Oh Boy, Oh Girl

Two important books that help educators think of the developmental needs of young boys, and of adolescent girls, have been released recently. The first, Oh Boy!, by Francis Wardle, explains that “there is an increasing body of evidence that shows that boys and girls are biologically different. These differences include basic brain development (both structure and maturation), verbal skills, emotional regulation, and physical development….These initial biological differences are compounded by the way the environment responds to boys and girls…behavioral expectations in many programs appear to frustrate the needs of boys to be messy, spontaneous, and physical.”

The second book is the 25th anniversary edition of Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher, which originally came out in 1994 and has been revised and updated for a new generation by Pipher and Sara Gilliam, Editor-in-Chief of Exchange Magazine.

Pipher writes: “In 1994, I suggested that we work together to strengthen girls so that they will be prepared for the culture they actually live in. Sara and I reached the same conclusion today. We can encourage emotional resilience and self-protection. We can support and guide girls through the tumult of adolescence, but most important, we can work together to build a culture that is less complicated and more nurturing, less violent and sexualized and more growth-producing.” Gilliam adds: “I am inspired…by the girls I interviewed for this book. They are getting many things right in this new century. They have bypassed tolerance in favor of acceptance, and often, celebration – of people different than themselves. They are insightful about their own mental health and can describe their peers with empathy and wisdom…Today’s girls need love, guidance, deep friendships, respectable limits and time to figure out life on their own terms. So did I.”

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

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