On Jan. 1, 2008, the New York Times published an article, “Giving Disorganized Boys the Tools for Success and Multitasking”, which suggested that boys are falling behind girls in academic performance in high school and college. The reason for this, the article suggests, may be not that boys are not as capable or intelligent as girls but that boys are not as organized and studious as girls.

Girls still mature physically faster than boys, but they also develop faster in parts of the brain controlling language and expression. Boys, however, develop faster in spatial and mechanical operations. What does this mean for educators? It means that boys and girls learn differently and are more apt to learn certain skills at different ages, which, in turn, means that by educating boys and girls in the same way we are ignoring gender and failing our students.

Girls seem to adapt easier to traditional classroom organization and structure, whereas boys often need more tactile, hands-on instruction. When students struggle in school, it is often because they are not taught in ways that are complementary to their strengths and to their learning styles. Similarly, if students do not learn study skills, organization, and time management in ways they can relate to and in methods they can apply, they will become discouraged and lose confidence.

One-on-one tutoring can provide instruction that is customized to the student’s individual learning style, evaluating the student’s needs and idiosyncratic ways of learning and then adapting lessons that will be most effective in building the necessary strategies and habits to be successful in school. This will also build the student’s confidence, and begin to uncover motivation and drive. The more successful the student becomes in taking steps toward achievement, the more the student begins to see that there is a chance of success; the more the student sees success as a possibility, the more motivation that student has to achieve goals and work hard.

Better Grades tutors can be an invaluable resource for parents who are looking to uncover motivation in their child. We can adapt instruction to your child’s learning style and work on a customized plan for helping your child succeed in the classroom. Call Better Grades today to learn more. (360) 771-6776.