First StepsWASHTENAW

Ann Arbor

Parenting PathwaysA bimonthly publication of the Ann Arbor Public Schools • Nov–Dec 2011, Vol. 11, No. 2

Marj’s CornerTh e theme for the newsletter is the diff erences between boys and girls. I’d like to share my personal biases with you on this subject, a long-standing interest of mine.

Years ago I began teaching preschool with 2½ to 4 year olds and I was determined to support all children in their interests and do my best to give them opportunities to not be as infl uenced by the societal stereotypes of the time. It was the 70’s and I wanted to prove that there weren’t any signifi cant diff erences between girls and boys. I encouraged boys to play with dolls and pretend cook and dress up and girls to play with blocks and trucks and vice versa of course. I wanted each child to enjoy it all, and our classroom refl ected these beliefs. We had books and discussions and activities designed to allow children to grow up to be anything they wanted.

After 10 years of teaching, I discovered that perhaps there was more to this nature thing than I realized. To general-ize, the boys were noisy and more active (running and shouting), they turned everything into guns, and they reacted physically (hitting or shoving) when upset. To continue generalizing, the girls enjoyed creating art projects, played more quietly (with dolls and dress-up!) and were more likely to use their words to express their feelings. Th ere were plenty of children who didn’t fi t these stereo-types but far more did than didn’t.

Th en I had my own children: fi rst a girl and then a boy. I was even more determined to create a non-stereotypical environment for them. My daughter had lots of cars and trucks and blocks available from birth. What did she love? Dolls. I didn’t even have one for her (I know, that’s not very balanced). She found an old plastic doll of mine in a pile of toys and named it Nina (she was 10 months old). She carried it everywhere, kissing her face and cuddling her. I gave in and supported her love of babies. For her fi rst birthday we bought her a doll and she loved it. Did she play with the cars and blocks? Yes, she did but she was always more interested in her dolls than anything else. So where did this come from?

Did society infl uence my daughter or did this interest in babies come from inside her? If she was drawn to dolls at

10 months, I realized nature had to be involved.

Th en my son was born and he too seemed to come with pre-set ways of interacting with his world. He was in-terested in “things” and not traditional toys. He wanted to know how objects worked, like where the water went when the toilet fl ushed. He turned everything into a pointed object that shoots (he didn’t know the word “gun” at the time) yet he was easy-going, cautious and quiet. Did these behaviors occur because he was the second child? Were these boy traits vs girl traits? Or was he more infl uenced by society because his older sister had all her friends around playing “girl” games with him?

My conclusion is that it’s both nature and nurture. Pretty obvious. Temperament and traits do exist as do some very early, and very real, diff erences between boys and girls. And, as most of us like to feel successful, the things we do well are reinforced. We do those more often and get better at them. Children gravitate to those things that interest them most and stay with them because their skills improve with use. Th us, nature and nurture both infl uence our “boy” or “girl” behaviors. So, I was both right and wrong when I began teaching all those years ago. I was right to off er lots of choices, have non-stereotypical expectations for both boys and girls and try to infl uence a wider acceptance of behaviors for each. I was wrong to believe these dif-ferences were only because of societal infl uences.

I hope you enjoy reading in more detail the facts as we know them in 2011. Th ere is always a great deal more to learn and we parents are on the front line supporting our wonderful children as they grow and develop.

Registration for Winter 2012 begins November 28Registration for Winter 2012 begins November 28Registration for Winter 2012 begins

Classes begin January 9, 2012 and go through March 31, 2012 (11 weeks).

Very detailed directions are on our web site. Quick version inside, on p. 2.

News to UseMake-up PolicyPossible classes for make-ups are posted on our website and in your classroom by the second week of classes. Make-ups must be arranged 24 hours or more ahead. Look on the website under Classes. Th en call or email Sherri and let her know your plans and we’ll let the teacher know you’re coming. Please do not just come to a class. You may do two make-ups during the Winter session for each class you take. Make-ups are also given any time we cancel a class. If there are extenuating circumstances (many illnesses) please discuss with either Sherri or Marj. Th ank you!

Birthday Parties!Interested in renting a wonderful space for your child’s birthday party? Try our classroom at the Family Center as it’s a great place to have a relaxed celebration with your family and friends. We supply a staff person to make sure things go smoothly and to provide a short circletime for some entertainment. Th e cost is only $115 for a 1½ hour party. Our room is available on Saturday afternoons or late after-noons or evenings during the week when we do not have classes. Th is is available to First Steps families, not the general community, and all proceeds are used to purchase new equipment for our rooms. Please call Sherri at 994-2300 x53186 to fi nd out more.

