OT: need help for DD classroom with a 4:1 BOY GIRL RATIO

[suzct]

I am at a loss of what to do and would love some advice from other parents. There are 2 first grade classes in DD's school. Each class has 23 students. The maximum is 24 before they allow a 3rd class. For some odd reason, there is a highly unusual ratio of boys to girls. In DD's class, there are 17 boys and 6 girls. In the other class there are 5 girls and 18 boys.
I don't mean any offense to parents of boy (I have one of my own), but you can imagine the noise and level of activity in the classroom. I have gone in to volunteer a few times and was horrified at the chaos. My friend's DD has started pulling out her eyelashes because she is so stressed out during the schoolday.
Do you think that we as parents have any credibility to ask for a 3rd classroom based on this unusual ratio?
Anyone know where I could look for studies to back up this request?
I know it is too late for this year, but I want to ask that the 3rd class is budgeted for next year.
Thanks for any help.

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

If it's a public school, I doubt that they would consider adding a 3rd teacher, when there are potentially so many other things they could be spending the money on. however, it can't hurt to ask! there must have been something in the water (that you didn't drink) a few years ago, and that's why there are so many boys now! good luck to your daughter. i would also add that, while young boys can be more rambunctious, so much of the classroom atmosphere comes from how the teacher manages the classroom. i would suggest maybe talking to the teacher, and letting her know that your daughter is finding it a stressful environment to work in. i'm sure he/she would be willing to work with you.

good luck!

 

[Aliceacc]

I think you should start as a grass roots kind of thing. Talk to the other parents, talk to the teachers. See if others see it as a problem as well. If not, it's not likely that you'll get anywhere.

More classes won't change the ratios, in fact, there will be fewer girls per class if the 11 girls are split among 3 classes instead of two. That's probably the first arguement you'll hear from an administrator who isn't looking to change things.

Hit the internet and google "boy/girl ratio studies in elementary classroom" type of stuff; see what you find. This one may get you started:
http://books.google.com/books?id=7T...eeM&sig=y-TownLBpoDfpgnU660adsYCwIo#PPA189,M1

 

[bigbabyblues]

My DS is in first grade at a small private school, and his class has 8 boys and 2 girls.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I do not think that they will add a 2nd class based on the class being mostly boys. Teaching boys requires a sometimes differnt approach and having such a high ratio of boys to girls requires the teacher to rethink some of her teaching plans.

What you can do is offer to help out in the classroom a few time a week. Having an extra hand can be so helpful.

We have one class of ALL boys in our preschool. My SS class of three year olds has one girl in a class of 8!!!!

Sometimes it is easier to have ALL boys so you can adjust plans to be more friendly to the ways boys tend to learn better.

 

[Nicolepa]

Unfortunatly, this is something you are just going to have to learn to deal with. Unless a lot of the boys move out of the neighborhood and a lot of girls move in you are going to have this issue until at least jr. high. Adding more classes won't fix the problem.

If a 3rd classroom is really what you want then you best start praying for 3 kids to move into the neighborhood. But also keep in mind that as they get older the classes get bigger. So you may get a 3rd class for next year, but the year after they may go back to 2 due to class ratios.

 

[daisyduck123]

Hi! 1st grade teacher here

That ratio is not all that unusual. I've had that same 4:1 ratio before.

I would be thankful that your DD's class only has 23 students.
I have a small class this year (only 21), but sometimes I have 25 or 26 first graders. The 3rd grades at my school have 28-29 right now.

I would just continue to volunteer as much as the teacher is willing to have you help out.

 

[Aliceacc]

I teach HS math.

One of my SAT prep classes has 40 kids... 9 of them are girls. And it's 9th period. And they're not graded in the class, so there's no immediate incentive to do much beyond the minimum.

ONe of the sophomore teachers has a class with 2 girls in it. Not for any sort of reason, that's just what the computer spit out. It happens sometimes.

 

[SeeDisney]

Yes, I've too sometimes notice in classrooms or sunday school or in play dates a very, very large ratio difference between boys and girls. Much, much more boys everywhere.

 

[brymolmom]

Hi-

I have 1 boy and 1 girl myself - and I wouldn't bet a lot of $$ on the fact that the chaos is caused directly by the gender ratio. In my ds's class the most difficult and rambunctious student is a female. If you had more girls in class - you would likely find this too - it just so happens to be more loud boys because there are more students who are boys who can be loud. Chances are, even with an even split - you'd find freuquently the 'distractors' in a class are about split evenly. So I personally don't think you have a lot of basis to ask for another class (and as a pp mentioned - a 3rd class would make the ratio worse, not better).

You could look at it on the bright side - boys TEND to be stronger in math and science, maybe with that many boys in the class your dd will tend in that direction as well.

If you are approaching the school - IMO I would go differently in terms of 'how can we control the classroom chaos?' instead of 'we need more girls in the classroom'. There could be different techniques to use in the classrooms themselves and maybe the teachers could get some sort of additional training instead.

I'm with you - it is definitely a difficult situation when you have the 'quiet' student and there are so many who are not....my ds is in the same situation. Of course, they're going to have to learn to deal with these situations throughout their lives, so that's one of the reasons I'm sending him to school anyway - not JUST for the book learning. It's tough to get there though.

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

DS's pre-k class was all boys.

First and second grade, they had 2 girls, the rest all boys.

Now, in third grade, they have three girls, and 20 boys.

 

[MM27]

Three years ago I had a class of 17 boys and 5 girls. I questioned my principal about the distribution of students (the other classes were much more balanced). So what does he do? The next year he gives me a class with 18 girls and 6 boys.

This year I'm at 14 girls 8 boys. The scales are starting to balance