Gender Guidelines to Consider

Girls TEND TO
• Prefer inside play
• Play in smaller groups (two or three)
• Be more cooperative
• Show affection to peers with touch (holding hands, hugging, kissing)
• More readily show caring and empathy
• Give the cold shoulder in conflict
• Like to be close to adults
• Enjoy playing social themes (family, school, dress, caring)

Boys TEND TO
• Prefer outdoor play
• Play in larger groups (three or more)
• Be more physical
• Show affection by punching or exhibiting
rowdy behavior
• Be more competitive
• Act out by using physical strength
• Avoid being close to adults when at play
• Like action (danger, heroism)

Most differing physical abilities will be self-evident, and you can adjust your setup to accommodate. For example, wheelchair access will require more space to move, a higher worktable, and so on.

However, some differing abilities aren’t obvious. Often a child who has difficulty hearing or seeing goes unnoticed because no demands have been placed on him or her yet in that area. Another example is when a child has noticeable difficulty sticking to a task. It may not automatically be hyperactivity or ADD (attention deficit disorder). Research has indicated that less than 10% of the population has this condition. In many cases, the inability to settle down or focus on a task may be because the child hasn’t been given enough time to adjust from the structure of school to home, between activities, or because the child is simply not getting enough physical activity. Refer to Transition Time. Children have an immense amount of energy that they need to release every day!

Some children may need practice in coordination (such as swinging a bat or pumping a swing), while others may need practice with fine motor skills (holding and writing with a pencil). If a child needs work in one area, you can guide him or her to that activity.

Offering various choices in activities will give you insight into your child’s developmental progress, interests, and abilities, and you can easily adjust and change the setup to accommodate them.

The paperback version of Create a Home of Learning is available at Amazon, your favorite bookseller or jodidee.com