Educators need a more positive, flexible view of boys in preschool
What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?
Frogs and snails
And puppy dogs’ tails
That’s what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice
And all that’s nice,
That’s what little girls are made of.
Some readers might remember this children’s nursery rhyme. It seems simple and harmless but it also sends a subliminal message that boys and girls are markedly different. We do not need reminders that good boys are fast becoming an endangered species.
Occasionally movies, television shows and reports on the media have glamorized the boys and young men who are violent or involved in crime and illegal activities. Once these antisocial images and labels are internalized as indicators of masculinity, then the peace and fabric of society is torn apart.
I conducted simple observations in five kindergartens/nurseries or preschools in Trinidad & Tobago (in Caribbean). There were certain discrepancies. Not surprisingly, in all these kindergartens there were no male teachers. Probably there was the belief that men did not have patience with children or even worse - that men could not be trusted with children. Additionally, the relatively low salary or no room for advancement could be factors contributing to the male absence in this crucial learning environment.
There is no research on brain development and its impact on behaviour among boys in the Caribbean. In 2016, I was surprised to read an article, Boys in Early Childhood Education, by a teacher of a kindergarten class in the United States, who claimed “Boys’ impulsivity and poor self-regulation are directly tied to their immature brain development.” This seemed an unfair assessment and inaccurate generalization.
“Looking at these studies made me realize how little research there was regarding boys in preschools in Trinidad and Tobago.”
During the past thirty years there have been studies, outside the Caribbean, on sex differences in brain structure. Some of these studies have provided inconclusive evidence but there are findings that could help kindergarten teachers to better understand the educational development of their young male students.
Besides evidences of sex differences in the developing brain, there is some evidence that sex differences in neuropsychiatric disorders (such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia) and behaviour are influenced by structural and functional sex differences in parts of the brain and fluctuating sex hormone levels.
So there are sex differences in brain structure, but are there sex differences in play behaviour? Yes. For example a meta-analysis found there are usually large sex differences, with boys playing more with male-typed toys (e.g. cars) and a slightly smaller tendency for girls to play more with female-typed toys (e.g. dolls). Are these sex differences due to brain structure? We don’t know, but the meta-analysis concluded that a large amount of the play behaviour could not be explained environmental factors such as how old the children were, how old the study was, whether a parent was present, where the study took place (e.g. at home or in a lab), whether there was a mix of gender typical and gender neutral toys, and even how gender egalitarian (or feminist) the country was at the time the study took place. Even though this meta-analysis also found no significant difference in play behaviour across countries, the majority of research was conducted in Western countries, so we can’t presume these findings will replicate elsewhere.
Looking at these studies made me realize how little research there was regarding boys in preschools in Trinidad and Tobago. And, even more unfortunate is that other Caribbean countries have not been collecting this data that would be useful to assist the early developmental phase of boys. In a rare exception, a study published in 2020 found the usual sex difference in toy preference in children in the Guadeloupean region of the Caribbean, but more research is needed to test the replicability of this finding.
I decided to spend two weeks observing young children in a learning environment. It is important to say that in no way do I describe these observations as academic studies, which would have needed much bigger sample sizes, and would need to control for environmental influences such as playing with toys alongside peers, because competition for toys may limit the child’s ability to choose the toy they want to rather than the one that is available. However my observations might provide ideas that will inspire academics to come to Trinidad & Tobago to do their work. In any case, for two days, I observed 8 boys and 8 girls in two private and public nurseries/kindergartens in Trinidad. Boys and girls (between 3 and 4 years old) were given dolls, pink and blue plasticine (putty), toy soldiers and cars. The children did not differentiate between toys for girls and boys. Girls played with the cars and soldiers. Some of the teachers gave dolls and plastic kitchenware to the girls and the boys received the cars and soldiers. And, even then some of the boys were willing to share their toys with their female classmates who accepted the cars and soldiers. Not surprisingly, girls were also willing to play with blue toys and building blocks. And, boys had no problems playing with pink building blocks. The teachers at the nursery/kindergarten displayed displeasure that the boys were playing with pink toys or pink plasticine. At home, the message would have been reinforced as some of these children would have been told that boys should play with toy guns, soldiers and cars whilst girls play with dolls, kitchen sets or toy cosmetics.
In 2019 and 2020, I spent similar time in another preschool. I also noticed that the teachers and assistants in the preschools were females. This is not deliberate and was most likely due to a lack of interest among men to teach at this level. Maybe this field of teaching has gradually become feminized. Also, this absence of male administrators/teachers in the kindergarten stems from an inherent fear in our society that male teachers or assistants are less patient with children or more likely to sexually and physically abuse children.
Additionally, I did not intend to investigate the parental attachment but realized that some of the boys seemed reluctant to leave their parents and stay in the nursery. On mornings, when boys were dropped off by a parent or parents there was occasional distress. There were repeated instances of a few boys clinging to a parent and crying. The administrators ignored the harmful effects of separation anxiety and they saw it as being a ‘normal’ reaction of the boys. The girls who were in similar distress, were three times more likely than the boys, to be hugged and comforted by the teachers.
“Maybe some boys might like to read rather than write, or prefer to colour rather than read or write. Discipline and order are important in society. However, often the preschools have a strict regimen that restricted the movement and creativity of boys.”
