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Recent studies suggest the problem is in parenting, not biolâ€" ogy. Psychologist Jacquelynne Ecles â€" at the University of Colorado â€" studied over 2,000 students over a sevenâ€"year periâ€" od. She found that girls showed as much math ability as boys in the first grade, yet already girls showed less confidence in math. Why do boys progress more than girls in math and science? Is it biological â€" boys are simply prewired to have more aptitude in science and math â€" or are we parents doing something to hold our girls back? he difference between I boys and girls in math achievement has been a source of controversy for many years. Girls start out doing about as well as boys in elementary school, yet by the eighth grade, boys outperform girls by a wide margin. This has a profound effect on career opportunities and choices later in life, as many girls simply cannot, or will not, compete for jobs in science and mathâ€"related fields. High timé to encourage math sKkills in girls â€"+*" You give us y you can spar ‘ at 828â€"0493 c have an onin s : _ If you‘re between 0â€"9 years of age we care about what you think. We‘re a market research firm and .) i #y we"d. like you to give us your opinion. ou give us your opinion and we‘ll give you money. If you can spare 20 minutes in your day please call us at 828â€"0493 ext. 299. Oh yeah... if your mom and dad have an opinion... we‘ll pay them too! Who says your opinion doesn‘t count? _ It‘s also interesting to comâ€" pare girls with high expectations in math versus girls with low expectations, to see what differâ€" ences could account for it. The girls who had the highest expecâ€" tations in math were the ones who had mothers that expected Where did these poor expectaâ€" tions come from? The most powâ€" erful variable turned out to be the parents estimate of the child‘s ability. No differences were found in the way schools treated boys and girls in the area of math, yet powerful differences were found in the way the parâ€" ents reacted to success in math. For example, when a boy did well in math, it was praised more often and it was attributed to the fact he had natural talents in this area. For girls, however, parents were more apt to praise achieveâ€" ment in reading or English as opposed to math, and success in math was attributed to "hard work" (rather than any natural talent in this area). Girls simply did not expect to do as well at math as boys. In short, most girls are taught by parents that math is harder for them than it is for boys. And our teaching quietly and gradually takes hold over the years, as they become more likely to feel incompetent in math and they give up quicker when the probâ€" lem is hard. strong performance in math, who praised it and did not emphasize language or social development over math, and who attributed her syccess in math to a natural talent in that area. ADVERTISING FEATURE This weekly series highlights some of the best advertised values for food and household items offered by our featured grocery advertisers. We hope it will help you and your family to stretch those allâ€" important food buying dollars. Here are this week‘s best buys: It‘s cobbler time! Fresh, sweet Ontario peaches are featured at AP â€" $3.97 for each 4L basket. Stock up on Cottonelle bathroom tissue, 12â€"roll packâ€" age, $2.97. From the meat department, a combination pack of versatile pork loin chops is $1.87 a pound, $4.12/kg. Tuck your favorite sandwich filling between fresh slices of Dempster‘s Toastmaster White and 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 675g loaf, 99 cents at Fantasy Fruit Market. From the meat UDDFR OAKVILLE SHODDNG CENTDE The ones whose performance suffered the most were the brightest girls in the class, not the average or belowâ€"average girls. Moreover, the effect was just the opposite for the boys; the brightest boys were the ones hampered the least by the initial confusion. This study illustrates how boys expect mastery and success This "learned helplessness" in girls was dramatically shown by a group of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. Fifth grade students were given a test that was purposely designed to be confusing. Experience with this confusing test caused many of the children to perform more poorly on a subsequent test that was not designed to be confusâ€" ing. Save on stirâ€"fry starters at Jackson‘s Barn Value Foods â€" Uncle Ben‘s Converted Rice, large 2kg bag, is $2.99 (limit two). Farm fresh extra large eggs are $1.19 a dozen. Impress your family and friends by serving Louis Kemp Crab Delights, frozen 2278 packages. 99 cents each or four for $3. department, fresh boneless chicken breast is $3.99 a pound, $8.78/kg. For healthy sweet treats, try Product of Ontario fresh white figs, $6.99 a case. The deals are popping up at Food City, where 2L bottles of Pepsi are 99 cents each. The best homemade burgers start with lean ground beef, $1.69 a pound, $3.73/kg. Cool and delicious topped with ripe summer fruit, Sealtest Parlour Ice Cream, 2L container, is $2.88. Only then we will, as a sociâ€" ety, be able to benefit from all our natural resources. A wonderful base for so many recipes, Gallo 100% Pure Olive Oil, 3L jug, is $7.99 at Garrie Chris‘ No Frills. Goldenâ€"delicious ears of corn on the cob, is 12 for $1.77. Team that corn with fresh split chicken breasts, $1.79 a pound, $3.95/kg â€" for an easy, familyâ€" pleasing late summer meal. What does this mean for parâ€" ents? It does not simply mean that we should encourage girls in science and math, though we should. Most of all, however, it means that we, as parents, have to understand and believe that girls have just as much natural talent in the areas of math and science as boys do. PR En o Ei P Frama in Only then will girls have as much freedom in their choice of careers, as much opportunity for happiness in life, as boys do. in math, and they persevere more than girls. The smarter the boy, the more he expects to succeed in math; while the smarter the girl, the less she expects to sucâ€" ceed in math. Watch for more great buys next week in your Sunday Oakville Beaver. Happy shopping! ‘Melba‘ out at Longo‘s Fruit Market where a heaping 4â€"quart basket of Product of Ontario peaches is $3.99. Cut from Canada A grades of beef, juicy boneless top sirloin steaks and roasts are $3.99 a pound, $8.78/kg. Keep your cool with Longo‘s Own Concentrated Lemonades and Iced Tea, 355mL cans are 3 for 99 cents.