Your quest to find the pre-kindergarten program in the Boston area that fits your son perfectly has stalled. Nothing seems quite right. Is it time to give up or compromise?
Before you relax your standards, we suggest taking a second look at a category of pre-K programs near Boston you may have dismissed out of hand when you first compiled your shortlist of schools: single-sex pre-Ks, specifically, all-boys programs.
Many parents dismiss all boys' pre-K schools as an option for their son because, to them, it seems a little out of date. Your son will likely spend most of his life learning and working in mixed-gender environments, you might reason. How can an all-boys school possibly be beneficial to his long-term emotional, cognitive, and social development?
Reason #1 – Single-sex education is a modern idea based on up-to-date research.
Preferred Learning Styles
Modern educational research shows that girls and boys, on average, tend to gravitate toward different learning environments, especially during the early and middle years of development.
Girls often thrive in classrooms that emphasize verbal communication, collaboration, and sustained focus. They generally do well in language-rich, sedentary settings where learning is structured around listening, reading, and group discussion. These environments align closely with the earlier maturation of language centers and executive functioning typically seen in female brain development.
Boys, on the other hand, frequently benefit from more dynamic learning experiences that incorporate:
- Hands-on, active engagement with materials
- Physical movement woven into the learning process (e.g., learning through building, acting out, or manipulating objects)
- Visual-spatial tasks, such as puzzles, maps, or design challenges, which often appeal more than purely verbal instruction
This doesn't mean boys can't succeed in traditional classroom settings—but when movement, visual thinking, and experiential tasks are included, boys are often more engaged, focused, and motivated to learn.
Research shows that boys are more likely to stay engaged in environments that cater to these strengths. Read more in Why Gender Matters by Dr. Leonard Sax.
Neurochemical Differences
Neurobiology plays a key role in how boys respond to classroom environments. Young boys typically have lower baseline levels of serotonin and oxytocin—neurotransmitters linked to calmness, impulse control, and social bonding. This can contribute to greater restlessness and a stronger need for movement and structure in their learning.
Dr. Janet Zadina explores these differences in Multiple Pathways to the Student Brain, highlighting how brain chemistry affects behavior and learning readiness.
Of course, these are general trends, not fixed rules. Every child is different. Many girls love active learning, and many boys flourish in traditional coed classrooms. But acknowledging these developmental patterns allows schools to build environments that help more students thrive.
Reason #2: Boys don’t need girls to model appropriate behavior.
Some parents believe that, without girls around to model “appropriate” behavior—like sitting still, speaking in turn, and being compassionate toward one another—boys will never learn important social skills.
As the teachers at the all-boys Fessenden School have found, the opposite is true. In the absence of girls, boys are more eager to earn their teachers’ approval.
“In a traditional classroom, girls get in the pattern of anticipating, jumping in and being those little stars. The teacher, naturally, is just going to reinforce that,” explains Kate Kausch, Director of Lower School Admissions at The Fessenden School. “When you remove girls from the equation, boys totally jump in to fill that role.”
This dynamic allows young boys to take on leadership and responsibility roles sooner, creating a positive feedback loop in their development.
Reason #3 – All-boys schools are not just for the physically gifted.
Pre-K is much too young for any boy to be considered a “jock.” But as some parents look beyond pre-K to the rest of elementary school and middle school, they see physical education classes becoming more structured and free-form play morphing into competitive sports. They worry their sons will have to be athletically competent to keep up with the other boys.
While you can expect engaging physical activities at all levels—from intentional play in Pre-K to varsity sports in Ninth-Grade—one of the benefits of an all-boys school environment is that boys feel much more free to pursue non-athletic activities, such as community service or the arts. The teachers at Fessenden like to say that, in their pre-K classes, there are no “girl things” or “boy things.”
“Among our students, it’s cool to be an athlete, and it’s also cool to be a singer or an artist,” one Fessenden teacher said recently. “We really applaud boys for everything they do. They don’t feel like they are put into a box.”
This well-rounded encouragement is why parents love Fessenden all boys Pre-K programs.
All Boys Pre-K in Boston - Learn More Today!
Ready to see the benefits of an all boys Pre-K in action? Plan your visit to The Fessenden School today or reach out today to learn more about our Pre-K program designed specifically for boys.
