Girls already have a well-established educational lead over boys by the time they start school, a study claims.

The study of 15,000 UK children suggests girls are two months ahead of boys in tests of verbal, non-verbal and visual skills by the age of five.

Girls outperform boys at all levels of education in the UK - from the age of seven to higher education.

The study from the Institute of Education in London suggests that trend begins before they even reach school.

The researchers also found that girls were doing better than boys by the age of three.

It also found girls had fewer behaviour problems than boys, and those children with better behavioural development tended to have a greater ability to learn.

They were assessed in their own homes by specially trained interviewers.

The researchers took three assessments involving vocabulary, picture similarities and pattern construction, measuring children’s visual, spatial and verbal skills.

Research director Dr Kirstine Hansen said the findings did not mean that all girls out-performed all boys.

"There was roughly the same number of boys as girls in the top 10% of the ability range.

"However, there are fewer girls in the lower-scoring groups.

"Our age three assessments of the children showed the same general trend, so the gender gap in learning is established early in life."

Family life

The researchers found children living in different family circumstances also tended to show different levels of development.

Children with two working parents tended to do better than others. They were four months ahead on vocabulary and two months ahead on visual tests.

And children of those with no qualifications were considerably behind average on each of the three measures.

On average, they were four months behind in picture tests, five months behind on pattern construction and more than a year behind in vocabulary.

Those in step-families were five months behind the average in picture similarity tests, while those with lone parents were two months behind.

This report on child cognition and behaviour was published as part of a much wider study by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, called the Millennium Cohort Study, which is tracking the development of youngsters born in the first two years of this century.

Other findings included:

• the claim that mothers in Northern Ireland are more likely to read to their children every day than other UK mothers

• less than two thirds of UK children are living with their married natural parents at age five

• children who eat breakfast daily are less likely to become obese

A common genetic variant may be partly to blame for poor reading ability, research suggests.

The variant, carried by more than one in seven people, has already been associated with dyslexia.

Tests by the University of Oxford found people carrying the key sequence tended to perform worse than average in tests of their reading ability.

But the study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, found no impact on general intelligence.

Previous research has identified at least six candidate genes that appear to influence the odds of developing dyslexia, a learning difficulty which affects the development of literacy and language skills.

The most likely of the candidates - implicated in at least three separate studies - is a gene called KIAA0319, which lies on chromosome six.

Previous work by the Oxford team, based at the Wellcome Trust Centre of Human Genetics, also suggested the gene may be involved in dyslexia.

Their work highlighted a sequence of DNA - called a haplotype - which included part of the key gene.

In the latest study, the Oxford team examined the link between this haplotype and reading abilility in a sample of 6,000 seven to nine-year old children taking part in a major long-term study known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

Lead researcher Dr Silvia Paracchini said: "On average, people carrying this common genetic variant tended to perform poorly on tests of reading ability.

"However, it’s important to note that this is only true for reading ability and not for IQ, so it doesn’t appear to be connected to cognitive impairment."

Dr Paracchini said the effect of the genetic variant seemed to be small - but was statistically signfiicant.

Impact on foetus

The Oxford team has previously shown that the same haplotype is linked to reduced activity of the KIAA0319 gene during development of the foetus.

In effect, it acts like a dimmer switch, reducing the power of the gene to do its normal job as the foetus grows.

This affects development of the cerebral cortex, the area of the brain responsible for thought processes.

In animal studies, switching off KIAA0319 affects neuronal migration, the process that enables nerve cells created in the inner layer of the cerebral cortex area to migrate outwards to their final destination.

Dr Paracchini said: "This is clearly only part of the jigsaw puzzle that explains why some people have poorer reading ability than others or develop dyslexia.

"There are likely to be many other contributing factors, but our research provides some valuable clues.

"We need to carry out studies into the exact role that this gene plays in brain development and how this affects people’s reading ability."

Professor Margaret Snowling, vice president of the British Dyslexia Association, said other genes and environmental factors probably also played a key role in determining reading ability.

And she stressed that some people were able to compensate and go on to successful careers even though they carried the gene variation.

A daily dose of computer games can boost maths attainment, according to a study carried out in Scottish schools.

Learning and Teaching Scotland - the main organisation for the development of the curriculum - analysed the effect of a "brain training" game.

