My son is in kindergarten. He’s smart but sometimes he has a problem staying in his seat …and standing in line …and not talking. He’s not the only one. My husband and I worked with him at home, and he’s improved. So have his ‘report card grades.’ Even though, I feel his school work performance remains the same. And I’m concerned.
This article gives documentation to my concern. It’s extremely relative and important to read, share, and discuss. Is your son’s physical behavior at school negatively impacting his academic grade? 
The Boys at the Back by Christina Hoff Summers – NYTimes.com
Boys score as well as or better than girls on most standardized tests, yet they are far less likely to get good grades, take advanced classes or attend college. Why? A study coming out this week in The Journal of Human Resources gives an important answer…. No previous study, to my knowledge, has demonstrated that the well-known gender gap in school grades begins so early and is almost entirely attributable to differences in behavior. The researchers found that teachers rated boys as less proficient even when the boys did just as well as the girls on tests of reading, math and science. (The teachers did not know the test scores in advance.) If the teachers had not accounted for classroom behavior, the boys’ grades, like the girls’, would have matched their test scores.
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Related articles
- Do Teachers Discriminate Against Boys? (erikachristakis.wordpress.com)
- Grade disparities by gender start in kindergarten, and they have profound, long-term effects that can last a lifetime (aei-ideas.org)
- New Study Explains Why Girls Do Better at School (medicaldaily.com)
Boy Mom Blog 
I am happy to know that I am not the only parent who has to remind her son to sit still, not talk, and pay attention in class. And yes he is smart. And to the teacher’s amazement, actually knows the answers to that day’s lessons…
You are definitely not along! I experienced the same thing! My son was getting reprimanded for squirming and the teacher asked him to answer a question and he knew it back and front – she told me that she was amazed b/c she didn’t think he was paying attention! yep …
I have so many things to say on this – it bugs me so much! I’ll keep it short: Boys NEED that movement or they don’t learn. Yes, they need to be taught to sit at proper times, but 6-8 hours a day is not good for them, 15-30 minutes at a time maybe (think about your last meeting, anywhere, and how long it took you to start getting antsy). They NEED movement! If most teachers just let them stand at their desk instead of requiring them to sit, everyone’s day would go much smoother – and far less medication would be needed!
Yes! I just wonder when others in the education system will GET IT! It doesn’t seem fair to them at such a young age to have to sit still for so long …
I really liked this article. It made so many good points. I think once upon a time, classrooms were more male focused and girls suffered. Now I think the opposite tends to be the case. Young children, especially boys, tend to need to expend energy so they can focus and learn. They aren’t being ill-behaved. They are being little and appropriate for their development. We shouldn’t punish them for that!
I really liked the article too! Thanks for the response! I wish we could find a balance in the classroom – or maybe just resign to trying the single-sex classrooms? IDK!