Before girls can conquer math and math sciences, confidence and no-fear must be engendered in them by their parents at home. This is really important before girls enter a formal education process and institution. Several things must be addressed to know what is needed in the "early-dawn" existence of a girl in order to provide confidence and no-fear of the math and math sciences from parents at home. This article will address the Boy vs. Girl Syndrome, The Early-Dawn of a Girl's Life, What Parents Do, What Teachers Do, and How Parents Can Help Their Daughters Develop Math Skills at Home
The Boy vs. Girl Syndrome
While young girls are seen in American society, as well as in many other societies, as "sub-developed" in the areas of math and math sciences, society has done little to change that common myth and stereotype. Many controlled scholastic tests in American education history bring about the belief in the "boy vs. girl" syndrome. This is about a stereotype of how little girls grow into adult females, a gender that cannot comprehend or grasp the nature of the math's and math sciences. These controlled and scholastic tests also lead to the belief that little boys grow into highly developed intelligent adult males who somehow grasp the fundamentals and advanced levels of the math's and math sciences as opposed to girls.
The belief that there is a fundamental difference between boys and girls with regard to aptitude overall, especially in the math and math sciences field, is embedded from determination of educators and parents who accept that premise. Are there "real" differences between boys and girls that stop the fundamental and advanced comprehension and grasp for the maths and math sciences?
To answer this, we first have to examine summarily, the studies done regarding the previous question over time. Studies reviewed by Feingold, 1988; Hyde, Fennema & Lamon, 1990; Lubinski & Benbow, 1992; Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974 (et al), concluded that there are very few "between-gender differences compared to variability within each gender". Furthermore, these differences are becoming smaller over time (Linn & Hyde, 1989). In fact Feingold, 1988;( Et al), found that "There are no significant differences between boys' and girls' math achievement in elementary school, and few differences at any age" with regard to each gender's scholastic abilities. Where then do wrong stereotypes and expectations that girls cannot comprehend or grasp the nature of the math's and math sciences come from?
The Early-Dawn of a Girl's Life
From the time that girl infants are introduced into the "early-dawn" of life in many societies, there is common perception that they are born of the expectation they will not have the ability to have fundamental and advanced comprehension and grasp for the math's and math sciences. According to (Tocci & Engelhard, 1991; Triandis, 1971; Zimbardo & Ebbersen, 1970) expectations can have a strong influence on one's attitudes and behavior. Also (Snyder, 1979; Snyder & Swann, 1978) wrote that "parents' and teachers' negative expectations put girls at a distinct disadvantage in the classroom".
What Parents Do
What parents do is to have commonly have pre-disposition expectations of daughters and sons. From (Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974; Unger & Crawford, 1992) "parents may allow boys more chances for active interaction with the physical world, but they talk more to girls. Parents treat boys and girls differently from birth". "They are more physically active with boys than with girls", were according to (Huston, 1983; Lewis, 1972; Parke, 1976). Also according to (Baennenger & Newcombe, 1989; Miller, 1987; Serbin & Conner, 1979) (Et al), "parents give boys more spatially complex toys and more opportunities to explore their physical worlds. These differences may contribute to the well-documented gender differences in spatial ability. Spatial ability is an important component of math skills and facilitates comprehension of abstract mathematical concepts used in geometry, trigonometry and calculus".
What Teachers Do
What Teachers do is to expect less academically from girls than from boys and treat girls quite differently from the way boys are treated. Boys are praised for their ability when they do well, and criticized for not working harder when they don't. Girls are complimented on their hard work and neat performance when they succeed in math; they are told they are not bright when they fail (Dweck, 1986; Dweck, Davidson, Nelson & Enna, 1978; Stockard, 1980). The expectations from teachers that often are sprinkled on girls' leads normally to fear and failure of comprehension or grasp of the nature of the math's and math sciences. Self confidence and determination are often indoctrinated into an educator's program based on wrongful expectations of female students. We know this all to well.
How Parents Can Help Their Daughters Develop Math Skills at Home
How to help your young child, boy and or girl, develop math skills is to first start at home. Before they enter a formal education process and institution, that will indeed send girls first to the, "I can never know math" environment, build their confidences by teaching them not to fear math or determination with teachers asking questions. Play fun games and find the ability to make math a fun learning experience. There are many aids online that can help parents promote math to girls by using keywords, Females + Math. Education, when fun, can be addictive and so can math and math sciences.