Scholastic BooksLook for November/December fl yers in your class-room and check it out online too at Scholastic’s website at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. Use the Class Activation Code GJW4K and follow the direc-tions. Order form(s) may also be turned in to Sherri at the First Steps offi ce with a check. Please make checks payable to Scholastic (not First Steps). If you have any questions, contact Vidya Guruprasad, First Steps Coordinator, at 548-0545 or vidyagpd@yahoo.com.

Upcoming dates: • November 15: Music Together Fall Lottery

• November 15: Brain Gym for Preschoolers

• November 21–27: No classes

• November 28: Sign-up for Winter begins

• December 17: Fall session ends

• January 9: Winter 2012 begins

TWO steps to register for Winter:membership fee (pay) then class choiceYou will register for two things online: your membership (the participation fee) in the First Steps program AND your class (no additional charge for one class).

Step One – membership (participation fee – the MONEY): You register your family (all participating children) in a membership in First Steps for Winter 2012. Th is is where you pay. Th e fee for Winter is $123 unless you qualify for a scholarship.

Step Two – class sign-up (NO Money for fi rst class): Use the coupon code to bypass the second class fee of $79 (12Wfs1). Please do NOT pay both the membership and the second class fee when taking ONE class.

Brain Gym for PreschoolersTuesday, November 156:00–7:00 p.m.2775 Boardwalk, Gym

Have you heard about Brain Gym? Susan Bruner, our Kids in Motion teacher, is trained and uses Brain Gym in her classes. Join us for a variety of activities designed to connect your body and brain. Brain Gym’s simple move-ments help integrate all areas of the brain as it builds self-esteem and enhances learning. And it lots of fun too!

Th is special workshop is for parents and their pre-school children, ages 3–5. While it also works for younger children, it is diffi cult for them to follow these directions in a one-time event so no siblings this time.

To register, call Sherri at 994-2300 x53186 or email fi rststeps@aaps.k12.mi.us Limited to 20 families.

ScholarshipsDo you have a scholarship with Rec&Ed? Please check and make sure it’s up-to-date. If you applied more than a year ago, you will need to apply again now because they are only good for 1 year. Did you miss applying for a scholarship for Fall session? If you think you’ll qualify, please apply now so you’re all set for Winter session. It takes about 2 weeks and is how we determine your income and place you on the sliding-fee scale. Our scale does NOT match Rec&Ed’s. If Rec&Ed says you don’t qualify, you may still get a 25% discount from us. Please talk with us directly when you get your letter to confi rm what you’ll pay to participate. You’ll have an idea by looking at our scale yourself too. Th is scholarship is good for a year and works for your whole family for any class or sport through Rec & Ed. Questions? Call Marj.

We’ve all seen it play out: Even in families that give their girls tractors and encourage their boys to cuddle dolls, more often the girls will choose a pink pony over a fire engine, and the boys will take Thomas the Tank Engine over Tinker Bell any old day.

Why is that? Some of this behavior is learned, no question about it. But the gulf between boys and girls goes deeper than upbringing, says Sheri Berenbaum, a professor of psychology and pediatrics at Pennsylvania State University.

Scientists suspect that even before birth, boys’ and girls’ brains are developing differently, shaping them into distinct little creatures.

Is there such a thing as a boy brain and a girl brain?Yes. We know there are physical differences between a boy’s brain and a girl’s, both at birth and as children grow. But at least for now, exactly how those differences affect behavior, personality, and so on is a mystery.

For example, scientists say there probably is an area of the brain that propels many boys toward things that move and many girls toward nurturing, but it has yet to be identified.

How brains develop in the wombBoys in the womb are little testosterone machines. In fact, says Margaret M. McCarthy, a professor of physiol-ogy at the University of Maryland who studies early brain development, male babies are born with as much testosterone as a 25-year-old man! After birth, testoster-one plummets until a boy reaches puberty.

Among its many other jobs, testosterone shapes a male’s developing brain. Animal studies show that it pares down the connections between brain cells (synapses) in some places and bulks them up in other places. Some studies suggest that testosterone may improve spatial reasoning.

Girls make some testosterone before they’re born, too, but not nearly as much as boys, Berenbaum explains. And while girls do produce female hormones such as estrogen, these seem to have little impact on their developing brains.

Comparing boys’ and girls’ brains as they growOnce girls and boys are born, their brains continue to take different paths. MRI studies show that some areas grow faster in female brains while others grow faster in male brains. So, the brains of boys and girls who are the same age can be at different developmental stages. Eventually, though, they catch up with each other.

