Girls Have Academic Advantages and So Do Boys: A Multicountry Analysis of Gender Differences in Early Grade Reading and Mathematics Outcomes

Abstract

This paper contains a new analysis of gender differences in early grade reading and mathematics outcomes in 19 USAID-funded studies over the past decade from 14 locations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The paper addresses gaps in the literature related to learning patterns for girls and boys in lower- and middle-income countries and in early primary school. We analyzed the results from reading and mathematics assessments in grades 2 and 3, including differences in oral reading fluency (ORF) and quantitative comparison scores between boys and girls, as well as differences in score distributions by gender. In line with results from assessments in upper grades and in wealthier countries, we found that girls consistently outperformed boys in reading. In mathematics, boys slightly outperformed girls, although the differences were typically not large. Global experience has shown that patterns in poor performance become more entrenched the further learners progress through the grades, suggesting that early interventions for boys in reading and girls in mathematics could have long-term benefits. At the same time, both girls and boys typically score below expectations in the two subjects across countries, necessitating targeted strategies to improve outcomes for both genders early in their educational trajectories.