A study at London University's Institute of Education, tracked theprogress of almost 10,000 pupils between the ages of seven and 11.
Researcher Kathryn Duckworth said that the 'predictive power' of mathstest results at the age of seven for disadvantaged children's success atthe age of 11 was striking.
The report said, 'Doing well in maths in the early years is a betterpredictor of later success for children from households with low levelsof parental education than for children from well-educated households,better performance signalling greater probability of success in Englishand particularly maths.'
Ms Duckworth said, 'I checked the children's IQ scores at age eight andfound that they did not provide the explanation.'
She added, 'It is possible that doing well in maths at age seven acts toheighten children's self-confidence and aspirations. It may alsoencourage teachers to offer them more support, which then translatesinto successful performance at age 11.'
