Boys and Girls Come Out to Play : Not Better or Worse, Just Different

"Boys and Girls Come Out to Play" is the second in our new "Key Issues" series. "Key Issues" address some of the major challenges facing early years settings and primary schools.

The aim is to provide sound, clear advice, based on extensive knowledge and supported by the latest research.

The "Key Issues" strands are 'Transfer, Continuity and Progression', 'Gender Issues', 'Fitness and Health', 'Diet and Nutrition' and 'A Sense of Identity'. "Boys and Girls Come Out to Play" is the first publication in the 'Gender' strand.

It deals with the questions: How is the development of boys and girls different?

What can be done to meet the learning needs of both?

Putting together some of the latest ideas on child development, "Boys and Girls Come Out to Play" assembles what we know about the growth and development of the brain in young children and relates this to often held assumptions about gender, learning and behaviour.It supports practitioners by helping them to: understand the different stages in the growth and development of boys and girls; understand why and how boys and girls behave differently; consider how these differences affect their learning; see the implications of this for the way they plan and manage activities; ensure that both genders are treated in ways appropriate to their needs; and combat gender stereotyping by recognising, building on and celebrating the differences between boys and girls.