The correlation between reading and mathematics ability at age twelve has a substantial genetic component

Oliver S P Davis; Gavin Band; Matti Pirinen; Claire M A Haworth; Emma L Meaburn; Yulia Kovas; Nicole Harlaar; Sophia J Docherty; Ken B Hanscombe; Maciej Trzaskowski; Charles J C Curtis; Amy Strange; Colin Freeman; Céline Bellenguez; Zhan Su; Damjan Vukcevic; Cordelia Langford; Panos Deloukas; Sarah Hunt; Emma Gray; Serge Dronov; Simon C Potter; Avazeh Tashakkori-Ghanbaria; Sarah Edkins; Suzannah J Bumpstead; Jenefer M Blackwell; Elvira Bramon; Matthew A Brown; Juan P Casas; Aiden Corvin; Audrey Duncanson; Janusz A Z Jankowski; Hugh S Markus; Christopher G Mathew; Colin N A Palmer; Anna Rautanen; Stephen J Sawcer; Richard C Trembath; Ananth C Viswanathan; Nicholas W Wood; Ines Barroso; Leena Peltonen; Philip S Dale; Stephen A Petrill; Leonard S Schalkwyk; Ian W Craig; Cathryn M Lewis; Thomas S Price; Robert Plomin; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium

doi:10.1038/ncomms5204

The correlation between reading and mathematics ability at age twelve has a substantial genetic component

Oliver S P Davis, Gavin Band, Matti Pirinen, Claire M A Haworth, Emma L Meaburn, Yulia Kovas, Nicole Harlaar, Sophia J Docherty, Ken B Hanscombe, Maciej Trzaskowski, Charles J C Curtis, Amy Strange, Colin Freeman, Céline Bellenguez, Zhan Su, Damjan Vukcevic, Cordelia Langford, Panos Deloukas, Sarah Hunt, Emma GraySerge Dronov, Simon C Potter, Avazeh Tashakkori-Ghanbaria, Sarah Edkins, Suzannah J Bumpstead, Jenefer M Blackwell, Elvira Bramon, Matthew A Brown, Juan P Casas, Aiden Corvin, Audrey Duncanson, Janusz A Z Jankowski, Hugh S Markus, Christopher G Mathew, Colin N A Palmer, Anna Rautanen, Stephen J Sawcer, Richard C Trembath, Ananth C Viswanathan, Nicholas W Wood, Ines Barroso, Leena Peltonen, Philip S Dale, Stephen A Petrill, Leonard S Schalkwyk, Ian W Craig, Cathryn M Lewis, Thomas S Price, Robert Plomin, Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium

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Abstract

Dissecting how genetic and environmental influences impact on learning is helpful for maximizing numeracy and literacy. Here we show, using twin and genome-wide analysis, that there is a substantial genetic component to children's ability in reading and mathematics, and estimate that around one half of the observed correlation in these traits is due to shared genetic effects (so-called Generalist Genes). Thus, our results highlight the potential role of the learning environment in contributing to differences in a child's cognitive abilities at age twelve.

Original language	English
Article number	4204
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5204
Publication status	Published - 8 Jul 2014

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Davis, O. S. P., Band, G., Pirinen, M., Haworth, C. M. A., Meaburn, E. L., Kovas, Y., Harlaar, N., Docherty, S. J., Hanscombe, K. B., Trzaskowski, M., Curtis, C. J. C., Strange, A., Freeman, C., Bellenguez, C., Su, Z., Vukcevic, D., Langford, C., Deloukas, P., Hunt, S., ... Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (2014). The correlation between reading and mathematics ability at age twelve has a substantial genetic component. Nature Communications, 5, Article 4204. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5204

@article{44f84db61dbe4daab2e86fe9a93424f5,

title = "The correlation between reading and mathematics ability at age twelve has a substantial genetic component",

abstract = "Dissecting how genetic and environmental influences impact on learning is helpful for maximizing numeracy and literacy. Here we show, using twin and genome-wide analysis, that there is a substantial genetic component to children's ability in reading and mathematics, and estimate that around one half of the observed correlation in these traits is due to shared genetic effects (so-called Generalist Genes). Thus, our results highlight the potential role of the learning environment in contributing to differences in a child's cognitive abilities at age twelve.",