It also found improvements in pupils’ concentration and behaviour.

The study involved more than 600 pupils in 32 schools across Scotland using the Brain Training from Dr Kawashima game on the Nintendo DS every day.

The project followed a pilot study in Dundee last year.

LTS worked with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education and the University of Dundee to see if the pilot results were replicated on a wider scale.

Improved scores

A group of pupils played the game, which included reading tests, problem-solving exercises and memory puzzles, for 20 minutes at the start of their class for nine weeks. A control group continued their lessons in a more traditional manner.

The pupils were tested at the beginning and then the end of the study.

Researchers found that while all groups had improved their scores, the group using the game had improved by a further 50%.

The time taken to complete the tests also dropped by five minutes, from 18.5 minutes to 13.5 minutes. The improvement in the games group was double that of the control group.

Less able children were found to be more likely to improve than the highest attainers and almost all pupils had an increased perception of their own ability.

The study also found that it made no difference if the children had the game at home and noted no difference in ability between girls or boys.

It found improvements in absence and lateness in some classes.

Derek Robertson, LTS’s national adviser for emerging technologies and learning, said the results offered the first independent, academic evidence that this type of computer game could improve attainment when used in an educational context.

He said: "Computer games help flatten out the hierarchy that exists in schools - they are in the domain of the learner as opposed to the domain of the school.

"This intervention encouraged all children to engage and get success in a different contextual framework; one in which they don’t know their place."

Parents need lessons in how to cope with their children’s unruly behaviour, new guidelines on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) say.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) says drugs such as Ritalin should be avoided - and must not be given to the under-fives.

Teachers would also benefit from training to recognise and help children with this condition, it adds.

Any primary school class is likely to have a child with ADHD, experts say.

Most of the estimated 365,000 children in Britain with ADHD receive no treatment at all.

But of those who do, most - about 37,000 - are prescribed stimulants like Ritalin (methylphenidate).

Children with ADHD have extreme difficulty sitting still, learning or concentrating.

At school they may find it hard to keep friends and suffer from bullying because of their behaviour. Looking after affected children can be exhausting for parents.

Parenting classes

The guidelines, which cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland, say parent training and education programmes should be offered as a first-line treatment for ADHD, both for pre-school and school age children.

The programmes teach parents how to create a structured home environment, encourage attentiveness and concentration, and manage misbehaviour better.

Drugs remain a first option for children over five and young people with severe ADHD, say the guidelines, but only as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes psychological and behavioural interventions.

Dr Tim Kendall, a consultant psychiatrist from Sheffield who is joint director of the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health and helped draw up the guidelines, said: "There is an over-reliance on medicines.

"Quite commonly, people tend to revert to offering methylphenidate or atomoxetene. When they do that it’s not always because there’s a good balance of risk and benefits. It’s because the child has got what appears to be ADHD and that’s what’s available.

"Its easier to prescribe a drug when other options like parent training programmes are not available."

Dr Kendall said it was important to diagnose ADHD correctly, rather than label all bad behaviour as ADHD. The symptoms of ADHD persist in all settings - both at school and at home - and cause real impairment.

Andrea Bilbow, chief executive of the ADHD charity ADDISS, welcomed the NICE recommendations but questioned how helpful the parent training programmes would be to parents.

"Parenting programmes are extremely important, but they need to be specific for ADHD.

"The ones that NICE are recommending were designed for the parents of children with conduct disorder, which is completely different from ADHD," she said.

The Scottish InterCollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) is rewriting its guidelines on ADHD diagnosis and treatment and will take the NICE guidelines into consideration.

Their new guidance will come out in the first half of 2009.

Plans to ensure parents in England get sent data on their child’s height and weight have been criticised as flawed and lacking bite.

The Department of Health has urged all Primary Care Trusts to send out the data collected at schools without waiting for parents to request it.

But Tam Fry, an obesity expert, said parents would not receive the most useful information on body mass index.

He also criticised reluctance to use the term "obese" in letters.

Ministers believe the letters could help raise parents’ awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle for their children.

But announcing the move on Monday, they said research had shown using the term "obese" risked alienating parents, and turning them off from the key message.

Instead, they have advised primary care trusts to refer to obese children as "very overweight".

The National Child Measurement Programme weighs and measures the height of all primary school children in reception class (aged four to five) and year six (aged 10-11).

