The learning differences between boys and girls are well documented, but researchers have just discovered how they process and memorize words differently. The study, which was published in PLOS ONE, reveals how children process 29 different regular and irregular verbs, Medical Daily reports.

Most researchers agree that the way we use language in our minds involves both storing and real-time composition. Researchers analyzed the answers given by 45 children who were 8 to 12 years old and found differences between girls and boys in how they memorize words and phrases using their mental dictionary.

The children were given two sentences, one featuring the verb included in the sentence and the other second contained a blank. Children were instructed to produce the past-tense form of the verb. For example: “Every day I walk to school. Just like every day, yesterday I _____ to school.”

The girls were far more likely to remember forms like 'walked' while boys relied much more on their mental grammar to compose 'walked' from 'walk' and 'ed'.

Girls were more likely to memorize words and phrases by relying on their mental dictionary, while boys tend to use their mental grammar.

One interesting aside to this is that as girls often outperform boys at school, it could be that the curriculum is put together in a way which benefits the way girls learn. It may be worth further investigation to see if this is the case and if so, is there a way lessons could be changed so boys can get the most out of them too.