Some of the preschools were overcrowded which meant less individual attention to the students. This overcrowding was largely due to these administrators seeking to maximize profits. Most of the schools were overcrowded as children were packed like baby chickens in a cage. It seems that some of those involved in nurseries/kindergartens are more focused on money rather than providing a comfortable environment that would be appealing for boys.
The learning within the classroom has a gender dimension which should not be overlooked. Maybe some boys might like to read rather than write, or prefer to colour rather than read or write. Discipline and order are important in society. However, often the preschools have a strict regimen that restricted the movement and creativity of boys.
One of the observations I conducted also revealed the hidden distortions that are occurring at these learning centres. My instructions were that six children (ages 4 to 5) be given coloured buttons and be allowed 15 to 20 minutes to arrange the buttons in patterns and shapes. I gave the teacher two boxes with fifteen pink buttons and thirty blue buttons. There were 19 children, 11 boys and eight girls. I stood watching as she gave the pink buttons to four girls and the blue buttons to two boys.
I was not interested in the patterns and shapes being made by the children. As expected, certain gender roles were reinforced as the girls received the pink buttons. I also wanted to see if the teacher would select an equal number of boys and girls, and, if the boys would receive any pink buttons. In this instance, her decision to choose two boys reinforced my view that even at this young age the boys are not treated equally and given that equal chance to participate. It might be suggested that teachers gave pink buttons to girls because they had experience of girls preferring this colour. However this suggestion does not prove that boys might not like pink buttons if offered them.
After I collected the buttons, I noticed the girls were playing with some of the toy cars and trucks, which is in line with the finding of many studies that girls are more flexible than boys in their toy preferences. There was a girl with a plastic hammer hitting blocks and she was scolded by one of the teachers. It was interesting to see this temporary role reversal among these innocent minds.
Furthermore, during the exercise the teacher was constantly telling the boys to “be quiet.” Although we might debate how serious the consequences might be of educators’ views about boys not playing with dolls or not liking pink, it seems more obvious that repressing boys’ tendency to energy and rough and tumble play might have consequences, such as crushing a boy’s spirit, or creating a rebellious streak. This selection and display within that one classroom could be due to a biased or improperly trained teacher and does not mean it is occurring in all kindergartens. We need to be more aware that there were subtle divisions in this kindergarten classroom that would also be continued at home and the community.
The state of education is only one aspect in a multidimensional world that seems unsuitable for the holistic development of boys. We also need to be aware of other institutions and factors such as the exposure to certain cartoons or children’s shows, ethnicity, culture and religious doctrines also may possibly influence the early developmental phases of boys.
“The urgent question to be addressed - could we ensure both school and home are safe zones and peaceful spaces?”
It seems that sometimes an unhealthy atmosphere, such as abuse or loneliness, at home will make boys and girls more willing to be in school which provides that safe zone, that elusive peace space. If parents argue and quarrel at home or abuse a child, it is only natural that a child will feel more inclined to be at school. Likewise, if the child is being verbally abused or bullied in school, there would be an attachment to home and reluctance to attend school. The urgent question to be addressed - could we ensure both school and home are safe zones and peaceful spaces?
The recipe to create mature, diligent, trustworthy boys in our world is a difficult one. The reason being is that there is considerable inequality and our boys are not all on the same playing field. The differences in culture, literacy, religion and geographical location have all posed problems for moving boys to a higher educational and developmental level. However, there are five steps needed to occur which will help boys in the preschools. These include:
1. Accurate identification of the early onset of male-biased disorders
2. Ensuring boys live and are educated in peaceful and stable surroundings.
3. Creating a safe environment to encourage creativity and thinking.
4. Developing channels of communication to share problems and discuss ideas
5. Deciding on future careers, choices of companions and friends.
These five goals should be cornerstones in the preschool curricula and would
ultimately result in a better generation of male teenagers and men. It is difficult to disagree when I write that many of our boys are misunderstood and the result is that the adolescent journey is a nightmare. There is an urgent need to ensure that our boys can envision a society where they are treated equally. It is crucial to work with our boys to let them fulfill their dreams and goals.
Our society surely cannot believe that hugging and displaying affection will make our boys soft or effeminate. If we do not embrace our boys, then the wrong persons will embrace them and then it will be too late. Do we want our boys finding role models among criminal gangs? Certainly not. Some researchers such as Mary Cobbett and Mike Younger have identified underachievement as a problem among Caribbean boys. But, the origin of this crisis might be related to the preschools/kindergartens. One thing is clear: we need more research on what preschool children in Trinidad and Tobago are like, and how we can bring out the best in them. We cannot presume that studies based in other countries and cultures generalize to ours.
If there is miseducation in the preschools then it is difficult to observe progress among boys. Every boy, across the globe, should be given access to a relevant preschool education in a happy environment. This could only be achieved if practitioners and policymakers involved in early childhood programs in the Caribbean intervene and address the learning challenges facing boys. The normal, the abnormal, those in refugee camps, the slow learners and the intelligent will share this world and be able to live in happiness and peace.
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Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, legal advice, or other professional opinion. Never disregard such advice because of this article or anything else you have read from the Centre for Male Psychology. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of, or are endorsed by, The Centre for Male Psychology, and we cannot be held responsible for these views. Read our full disclaimer here.
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