Taller pupils do better in school

[HPFA]

This:

www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/taller-pupils-do-better-school-study-finds

Tiger parents immediately start investing in built-up shoes.

[bojorojo]

Didn't help me!!!!

[MilkTwoSugarsThanks]

I'm a short arse - got top grades in absolutely everything, without much effort.

DS is a short arse and while not absolute top of everything, is still in the top sets, likewise my brother.

So probably bollocks.

[user789653241]

If that's true, Europeans should do better than Asian children, since they are generally taller.... Is that true?

[CruCru]

Are they also older? An autumn born child is likely to be taller, at least in the first few years of school.

[christmaswreaths]

It really is tripe in my opinion

[mrz]

There's no correlation between month of birth and height

[statsfun]

milktwosugars - with top grades I'm sure you understand the difference between:
a) 'there's a statistically significant correlation between height and academic attainment in x circumstances' and
b) 'people achieve academically if and only if they are tall'.
The individual experience of 3 people would only contradict the later.

irvine, crucru, mrz - the article does say they took into account 'gender, race, age, parental education and health'. Presumably with age they were granular enough to consider months not just years.

The article says that they only saw the affect in big schools (despite including schools of all sizes in the study) which suggests that it's more likely to have a social cause rather than pointing to an underlying correlation between height and academic potential. (Not certain, but more likely)

This seems plausible to me. While very high ability or very confident kids might be unaffected, there may well be a chunk of middle ability, middling popularity kids for whom the increased social status (making them like school more) and increased teacher attention is enough to tip the balance on a grade or two, and make a few of them stay in education longer etc.

The obvious thing is to look in more detail at which group of students is affected and try to figure out the mechanism. Then schools can try to take that into account. Since the article was on TES, hopefully that's what is happening.

[QuiteQuietly]

Perhaps nutrition/social class? My DC are comparatively tall at their deprived intake primary, but seem more average-height at extra-curriculum activities (different children).

[mrz]

As a teacher the taller members of my class usually (always) have tall parents regardless of social /economic background or month of birth

[DustyMaiden]

I find that due to growth spurts at different times the tallest one minute is the shortest the next.

[NashvilleQueen]

The 'cleverest' girl in my daughters Yr 5 cohort is shorter than DD2 who is in Yr2. She's very petite indeed but is very strong in all subjects.

She's also a January birthday .....

[MumtoBelle]

Could you sum up what it says about race and gender OP?

Are white people smarter than black?

[Geraldthegiraffe]

Children that are nearly 5 starting school on average are.going to be taller than those just turned 4, on average aren't they.

There's nearly a years age difference...q

[Ciutadella]

"Each extra foot in height was associated with staying in school for half a year longer, on average, as well as higher grades."

Seems unlikely that there would be more than one extra foot in height in many cases! (unless you count fractions I suppose - but then why doesn't the survey tell us the effect in inches?)

Still, some correlation/causation might be expected. It is still considered acceptable in some circles (including some mn threads!) to make derogatory remarks about men who aren't particularly tall. So it would not be surprising that there might be a self-confidence effect on (particularly) boys at school, which could affect academic attainment.

[Bambambini]

Thought there was stats on prof athletes, footballers etc with there being more older year kids than the younger year kids being successful. They just have the physical advantage all through school. So get picked more, make the team more.

[BikeRunSki]

There's no correlation between month of birth and height hmm

Yes, of course not in adults, but in the lower years of school, a summer born 5 year old is likely to be taller than an autumn born 4 year old.

[Middleoftheroad]

Poppycock! Mine are the shortest in a year of 90 yet top and 5th in their mock SATS and top tables of top sets. They are also summer born boy twins.

[Chickydoo]

Rubbish
My DS shortest boy in his class, has always been the top of the top sets ( he's a clever clogs, didn't get it from me though)
He is 11, now in secondary & still top. On the other hand my son no 1, is over 6 foot & has always been tall, & is average at school. ( much more like me)

[SarahMused]

It is most likely to be reaching your optimum potential height that makes the difference in intelligence. If you have good nutrition whilst growing you will be the tallest you can potentially grow and your brain will receive the correct nutrients for development as well. A person may be small because their genetics determined it or because their nutrition was poor and this second reason might affect brain development as well.
This is why the two, on average, correlate.

[birdybirdywoofwoof]

I knew there was a reason for my failures

[MissMrsMsXX]

Erm. The research is suggesting that it's true.

I'm sure there are countless examples where it isn't true.

However why is it true? Why do taller children do better?

[Bambambini]

Aren't there stats showing that taller people do better than shorter people overall - in business and getting to higher positions, progress higher in their career etc.

Male actors and gymnasts excepted.

[Crumbs1]

I think there is a research base that demonstrates that throughput life, taller people are advantaged (from a statistical perspective). Individuals will,buck the trend, as ever. There is/was probably an evolutionary advantage to being tall. More affluent have been taller throughout history due to better diets and breeding with other tall people . Tall people can generally command a room better.

[mrz]

"Children that are nearly 5 starting school on average are.going to be taller than those just turned 4, on average aren't they.
^
There's nearly a years age difference...q^"

So the 31st August boy in my class isn't actually almost a foot taller than the September born boys ...optical illusion perhaps

A common occurrence in my experience

[Bambambini]

mrz - is your brain actually telling you that over a sample of a 1000 kids - there might not be a result that shows that in general - kids who are 11 months older - will be taller ,faster and perhaps more socially and emotionally developed than their younger peers?