author = "Davis, {Oliver S P} and Gavin Band and Matti Pirinen and Haworth, {Claire M A} and Meaburn, {Emma L} and Yulia Kovas and Nicole Harlaar and Docherty, {Sophia J} and Hanscombe, {Ken B} and Maciej Trzaskowski and Curtis, {Charles J C} and Amy Strange and Colin Freeman and C{\'e}line Bellenguez and Zhan Su and Damjan Vukcevic and Cordelia Langford and Panos Deloukas and Sarah Hunt and Emma Gray and Serge Dronov and Potter, {Simon C} and Avazeh Tashakkori-Ghanbaria and Sarah Edkins and Bumpstead, {Suzannah J} and Blackwell, {Jenefer M} and Elvira Bramon and Brown, {Matthew A} and Casas, {Juan P} and Aiden Corvin and Audrey Duncanson and Jankowski, {Janusz A Z} and Markus, {Hugh S} and Mathew, {Christopher G} and Palmer, {Colin N A} and Anna Rautanen and Sawcer, {Stephen J} and Trembath, {Richard C} and Viswanathan, {Ananth C} and Wood, {Nicholas W} and Ines Barroso and Leena Peltonen and Dale, {Philip S} and Petrill, {Stephen A} and Schalkwyk, {Leonard S} and Craig, {Ian W} and Lewis, {Cathryn M} and Price, {Thomas S} and Robert Plomin and {Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium}",

year = "2014",

month = jul,

day = "8",

doi = "10.1038/ncomms5204",

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Davis, OSP, Band, G, Pirinen, M, Haworth, CMA, Meaburn, EL, Kovas, Y, Harlaar, N, Docherty, SJ, Hanscombe, KB, Trzaskowski, M , Curtis, CJC, Strange, A, Freeman, C, Bellenguez, C, Su, Z, Vukcevic, D, Langford, C, Deloukas, P, Hunt, S, Gray, E, Dronov, S, Potter, SC, Tashakkori-Ghanbaria, A, Edkins, S, Bumpstead, SJ, Blackwell, JM, Bramon, E, Brown, MA, Casas, JP, Corvin, A, Duncanson, A, Jankowski, JAZ, Markus, HS, Mathew, CG, Palmer, CNA, Rautanen, A, Sawcer, SJ, Trembath, RC, Viswanathan, AC, Wood, NW, Barroso, I, Peltonen, L, Dale, PS, Petrill, SA, Schalkwyk, LS , Craig, IW , Lewis, CM, Price, TS, Plomin, R & Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2014, 'The correlation between reading and mathematics ability at age twelve has a substantial genetic component', Nature Communications, vol. 5, 4204. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5204

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AU - Davis, Oliver S P

AU - Band, Gavin

AU - Pirinen, Matti

AU - Haworth, Claire M A

AU - Meaburn, Emma L

AU - Kovas, Yulia

AU - Harlaar, Nicole

AU - Docherty, Sophia J

AU - Hanscombe, Ken B

AU - Trzaskowski, Maciej

AU - Curtis, Charles J C

AU - Strange, Amy

AU - Freeman, Colin

AU - Bellenguez, Céline

AU - Su, Zhan

AU - Vukcevic, Damjan

AU - Langford, Cordelia

AU - Deloukas, Panos

AU - Hunt, Sarah

AU - Gray, Emma

AU - Dronov, Serge

AU - Potter, Simon C

AU - Tashakkori-Ghanbaria, Avazeh

AU - Edkins, Sarah

AU - Bumpstead, Suzannah J

AU - Blackwell, Jenefer M

AU - Bramon, Elvira

AU - Brown, Matthew A

AU - Casas, Juan P

AU - Corvin, Aiden

AU - Duncanson, Audrey

AU - Jankowski, Janusz A Z

AU - Markus, Hugh S

AU - Mathew, Christopher G

AU - Palmer, Colin N A

AU - Rautanen, Anna

AU - Sawcer, Stephen J

AU - Trembath, Richard C

AU - Viswanathan, Ananth C

AU - Wood, Nicholas W

AU - Barroso, Ines

AU - Peltonen, Leena

AU - Dale, Philip S

AU - Petrill, Stephen A

AU - Schalkwyk, Leonard S

AU - Craig, Ian W

AU - Lewis, Cathryn M

AU - Price, Thomas S

AU - Plomin, Robert

AU - Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium

PY - 2014/7/8

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N2 - Dissecting how genetic and environmental influences impact on learning is helpful for maximizing numeracy and literacy. Here we show, using twin and genome-wide analysis, that there is a substantial genetic component to children's ability in reading and mathematics, and estimate that around one half of the observed correlation in these traits is due to shared genetic effects (so-called Generalist Genes). Thus, our results highlight the potential role of the learning environment in contributing to differences in a child's cognitive abilities at age twelve.

AB - Dissecting how genetic and environmental influences impact on learning is helpful for maximizing numeracy and literacy. Here we show, using twin and genome-wide analysis, that there is a substantial genetic component to children's ability in reading and mathematics, and estimate that around one half of the observed correlation in these traits is due to shared genetic effects (so-called Generalist Genes). Thus, our results highlight the potential role of the learning environment in contributing to differences in a child's cognitive abilities at age twelve.

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms5204

DO - 10.1038/ncomms5204

M3 - Article

C2 - 25003214

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 5

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 4204

ER -

The correlation between reading and mathematics ability at age twelve has a substantial genetic component

Abstract

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