First, let us come clean and make clear that we are not actually associated with the Discovery Channel program “Mythbusters,” although we do recommend the show for the curious, the insatiably curious, and skeptics everywhere. But, like the television program, we want to look into the real story behind some myths that persist in our understanding of the differences between the genders.

Myth 1: Boys are naturally better at math and science.

The fact of the matter is that boys and girls approach math and science differently and the ways those subjects are typically taught in schools make it easier for one gender than another.

For example, boys are wired to understand things they cannot see or touch better than girls because their spatial memory develops sooner. Girls in general prefer to learn things that are concrete rather than abstract. Thus, math taught on a blackboard tends to be easier for boys than girls. Adding manipulatives and attaching the concepts to everyday experience enables girls to access the material. Both genders are capable of understanding the subject matter; they just reach that understanding differently.

Myth 2: Girls are better at reading.

The parts of the brain required for reading are actively developing in girls at the point most schools begin teaching reading. Broca's area, the center for speech in the brain in the frontal lobe, is more active in females; and the Corpus Callosum, which connects the two hemispheres of the brain is usually larger in females.

How can we appeal to the way boys' brains work to help with reading? Asking boys to visualize, draw or act out what they read appeals to their naturally stronger visual-spatial abilities and their need for physical movement. Giving them books with subject matter that appeals to them is also an important part of their motivation and enjoyment.

Myth 3: Girls are naturally more emotional.

Strong emotions for pre-adolescent girls show activity in the amygdala – the fight or flight center – the same as boys. However, as girls approach adolescence, the majority of the activity during a strong emotional event moves up the brain stem to the cortical layer where reflection, reasoning and language reside.

In boys, strong emotions still trigger activity mostly in the amygdala. Asking a teenage or pre-teen boy how he feels is a challenge because that part of his brain has not matured and he may literally not know what he feels. He is likely to be much more comfortable and descriptive when writing about imagery and symbolism than feelings. Girls understand feelings much younger, but may not connect them with abstract symbolism or images since that part of their brains is less developed.

Myth 4: Boys are more aggressive.

The fact is that either gender can be aggressive, but aggression is interpreted differently by boys than girls. Often, aggression is a way for boys to express themselves, and can be a part of play. For example, a boy can be in a fight with another boy one minute and walking off to lunch arm-in-arm the next minute. For girls, on the other hand, aggression is not generally interpreted as play. If girls fight, they probably won't be sitting down at the same lunch table that day, and it can even destroy the relationship.

It is fascinating to realize that for most of these generally observable differences between male and female brains, there are one or more corresponding differences in brain structure. In addition, the differences are usually more noticeable when we are looking at children. This does not mean that the characteristics are universal – there is still a tremendous amount of individual variation. This also doesn't mean that girls cannot be good at math or spatial relationships or that boys cannot be good readers or have emotional reactions unrelated to aggression. These differences do mean that we need to respond and teach to these natural tendencies in order to be as effective as possible. Furthermore, brain-based education goes far beyond gender differences. Parents and teachers who use methods that enhance a child's ability to connect to the material and help that child develop his or her cognitive abilities in a comprehensive way will help create an individual who is not limited by his or her abilities but rather embraces and builds on them.