Size also varies. Male brains grow slightly larger than female brains, although the significance of this isn’t clear.

Some research has shown that in girls, the region of the brain that helps control language and emotion – called the caudate – tends to be larger. (This part of the brain becomes especially active when someone looks at a photo of a sweetheart.)

Some studies also indicate that part of the larger corpus callosum, which connects the two sides of the brain, is larger in girls than in boys. Some scientists think this could mean that girls tend to use both the left and right sides to solve problems.

In studies on rats, males have been found to have a slightly larger amygdala, a region of the brain that controls deeper emotions, such as fear.

These seemingly small differences in brain structure don’t necessarily mean boys will be better at certain things and girls at others. As Berenbaum explains, young brains are extremely plastic, and key regions grow or shrink depending on how they’re used. There are plenty of “tomboys” who show little interest in dolls, and boys who are drawn to “girl” activities from an early age. These kids are well within the norm.

The brain is only the beginningAbove all, the brain is flexible. Children build connections between brain cells, find fresh obsessions, and hone new skills as they read, listen, watch, and learn.

A girl who plays exclusively with dolls this month might move on to construction toys and blocks next month. Even if she never develops a fascination with toy cars, she may very well enjoy her bike and learn how to fix a chain (and later tune a carburetor). A boy may never pour imaginary tea for a doll, but he can learn how to take care of a pet (and later raise a baby of his own).

As Berenbaum says, “Biology is not destiny.”

— adapted from “Brain development: Is the difference beetween boys and girls all in their heads?”

by Chris Woolston at babycenter.com

Differences between boys and girls

First Steps in Ann Arbor2775 BoardwalkAnn Arbor, MI 48104

website: www.aaps.k12.mi.us/fi rststeps.home

First Steps phone extensions: Email addresses:994-2300 x @aaps.k12.mi.us

Marj Hyde, Director ................................ 53179 hydeSherri Polovick, Registration & Billing .... 53186 fi rststepsAnn Stalhandske .................................... 53182 stalhansShanda Trent .......................................... 53187 trentsYvette Daniels ........................................ 53181 danielsy

WISD consultants:

Su-Fen Lin .....................sufen_lin@yahoo.com Asian populationsMayra Prince ............................(734) 528-5066 Spanish speakersKarma Basha ............................(734) 434-2443 Arabic speakers

Newsletter editing & design services donated in part by Pilcrow Text & DesignParenting Pathways is published bimonthly by the Ann Arbor Public Schools

First Steps is on Facebook!

Please LIKE us! We’ve been on Facebook for a while and would love to have people “like” us. Marj sends out quick notices about upcoming events as another way to communi-

cate with everyone. To fi nd our page, just type “First Steps Ann Arbor” in the Facebook search box.

Two helpful “rules” for First Steps classes

Bringing a guest to your class. You are welcome to bring along an out-of-town visitor with children IF you call Sherri to make sure it’s ok (space for extra people in the class) AND you bring along $10 to pay for the visit. Grandparents are always free to visit your class. It’s only when you bring along additional children that there is a fee.

Drop in for an extra class. Using our make-up list of classes, current families may join a class once for $10 per family fee. Again, pre-arranged only (please call us so the teacher knows you’re coming).

Did you know?Advertising dollars help pay for newsletter distribu-tion costs. Contact Marj Hyde for information about placing an ad in Parenting Pathways.

Want to learn more about brain development in boys and girls? “Th e Truth About Boys and Girls,” printed in Scientifi c American, suggests that while there are biological diff erences between boys’ and girls’ brains, the diff erences are not all that signifi cant. Here’s a summary of the article:Boys and girls are diff erent, but most psychological sex diff erences are not especially large. For example, gaps in intellectual performance, empathy and even most types of aggression are generally much narrower than the disparity in adult height, in which the average man is taller than 99 percent of women.

Researchers have found very few large-scale diff erences between boys and girls in brain structure or function. Boys have larger brains, and girls’ brains fi nish grow-ing earlier than boys’ do. But neither of these fi ndings explains why boys are more active and girls more verbal or reveals a plausible basis for any of the other emotional and cognitive diff erences between the sexes.

Experience itself changes brain structure and function. Most sex diff erences start out small—as mere biases in temperament and play style—but are amplifi ed as children’s pink- or blue-tinted brains meet our gender-infused culture.

— Th e full article by Lise Eliot is available online atscientifi camerican.com (for a fee), or you can fi nd

the actual magazine (May, 2010) at the Downtown Branch of the Ann Arbor District Library. Fascinating stuff !