Reading and naughtiness 'linked'

Researchers say reading and behavioural problems are intertwined

There is a connection between poor reading-readiness and naughtiness in pre-school boys, research suggests.

The link between illiteracy and delinquency in teenagers is well known, but it has not been clear which comes first and when the problem occurs.

Now research on 2,200 twins finds poor behaviour and reading in young boys - though not girls - are intertwined.

Intervention can tackle either area, say academics at Wisconsin-Madison University and King's College London.

The American and UK-based team studied twin children in England and Wales who were born in 1994-95, as part of a wider long-term project.

Poor cognitive skills would predispose a child to become aggressive... Likewise a child who starts school with problem behaviour would be predisposed to poor reading skills Dr Terrie Moffitt

Their readiness for reading was examined just before they started school at age five and their progress was assessed when they were seven.

"Those who had difficulties at age five with readiness to read, such as a small vocabulary and poor verbal skills, became increasingly involved in anti-social behaviour - mainly bullying others, telling lies, stealing," said research co-author Dr Terrie Moffitt.

"Their reading skills had gone down as well. And those who were aggressive when they entered school also fell further behind with reading," said Dr Moffitt.

"So in answer to which is the chicken and which is the egg, it doesn't really matter - poor cognitive skills would predispose a child to become aggressive.

"Likewise a child who starts school with problem behaviour would be predisposed to poor reading skills."

But the study did not identify the same pattern for girls.

The researchers found aggressive behaviour and reading failure was "extremely rare" in girls.

Genetic factors

The researchers examined whether reading and behavioural problems were the result of underlying genetic factors.

"Because the children are twins, we were able to examine genetic vulnerability," said Dr Moffitt.

"To our surprise we found genetics did not explain it. It's an environmental process, such as what goes on in the classroom, and this is important because it can be changed."

The researchers say their findings indicate that academic intervention can have a positive effect on behaviour.

Programmes that target either reading problems or behaviour problems during the pre-school and early primary school years are likely to produce changes in both areas, the research concludes.

The study is published in the American journal Child Development.