P-L-ease!!

In a radio interview, the director of an institute on national educational policy in Dallas commented on the difference between boys and girls learning math.  I am sure she wanted to make comments that make her appear as if she was on top of her field, but she should have followed the adage, "Better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

"Boys are better with spatial learning," she mused, "as girls are better with language."  Both parts of that statement are false at worst and socially conditioned at best.  The first part of that statement shows a complete void of knowledge with how the brain works.  The information the director spouted is from the observations about learning math from the 1970s and 80s.  Atrocious.

So many studies on learning and the brain have taken place, that to place the director's words in the parallel context of astronomy is to say that the earth is flat.  Want to know why American math scores are behind other nations?  Seriously!

Underlying both math and language is a syntax or grammar, a system of rules governing the use of symbols for that particular logic (math logic and language logic).  The number system is not any more difficult than the alphabetic system.  Social attitudes about learning math along with the socialization process of adolescents and the conditioning influences of business and home have more to do with the differences in boys and girls learning math easily than ability.  Anyone can learn syntax whether with numbers or with letters and words.  Please, madam director, get a clue.  Don't spew archaic information and think for a second that you can guide the policies for national education!