“Richard Reeves's letter "The K-12 System Isn't Making Boys Into Men" (Jan. 2) is spot on. Our schools' failings are most damaging at the early elementary age.
My late wife was a first-grade teacher for almost 25 years and a mother to our two boys.
She often lamented the gradual reduction in hours per week from subjects that engaged boys, like science and history, to make room for more reading and writing, subjects in which girls prospered.
The theory was that you had to know how to read and write before you could succeed in the others, so those courses deserved priority. But the damage to boys' enthusiasm for learning in these early years wasn't given due consideration.
Recess time was reduced so fidgety boys who needed more opportunities for a break and the chance to expend energy became more fidgety in the classroom.
My wife often commented that many teachers preferred teaching girls, who were less active and more compliant. Yes, easier and more engaged, but that merely highlights the differences between boys and girls at that age.
A child's success in the elementary years can make or break the years that follow. Until the needs and learning differences of boys are factored into curricula and teaching methods, expect these divides to grow.
Ken Kolkebeck
Grand View-on-Hudson, N.Y.” [1]
1. Why Boys Struggle in Class. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 13 Jan 2026: A14.
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