Girls better at writing—study

Press, 18 May 1989, Page 16

Girls better at writing —study

NZPA-AP Albany New York Girls write better than boys, not because of any genetic differences but because they get more encouragement to develop these skills, researchers say. Writing samples from 43,563 students on five continents indicate girls

are better at expressing ideas on paper, said the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, which analysed the writing. The association, based in Stockholm, is a network of research institutions in nearly 40 countries. The research, which an-

alysed various types of writing such as expository and narrative, also found that sex differences in writing ability were not as great in the United States as in countries such as New Zealand and Sweden. The director of the New York State University at Albany’s centre for writing and literacy, Alan

Purves, said the differences in the five-year, 14country study have to do with how the two sexes are taught. "Sexual stereotypes are very strong in the classroom,” Mr Purves said. Girls in most societies get more encouragement to develop their writing, just as boys are more

often encouraged to excel in maths and science.

"Girls are encouraged to do more literary things at home,” he said. The study also noted that most high school language teachers were women, and Mr Purves said youngsters were more likely to emulate a teacher of the same sex.