What Makes a Lonely Child?
A major new study has scanned the brains of nearly 10,000 children and tracked them for three years. Its findings reveal which children are most at risk of loneliness, and what can be done to prevent it.
Issue 1
The Persistent Labels of the Classroom: How School Streaming Shapes a Child’s Primary Years
New research reveals the hidden cost of school streaming: an "emotional legacy" that can shape a child's self-belief for years. We unpack why "fluid" groups often become fixed labels and provide the essential, evidence-backed questions you need to ask to keep your child’s potential open.
6 min read
Throughout the primary school years, a common practice takes place that is deeply felt by children.
This is "ability grouping" - separating children into different sets for subjects like reading or mathematics. While these arrangements are intended to help teachers manage different learning speeds, research from the past five years suggests these groupings act as a powerful social force, influencing how children view themselves and their peers.
At The Inquisitive Parent, we believe that understanding these school structures allows you to be an even more effective partner in your child's education. In previous generations, school streaming was often a silent part of the background, something parents and children simply accepted. Today, however, we have the benefit of psychological data that helps us see the long-term impact of these early classifications across the entire primary journey.
The Science of "Why He Is in the Top Group"
A new landmark study published this year in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology titled Children’s reasoning about ability differences offers a first clear view into the minds of children aged 6 to 11. The researchers, led by Melis Muradoglu, investigated how children explain the differences between those in "high-ability" groups and those in "low-ability" groups.
Read the full story
Join The Inquisitive Parent, the magazine for parents seeking reliable, objective evidence to navigate the modern world with confidence.
See the Evidence
Already have an account?
Sign in
Read next
What Makes a Lonely Child?
A major new study has scanned the brains of nearly 10,000 children and tracked them for three years. Its findings reveal which children are most at risk of loneliness, and what can be done to prevent it.
How Supplements Can Boost Your Child’s Brain
Fish oil reducing aggression. Vitamins outperforming psychiatric medication. The clinical research on whether supplements can benefit children's brains is more rigorous, surprising and revealing than you may think.
Your Child Has a Digital File. You Built It - and You Can’t Take It Back
You almost certainly posted a photograph of your child online this year. This article explains exactly why that unremarkable act is part of a larger problem now causing documented psychological harm to children and being exploited at industrial scale by AI systems.
Turning Off the Screen Isn't Enough
New research from Estonia has quietly dismantled one of the most confident pieces of parenting advice of the past decade. Reducing your child's screen time matters - but what you replace it with matters far more.