Blog - Page 5 of 6 - Puberty Curriculum

Evaluation Results for Puberty: The Wonder Years 2010

Evaluation Outcomes Research-Based and Evidence-Informed… Puberty: The Wonder Years was developed to utilize characteristics of evidence-based sexuality education programs and incorporates best-practice strategies for developing positive health behaviors in young people. When selecting sexuality education curriculum, it is important to look for evidence of effectiveness. Puberty: The Wonder Years 2010, the previous edition, has shown very positive evaluation results, including the following: 68% increase in students who have talked with their parents or another trusted adult about puberty 15% increase in…

Sex Education in Elementary Schools: Gender Segregated or Coed?

I am often asked…Gender Segregated or Coed? …if boys and girls should be separated for sex education, especially in the elementary grades. Pros and cons exist for either approach to sex education in the elementary grades. So… gender-segregated or coed? Gender-Segregated Instruction Pros Cons When boys and girls are in separate classes, they may feel more comfortable asking questions about sex-specific topics, such as menstruation and nocturnal emissions. Some parents and educators are more supportive of teaching boys and girls separately.…

#WhyCare — Jun

While I was working with a group at one of the big ten universities, a grad student shared the story of her 20-year-old roommate Jun, who was also attending the university. Jun’s mother, who lives in China, had never told Jun anything about sex. One night, Jun was drinking alcohol with her then-boyfriend, and he raped her. She was devastated and didn’t know what had happened to her. Fortunately, Jun did not get pregnant. The grad student decided that someone had to talk…

#WhyCare — Brian

While shopping recently, a young man named Brian helped me select my purchase. In the course of our conversation, I told him about the work I do. He lit up! Brian told me how important it was that I continue to improve sex education for young people in schools. Then, he shared his own story. Brian attended a local school where he was often the target of teasing. However, what really bothered him was that his siblings and cousin were…

#WhyCare — Jennifer

Recently, a teacher named Jennifer told me this story. When Jennifer was three, she woke up early on Christmas morning. Very excited to begin her day, she burst into her parents’ bedroom to find her mother on top of her father. Her parents shrieked, “Go out! And shut the door!” Later that morning, the family went to church, just as they always did on Sundays. During the children’s sermon, the pastor asked the kids what surprises they found that Christmas…

How Can We Remain Silent About Puberty? Part 2

How Can We Remain Silent About Puberty? How can we remain silent about puberty? Read part 1 of this two-part blog. Then read this blog for part 2. Young people are being harmed: Only 40 percent of teen moms finish high school, and less than 2 percent finish college by age 30.[1] Nearly half (48%) of 7th to 12th graders have experienced sexual harassment in school. The large majority (87%) said the sexual harassment had a negative effect on them.[2]…

#WhyCare — Dylan

Many years ago, I was working with a rural school district that needed support in planning their sex education programming. A nurse shared the life-altering experience she had while working in a clinic in southern Michigan. A teenager–let’s call him Dylan–came into the clinic because he was having trouble seeing. After examining the youth, the doctor realized Dylan had a type of vision loss that must have been worsening over a long period of time. When the doctor asked Dylan…

#WhyCare — Annie

Annie is an intelligent, compassionate person who carefully balances her parenting role with her professional role. Now that her children are in elementary school, Annie realizes she needs to have some “talks” with her son and daughter. This point was driven home when her mother handed her the very same book on puberty that she had given to Annie as a child. Annie’s mother instructed her, “Be sure you share this book with the kids. And when you’re done, give…

How Can We Remain Silent About Puberty? (Part 1)

How Can We Remain Silent About Puberty? How can we remain silent about puberty? Read part 1 of this two-part blog. Read part 2 here. Young people are getting mixed messages: Sex is still considered a dirty word and a taboo subject, even though sex is everywhere. Sex is used to sell products, internet services, movies, and television shows, and is the topic of jokes and conversations, but many young people have difficulty accessing reliable information. Mainstream culture is shouting…

First Training on the New Puberty: The Wonder Years Completed!

40 Educators Are Ready to Teach! On May 1, 2015, Genesee Intermediate School District hosted the inaugural professional development event on the 2015 Puberty: The Wonder Years curriculum. Dorothy Oppenheiser, Regional School Health Coordinator, invited teachers from three counties to attend and was the consummate host of this training. I learned a lot from the teachers who attended, and received valuable input from them about the curriculum and their students’ needs. The teachers were enthusiastic about the new lessons and teaching resources, and…

Sex Education Maelstrom

Sex Education Maelstrom Recent news events have illustrated the need for sex education that begins early; incorporates effective strategies and accurate information; and supports parents, teachers, and schools in their efforts to educate children and youth in a manner that equips them for life. How to do so is the challenge. When this isn’t done, a sex education maelstrom can result. The highly publicized live-tweet that narrated a sex education class has exposed a clash of values. The observed instruction…

Home-School Partnership Is Key

Parents and other family members are children’s primary sex educators. From birth, family members have been communicating, both verbally and nonverbally, messages about sexuality. Therefore, home-school partnership is key. Children have acquired attitudes and behaviors without consciously knowing that they have been learning about puberty and sexuality. These messages come from the way parents dress their children, the toys given to children, the way children are touched and spoken to, and the sex roles family members fill. The school can…