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GIRLS, BOYS AND NUMBERS

Parents can help bridge the gender gap in math and science.

According to the Institute for Women and Technology (IWT), women earn less than 20 percent of all computer science and computer engineering bachelor’s degrees—just one indicator that girls still lag behind boys in math and science.

While statistics have shown that boys, as a whole, perform better in those subjects, most modern educational theories attribute the discrepancy more to assumptions than to inherent conditions. "Girls seem to excel more in verbal academic subjects and boys in science and math," says Julie Stav, owner of Retirement Benefit Systems, a financial planning firm in Calabasas, Calif., and author of Get Your Share, a women’s investment guide. "But that is a self-fulfilling stereotype. Once you expect it, you teach it."

When she was a Los Angeles elementary school teacher, Stav says female students came into her classroom believing they knew less about numbers and were "mathematically challenged," even as early as the first grade. Unintentionally, parents and teachers passed on their own fears about numbers, called on boys more in math class and asked boys to tutor girls, Stav says.

There are national efforts in the works, such as the IWT and the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools’ (NCGS) annual "Girls, Women and Money" conference, aimed at bridging the gender gap in classrooms. Parents can also play a role by working with their children—boys and girls—at home to bring numbers to life. The following are tips for fostering a healthy attitude about math:

Be positive. "Don’t contaminate kids with your own fears about math," Stav says. "Give them a can-do attitude." Show confidence in them.
Discuss money. "[Some] girls think money is a dirty word, even in this enlightened age," says Whitney Ransome, co-executive director of the NCGS. "Talking about money is an essential skill."
"Talk shop," says the NCGS. Parents should talk about math and science with their children. If you aren’t comfortable enough with the subjects, find a relative or friend who can discuss the ideas.
Show, then tell. Stav says she taught marathon math classes—over an hour at a time—because her students couldn’t get enough. Her secret: teaching the concept in context. She used stories the kids could identify with, such as saving for a new pair of shoes, to teach fractions and percentages.
Follow stocks. Select a company and check its stock price every day, putting a new point on a graph. It only takes a couple of minutes, and, "once students are interested, you are feeding them math and they don’t even know it," Stav says.
Integrate it. Don’t segregate math and science as subjects separate from the others, says Ransome. Instead, demonstrate how they blend into many activities, from playing sports to baking a cake.

—Diana A. Terry-Azíos


	GIRLS, BOYS AND NUMBERS Parents can help bridge the gender gap in math and science. According to the Institute for Women and Technology (IWT), women earn less than 20 percent of all computer science and computer engineering bachelor’s degrees—just one indicator that girls still lag behind boys in math and science. While statistics have shown that boys, as a whole, perform better in those subjects, most modern educational theories attribute the discrepancy more to assumptions than to inherent conditions. "Girls seem to excel more in verbal academic subjects and boys in science and math," says Julie Stav, owner of Retirement Benefit Systems, a financial planning firm in Calabasas, Calif., and author of Get Your Share, a women’s investment guide. "But that is a self-fulfilling stereotype. Once you expect it, you teach it." When she was a Los Angeles elementary school teacher, Stav says female students came into her classroom believing they knew less about numbers and were "mathematically challenged," even as early as the first grade. Unintentionally, parents and teachers passed on their own fears about numbers, called on boys more in math class and asked boys to tutor girls, Stav says. There are national efforts in the works, such as the IWT and the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools’ (NCGS) annual "Girls, Women and Money" conference, aimed at bridging the gender gap in classrooms. Parents can also play a role by working with their children—boys and girls—at home to bring numbers to life. The following are tips for fostering a healthy attitude about math: Be positive. "Don’t contaminate kids with your own fears about math," Stav says. "Give them a can-do attitude." Show confidence in them. Discuss money. "[Some] girls think money is a dirty word, even in this enlightened age," says Whitney Ransome, co-executive director of the NCGS. "Talking about money is an essential skill." "Talk shop," says the NCGS. Parents should talk about math and science with their children. If you aren’t comfortable enough with the subjects, find a relative or friend who can discuss the ideas. Show, then tell. Stav says she taught marathon math classes—over an hour at a time—because her students couldn’t get enough. Her secret: teaching the concept in context. She used stories the kids could identify with, such as saving for a new pair of shoes, to teach fractions and percentages. Follow stocks. Select a company and check its stock price every day, putting a new point on a graph. It only takes a couple of minutes, and, "once students are interested, you are feeding them math and they don’t even know it," Stav says. Integrate it. Don’t segregate math and science as subjects separate from the others, says Ransome. Instead, demonstrate how they blend into many activities, from playing sports to baking a cake. —Diana A. Terry-Azíos