could your repeat
what I just said?”
Be specific when you are talking to a boy. If you tell him
to put away his shoes which he left by the door, he’ll go
get his shoes and he’ll leave his book bag there even
though it is right next to his shoes. Challenge him by
asking him how many of his belonging he can find and
put away.
The Difference Between Low Motivation and a
Learning Disability is Often Hard to Discern Without
Testing
 Students who have a learning issue often become very
frustrated and develop low motivation.
 Low motivation in almost any student signals some
type of problem whether it be emotional, physical or
educational.
 Low motivation in males has been known to start with
academic difficulty and because of ongoing conflict
with teachers and parents, begin to incorporate other
relationships and employment.
Emotional Difficulty Can Affect All
Life Activities
 Emotional upset are often time based, that is, they
only last for the period of time that there is a stimulus
– like a pending divorce.
 Sometimes emotional states are organic and demand
medication. These kinds of difficulty can be long
lasting. This type of difficulty can be seen with Bipolar
Disorder.
 Depression and Anxiety are usually treated a variety of
ways: exercise, rest, nutrition, relaxation exercises,
psychotherapy, and medication are often included.
Medication with Children is Often a
Controversial Issue
 This is particularly true with young children
 The issue should be properly identified using
psychological and medical testing
 Physicians are like parents in many ways. Some
prescribe more readily, some are more circumspect. If
you feel your child is having serious difficulty
medication can often ameliorate the symptoms. If you
feel uncomfortable with the advice you are getting,
seek a second opinion.
Males Can Be Frustrating
Even at 30. Technically your son’s brain has most
probably stopped maturing, but it has not stopped
changing. The brain changes every time an individual
performs a specific function, or if the individual stops
performing a specific function.
What has occurred is that your son should be able to pay
attention and plan. But be advised that motivation
plays a very important part in functioning. If your son
has a reason to function and/or if he likes what he is
doing, than his performance may surprise even you!
How Come So Few Girls are
Diagnosed with ADHD
 Girls have different symptoms than boys do when it
comes to ADHD.
 Girls tend to try to please so they are less apt to tell
anyone they are having difficulty, and are often labeled
“low achievers.”
 Girls are often diagnosed when they are in their teens,
or even later.
 Girls do not present with hyperactivity as often, and
therefore, they do not demand the attention that
ADHD boys require.
How Come So May Boys are
Diagnosed with ADHD
 Sometimes young boys are diagnosed with ADHD
because of an immature frontal lobe and slow growth
of the myelin sheath.
 The teacher’s ability to present in an organized fashion
and in a manor compatible with the student can affect
how well a student can attend.
The reality is that the ratio of boys to girls is likely closer,
however, there are a number of factors that make
ADHD hard to diagnose accurately.