*HOF POST* My take on why girls tend to perform better than boys in school

[YoungDemCA]

Basically, I think that the different ways in which boys and girls are socialized (from a very early age) has something to do with this phenomenon - which really exists primarily among children from poorer backgrounds and from families of color (i.e. black, Latino, Native American, certain Asian communities...)

Generally, women/girls tend to have (or at the very least, they display) more social awareness (i.e. social skills) than men/boys - across different social backgrounds. What that means for children - specifically, from already socially marginalized groups is that boys are more likely to overtly display stereotypically "male" traits in ways that are punished by authority figures (and not just in the classroom....). By contrast, girls/women from all backgrounds are taught to be excessively polite and deferential (traits which generally serve them well in school, but tend to hold them back in the workplace...)

This gap, FWW, isn't as prominent in wealthier households (particularly those with highly educated parents), and I suspect that has something to do with the fact that middle and upper class children in general have so many more advantages - socially, economically, etc. - than poorer children that people don't notice/care as much.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?