SATS - level 6 tests

[Daogroupie]

I was really dismayed to find this gender gap in Maths continuing at secondary level at my dd's school. The top set in the year consists of 20 boys and 10 girls. There is a roughly equal split of gender in the year and in the academic and music places so I was very disappointed by this. DG

[ginx]

I thought girls did better at school on the whole (I don't know statistics, I imagine someone does), at key stage one up to GCSE's? It sounds like I'm completely wrong.

[Amber]

I thought girls did better at school on the whole (I don't know statistics, I imagine someone does), at key stage one up to GCSE's? It sounds like I'm completely wrong.

There is quite a lot of research which I haven't got time to dig out now which shows that boys are more disadvantaged by our crazily young start to formal education than girls. Anyone who has spent time in the company of a four-year old boy will know how often he would choose to sit still surrounded by 24 other small children and listen to someone talking about the sounds letters make. School tends to be more 'girl-friendly' in that things many young girls choose to do are valued at school (sitting still, colouring in - what a pointless activity that is- playing 'nicely') compared with those which boys choose to do (running about, climbing on things, making noise. Actually a lot of small girls would do this given the choice too, but they are often more easily moulded into school ways). Also most early years teachers and indeed TAs are female which helps to promote a female bias.

Anyway, this can have quite an effect on boys being labelled early on as having 'difficulties' with things like pencil control, writing neatly, behaving in an acceptable way, composing beautiful stories etc. The Maths thing is well researched too - and there are too many opinions to summarise but Okanagan's point about preference for non-fiction and seeking out information rather than doing things 'for pleasure' is well-made. In societies where children start school later, the gender issue is far less clear; and the summer baby effect is also less pronounced in such places, especially as they tend not to test and assess children every five minutes to boot.

[Okanagan]

ginx - you wanted stats

Look at the last couple of tables on the KS2 results which show how many got level 4+ or 5+ in both English and maths and you'll see that overall girls come out on top. And at GCSE (2012 data overall girls get 8.7% A* grades compared to 6.0% for boys. It has been suggested that this might change with the switch towards end of course exams.

[Pumpkin Pie]

colouring in - what a pointless activity that is

More to colouring than meets the eye!

1. Colouring helps a child practice holding a writing tool the correct way and aids in developing those tiny muscles in their hands, fingers, and wrist.

2. Colouring aids in hand-eye coordination as the child learns to colour within the specified area.

3. Children develop the skill of patience and learn to focus on details when coloring. Such a sense of accomplishment is achieved when a colouring page is completed.

4. Colouring allows a child to relax and be comfortable while creating a piece of art. Children can fill in the figures and shapes on the page any way they choose, whereas drawing can sometimes be a little intimidating that the outcome won't be exactly as they wanted.

5. Colouring a simple printed page helps a child to recognise colour, hue, line, perspective, shape and form. It also helps a child to see and recognise patterns - a pre-reading and pre-math skill.

6. Eventually a child can even learn to plan as they decide the colours they will use in their picture and then what order they are going to colour things within the picture.

7. Colouring can allow you and your child to have some quality quiet time together.  It can provide a wonderful time to sit and chat with your child.


I love colouring in too. Quite calming and gives a sense of satisfaction!

[Amber]

Well I am obviously a very bad mother. I have 3 children who hated colouring in; and I had to go into school once (something I have very rarely done) when my Year 3 boy was kept in at break to re-do a Maths sheet as he had coloured it in in a scribbly way (aim of sheet - identification of polygons. Aim achieved, but not neatly). Happily, all my children learned to read and write without this pre-reading skill. None of them found it relaxing, though 2 of them spent hours drawing freehand and the other one spent hours building things. And happily we managed to find time to chat now and then too.

Colouring helps a child practice holding a writing tool the correct way and aids in developing those tiny muscles in their hands, fingers, and wrist

. If children were taught to write at an age-appropriate time, having spent a couple of years doing the big movements with paint brushes and their bare hands, we wouldn't need to be trying to develop these muscles quite so actively. Children taught to write at 6 or 7 tend to be pretty neat straight away if they have had decent pre-school experiences using large materials first.


Serious point - fine at home, PP, if that is what you and your children enjoy. I used to enjoy it as a child too, but here we had piles of unused colouring books as no one enjoyed them.

At school I see it as something dished out by teachers who can't think of more creative things to do; and which ends up punishing children who don't enjoy it, find it relaxing, or see the point of it.

[DC17C]

Agree with Amber - I have a DD who loves drawing, colouring and generally being creative.

DS always hated it as a young child and he was very slow to learn to write - just not really interested until he was about 7 when he had some remedial help and suddenly got it but he still prefers to type if he has a lot of work to do. He is has now been assessed as dyspraxic and hypermobile and it actually hurts to write a lot so I can understand why he never saw the point in colouring in.
He has actually enjoyed art as he has got older - perhaps some of the techniques he has been taught have suited him better.

[Pumpkin Pie]

Well I am obviously a very bad mother.

I was merely stating some POSITIVE aspects of colouring in, not condemning anyone for not getting their children to colour in. Each child is different and not all like colouring in!

[Amber]

Sorry if that came out aggressively- it was meant to be tongue in cheek (as of course I'm a wonderful mother). Having a bad day- not your fault.

[Belinda]

I remember a toddler who would sit at color beautifully and she was a very late walker (about 18 months). She would crawl everywhere - or bum shuffle. One of mine was up on her feet very early (about 9 months) and couldn't make up her mind whether she was even left or right handed until she was nearly five. Forget colouring!

Anyway, one of the first questions I was asked when she was eventually dyslexia tested was "when did she walk?".
Apparently, children who walk too early and don't make the 'big' movements with limbs first, skipping the crawling stage, have far more problems with writing and 'fine motor skills'(is that the correct term?)
General clumsiness... Anyone else able to offer credence to this theory.