WHO HAS A BIGGER BRAIN *mumblesnerdiermumbles*?

This topic is a very tricky one to write about and hard to prove and explain. To avoid overcomplicating things (and end up writing a whole report on this topic), I shall explain some of the structural differences of the brains of both genders that plays an important role in how both genders study.

Ongoing research is still discovering new areas of difference between male and female brains, but many differences have already been identified that have implications for how boys and girls learn. Some will be presented in this post but please note that there will always be exceptions to everything that is said and that you will read about soon.

The diagram above is a sketch of the human brain that will help you understand what you are reading very soon. We shall be focusing on the Cerebral Cortex, Corpus Callosum and the Hippocampus (not to be mistaken with hippopotamus).

1. Cerebral Cortex

This is the part of the brain is significant in making humans different from all other animals. Thinking, speaking and recalling are controlled in the cerebal cortex . This area also facilitates memory functions, impulsivity, decision making and planning. The female brain tends to have more connections between neurons in the cerebal cortex, which also tends to mature earlier in the female brain. THIS MEANS the increased number and speed of the neural connections may help girls process and respond to classroom information faster than boys and help them make transitions faster, multitask, and access needed verbal resources (reading,writing, complex speech) better than the average boy as they engage in learning. (You girls must feel so good reading this...)

2. Corpus Callosum

The corpus callosum is a dense bundleof nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain; research indicates that this area increases in size during adolescence. In females, this bundle of nerves tends to be denser and larger than in males. The anterior commisure, a tiny additional connection between the hemispheres attached to the end of the corpus callosum, is also larger in females. THIS MEANS girls are generally better at multitasking than boys,including watching and listening and taking notes at the same time.

3. Hippocampus

This is a key player in converting information from working memory into long term or permanent memory. It tends to be larger in females, and the speed of neural transmissions is faster than in males, contributing to generally increased emotional memory storage for the female brain.

4. Blood flow in the brain

Blood flow is up to 20% greater in the female brain. In conjunction with the increased neural connectivity between hemispheres, this adds more potential for information to move quickly between areas of the brain. AND THIS MEANS there is generally increased speed of communication between diferent areas of the female brain, allowing for quicker processing, especially of verbal information. HOWEVER, sometimes this increased speed of communications can be problematic for girls as they may not always “think before they speak.” The male brain will tend to take a little longer to process verbal and emotional information. This can affect behaviour, and also effect reading and writing. Girls generally read more, write more, include more sensory and emotive details in their writing and...dare i say it...get better grades...

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED READING THIS (I FOR ONE DIDN’T ENJOY POSTING THIS ...jokes... =D)

References:

-Strategies for Teaching Boys and Girls (it is a book)

-Rough sketch of human brain obtained from wikipedia