Description
Book SynopsisEducators have for many years sought to understand why boys underperform in schools and what can be done about it. In Breaking through barriers to boys'' achievement, Gary Wilson provides the full picture as to why boys of all ages underachieve and what can be done to start solving the problem. He presents the 28 barriers to boys'' learning, including early language development, ''laddish'' culture and lack of male role models. His emphasis is very much on turning out respectable young men who have a ''caring masculinity''.This revised and updated second edition includes new case studies, data and practical tips and advice. You will find tried-and-tested strategies which will help you to:- effectively engage boys in the life of the school- engage boys in the curriculum, with particular emphasis on literacy- create the right culture for learning- develop emotional intelligence in boys- develop self-esteem- provide opportunities for reflection- turn the ''peer police'' into a positive f
Trade ReviewGary Wilson provides some challenging ideas about the way education is structured: food for thought and some recipes for action * Elaine Hall, www.teachingandexpertise.com, December 2007 *
Without doubt the seminal text on this subject * Phil Beadle, Guardian *
Table of Contents1. Lack of independence prior to starting school/ 2. Less developed linguistically on entry to school/ 3. Forced to read and write before being physically or emotionally ready/ 4. Playtimes tend to be hyperphysical and ‘boysterous’/ 5. Many writing activities are perceived as irrelevant and unimportant/ 6. Difficulties with structuring written work/ 7. Reticence about spending time on planning and preparation/ 8. Reading fiction is perceived as a female province/ 9. Teacher talk and teacher expectations: gender bias/ 10. Emotional intelligence issues/ 11. Mismatch of teaching styles to preferred ways of learning/ 12. Lack of opportunities for reflection/ 13. Pupil grouping/ 14. Inappropriate seating arrangements/ 15. Ineffective group-work/ 16. Peer pressure/ 17. Inappropriate reward systems and lack of positive achievement culture/ 18. The laddish culture/ 19. The influence of street culture/ 20. Mismatch between assessment/examination methods and preferred ways of working/ 21. Lack of positive male role models/ 22. The use of non-performance enhancing drugs/ 23. Low self-esteem and limiting self-beliefs/ 24. Lack of engagement with the life of the school/ 25. Homophobic bullying/ 26. Parents’ lack of understanding of the role that they can play/ 27. Intervention occurring too late/ 28. Teachers’ lack of awareness of the barriers to boys’ learning/ Appendix 1 Storybooks showing males in a positive light/ Appendix 2 The story of a boy/ Appendix 3 Hearing it from the boys: primary/ Appendix 4 Hearing it from the boys: secondary/ Appendix 5 The whole-school model (as applied in a Kirklees secondary school in 2006)/ Appendix 6 The cluster model/ Appendix 7 Subject networks/ Appendix 8 A local authority project involving 18 primary schools and one secondary school Bexley Kent 2010/11/ Appendix 9 The National Education Breakthrough Programme: the PDSA model
