Math Gender Stereotypes Start as Early as 2nd Grade

Ok? I thought we knew this years ago, in fact they changed the SAT by adding the essay because, "Girls don't know math as well as boys and so get lower SAT scores, by adding the essay portion it evens it out since boys don't handle essays as well as girls." thats exactly what all the SAT prep people were telling us back in 2006 when i was taking it

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And why is it this article does not even touch on or mention the books by Danica McKeller? Is the author of this article not even aware of them? [For shame; you are not even doing your Google homework before you write your articles.] Danica, previously known as Whinney (sp) on the show the Wonder Years, now has a Ph.D. in mathematics and has written three books on this very subject of helping girls/women relate to math: Math Doesn't Suck, Kiss My Math, and Hot X: Algebra Exposed.

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Math presents challenges for all students. Math, as we all know builds, on fundamentals. If core concepts are not understood from the start it sets a student up for continued trouble and frustration. Music is an excellent tool to help children grasp these core concepts. Children can learn complex information in all subject matter through song. I have an entire line of children's educational music that is curriculum based to aid teachers in teaching any subject matter including math. Visit my website to listen and choose for yourself. I present workshops and seminars to pre school and elementary school teachers all over the USA. My wife was a kindergarten teacher and helps me develop the songs. Listen to samples of my music here: jackhartmann.com/cds

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What I've never quite understood about the whole nature-vs-nurture debate is the fact that when girls excel beyond boys in linguistic skills, it's assumed that females have an inherent advantage, while boys excelling in Mathematics and science is presented as proof that girls are not being properly taught. Sounds like a double-standard.

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Another women-as-victims story. Enough already. Check out the male vs female dropout, suicide, college admissions stats. And the femino-castrati alliance is still searching for every possible instance in which the world is not tiltled in the female's favor. Sick to death of it all.

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Some girls grow up to be calculus teachers and some boys grow up never being able to divide. But God forbid that we actually contemplate the fact that maybe boys as part of a large general grouping are better than girls at math, while maybe girls can read or write better. Got to be all even-steven in this day and age, don't we?

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This has got to old news as look at the fields of Medicine, Aeronautical Engineers, Astrophys, and even just look at those students that are receiving honours upon graduation. Women are in the lead and men are taking a backseat. This was news 15-20 yrs ago. Must be a slow news day.........

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Why is it necessary for boys and girls to score equally? Math is boring. The way math is taught is the problem. Teaching methods change between teachers at the same grade level. If math were incorporated in other subjects, it would be easier to understand. A student can do a page of problems but not understand the way it can be used in their life.

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FATHERS MUST PLAY A BIGGER ROLE WHEN IT COMES TO GIRLS AND MATH.FAMILY MEMBER HAS A HARD TIME IN MATE, BUT FATHER TOLD HER GIRLS ARNT GOOD LIKE BOYS IN MATH.SO SHE IS HAVING A HARD TIME AND REALLY HATES MATH. PLEASE NEVER EVERY TILL YOUR DAUGHTER SHE ISNT GOOD AT SOMETHING.THIS IS BAD PARENTING.

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I hate all these studies about gender gaps on kids when the studies are all just within the US. I can't really take it that seriously. How about doing it with other countries and cultures? If it can be proven that it's something "in the US water" then OK, lets find a solution. If it shows that's generally how it is world wide, maybe HUMAN boys are better in math than girls and there might not be a solution to that! Like girls can't grow balls!

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I teach second grade and have for more years than I care to count. My major was mechanical engineering and teaching is a second career for me. Consequently, I have no patience with the little girls in my class (mostly Hispanic girls, by the way) who tell me that math is too hard and girls don't need to learn as much as boys do. What a culturally denigrating bunch of clap-trap that is--and by age seven they have this mind-set. Needless to say, I fly in the face of that cultural bias daily. Girls CAN and DO excel at math--and in my classroom they MUST compete, not with the boys, but with ME.

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I am female and left handed. I was never supposed to excel in Math or Science and yet I have a BS and MS in Mathematics. I loved Math and did not let teachers in Math or Science ever ignore my questions. This was due to my Dad,s support, recognizing my talents and weaknesses and always encouraging me.

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Why is anyone surprised by this? Girls are STILL being socialized from birth to be all touchy-feely and non-technical. Girls don't get Lego as a birthday present, even when they ask for Lego. Baby girls still get shoved into pink ruffly things. I never bought into the "girls are bad at math" nonsense even though my mother did her best to mold me in her non-tech image. I didn't buy into that nonsense even if I had female teachers exhibited math anxiety. I liked math and science even as a preschooler, and I still do. Some of my most treasured "toys" were a chemistry set and a rock collection. I ended up working in science, and I think it's the Best Thing Evarrrr.

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This article confuses me.

"A new study reinforces the devastating impact stereotypes can have on girls when it comes to math."

This study cannot possibly measure what impacted the girls' lower performance unless they exposed one group to negative statements about girls and math and another group to positive statements to girls and math. And even then, they can't know what kind of influences each child has had in their life before the study. The study doesn't reveal how sterotypes affect girls, it reveals that the stereotype is based on fact. The above quote is just irresponsible.

Not to day that it's wrong to encourage young girls to engage in math and science - that's a great thing to do! But boys and girls are different, and so are men and women. Both sexes should be given opportunities to pursue what they want and to learn all subjects, but I don't think it's so bad that boys and girls tend to excel in different areas.

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