It is not compulsory, but most children in England do now take part.

No stigma

Ivan Lewis, Health Minister, said research had shown that parents wanted to know their child’s results, with the information presented in a clear and non-stigmatising way.

He said: "Research shows that most parents of overweight or obese children think that their child is a healthy weight.

"This move isn’t about pointing the finger and telling parents that their children are overweight, instead it is about equipping parents with the information they need to help their children live healthier lives."

However, Mr Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, criticised the reluctance to use hard-hitting language.

He said: "I find this whole approach from the Department of Health a bit prissy and namby pamby.

"The Americans have gone back to using the term because it’s the kind of shock word that makes parents sit up and take notice."

Vague scale

Mr Fry also said the sliding scale with which parents would be provided to assess their child’s weight was no substitute for BMI.

He said: "The Department of Health admits in its guidance that BMI is the best and most practical way to assess whether a child is overweight or obese, but then denies parents the actual figures for their children because they say it could be confusing for some.

"That is total rubbish."

Mr Fry said he had tested the scale which will be provided, and found it vague, and inaccurate.

A Department of Health spokesperson said the sliding scale had received positive feedback from parents during tests.

"Some parents may find the BMI growth charts confusing and may need someone to explain what they show.

"We want parents to easily understand the results without the need for further explanation, and that is why the sliding scale bar will be used."

Move welcomed

Caroline Butler, of the charity Diabetes UK, welcomed the government’s move.

She said: "Parents need to be educated about the dangers of obesity and obesity-related conditions such as Type 2 diabetes."

"Ten years ago Type 2 diabetes in children was unheard of in the UK. Now we have over 1,000 children with the condition, some as young as seven.

So far, around 40% of primary care trusts have already said they intend to send out the information automatically in the next school year.

A further 40% said they would wait for the Department of Health guidance before making a decision.

The scheme, introduced three years ago, got off to a slow start, but 80% of children in reception year and year six were weighed and measured in 2006-07.

Of those, 22.9% of children in reception year and 31.6% of those in year six were overweight or obese.

Are ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ behaviour patterns learnt, or are girls and boys simply pre-programmed to act differently? Nobody knows for sure but it’s certainly true that people reinforce the gender differences with subtle behavioural clues. Do you talk about ‘big strong boys’ or ‘Daddy’s little princess’? Find out more!

What is accelerated learning?

When we ‘learn’ in ordinary situations (with a book or a teacher), we are actually using less than 20% of our brain’s capacity. Our learning potential isn’t fixed. Intelligence is a group of abilities that can be developed.

Accelerated learning, also known as ’super-learning’ or ‘brain-friendly learning’, is a system designed to help people of all ages learn more and retain more by using the whole of the brain.
Left- and right-brain thinking

Traditional methods of learning concentrate on the left side of the brain (which controls our powers of language, logic and sequencing) more than the right side (which deals with forms and patterns, rhythm, space and imagination).

Creating connections between both sides when we learn stimulates electrical-chemical impulses so that our 100 billion active brain cells work harder.

We can learn many things simultaneously like the tune, rhythm and words to a song. This demonstrates that learning is not confined to one part of the brain, but can happen in both parts at once.
Learning by doing

Since we learn to talk by talking, swim by swimming and drive by driving, it makes sense to make learning anything as practical and activity-based as possible. Working collaboratively (in a group) is ideal, because a learning ‘community’ will have more success than a collection of isolated individuals.

Accelerated learning increases your ability to learn by stimulating your brain to work harder. This can be done by creating new practical learning situations such as using drama to learn about science. If it’s done as a group activity, the experience can be fun and rewarding.

For instance, at school students could build a giant floor model of a complex chemical compound, or create a one-minute drama about the life cycle of an insect or a key moment in history. Instead of simply writing about it, students might write a rap song about a complex geographical process.

The experiences will be memorable, so more will be learnt - and that will increase the desire for more learning.
Reviewing learning

Another important aspect of accelerated learning methods is to review new knowledge during the learning process. Studies show that the human brain forgets much of the information it processes during one day if that information isn’t reviewed.

To help your child remember what he has learned, encourage him to talk about the main points each day. At the end of each week, get your child to review the main points again. He’ll be a step ahead when he comes to revise for exams, too.

Source bbc.co.uk schools