The Effect of Age at School Entry on Reading Achievement Scores Among South Carolina Students

Jones, Molly Morgan; Mandeville, Garrett K.

doi:10.1177/074193259001100209

Cited by 39 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Moreover, investigations that have chronicled age differences in the early grades have often found them to be weaker at older ages (e.g., Jones & Mandeville, 1990;Sweetland & De Simone, 1987) or nonsignificant by the upper elementary grades (e.g., McClelland, Morrison, & Holmes, 2000;Stipek & Byler, 2001). Consider in this regard Jones and Mandeville's work on almost 200,000 South Carolina first, second, third, and sixth graders and Bickel, Zigmond, and Strayhorn's (1991) study of more than 200 Pittsburgh fifth graders: Whereas the former investigation indicated that the difference in performance that favored older relative to younger children on a basic skills assessment declined from first to sixth grade, the latter research showed that the significant difference between older and younger children on math achievement at entry to first grade was not evident amongst fifth graders.…”

Section: Same Grade/different Birthdaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age of Entry to Kindergarten and Children's Academic Achievement and Socioemotional Development

Network¹

2007

Early Education and Development

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Research Findings-Data on more than 900 children participating in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care were analyzed to examine the effect of age of entry to kindergarten on children's functioning in early elementary school. Children's academic achievement and socioemotional development were measured repeatedly from the age of 54 months through 3rd grade. With family background factors and experience in child care in the first 54 months of life controlled, hierarchical linear modeling (growth curve) analysis revealed that children who entered kindergarten at younger ages had higher (estimated) scores in kindergarten on the Woodcock-Johnson (W-J) Letter-Word Recognition subtest but received lower ratings from kindergarten teachers on Language and Literacy and Mathematical Thinking scales. Furthermore, children who entered kindergarten at older ages evinced greater increases over time on 4 W-J subtests (i.e., Letter-Word Recognition, Applied Problems, Memory for Sentences, Picture Vocabulary) and outperformed children who started kindergarten at younger ages on 2 W-J subtests in 3rd grade (i.e., Applied Problems, Picture Vocabulary). Age of entry proved unrelated to socioemotional functioning.Practice-The fact that age-of-entry effects were small in magnitude and dwarfed by other aspects of children's family and child care experiences suggests that age at starting school should not be regarded as a major determinant of children's school achievement, but that it may merit consideration in context with other probably more important factors (e.g., child's behavior and abilities).Perhaps no other issue appears so frequently and dominantly in parents' discussions of school readiness or school districts' readiness policies as that of the age at which children are eligible (or required) to start kindergarten. When parents are surveyed about their children's school readiness and enrollment, one of the most frequent questions noted is whether their child is too young to enroll (e.g., West, Hauske, & Collins, 1993). Kindergarten teachers identify age as a factor that figures prominently in definitions and beliefs about readiness for kindergarten, and age is often used as a post hoc explanation for decisions to retain children in kindergarten (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 1993a).Age of entry to school is also of considerable policy importance (Meisels, 1992(Meisels, ,1999. It is an index society uses as an eligibility or selection mechanism for access to public resources and, consequently, an index that triggers potential benefits of stimulation gained by attendance in school. Given that, within a 12-month year, older children tend to show more advanced developmental skills than younger children, changes in age of entry can have effects on the percentages of children who meet certain academic or skill standards and can boost a district's standing on certain metrics (Vecchiotti, 2001). In short, age of entry to school figures prominently in teacher ...

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Section: Same Grade/different Birthdaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age of Entry to Kindergarten and Children's Academic Achievement and Socioemotional Development

Network¹

2007

Early Education and Development

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“…Breznitz and Tehsch (1989) found that youngest children are at a disadvantage academically and socially when compared to their older peers. Jones and Mandeville (1990) found that although the age at school entry affected achievement, it was a minor factor compared to race, gender or lunch payment status. Cameron and Wilson (1990) found a small age difference on standardized test scores.…”

Section: Gender Studies Related To Reading and Writingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of month of birth and gender on elementary reading and writing fluency scores using curriculum-based measurement.

Hedekar¹

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This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm m aster. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, som e thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer.The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction.In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand com er and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps.Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy.Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order.ProQuest Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 UMI' NOTE TO USERSThis reproduction is the best copy avaiiabie. UMI THE EFFECTS OF MONTH OF BIRTH AND GENDER ON ELEMENTARY READING AND WRITING FLUENCY SCORES USING CURRICULUM BASED MEASUREMENT 1STABSTRACT This study used Cuiriculum Based Measurement data o f students' reading and writing fluency to investigate the relationship between scores on these achievement measures, the gender o f the students, and the month in which the students were bom. The sample consisted o f 2,367 elementary school students randomly selected for a school district norming study. The measurements were collected by learning assistance teachers and support teachers in each elementary school. Successive measurements were taken during October, January, and April of the 1995/96 school year. A core group o f 1849 was utilized for the gender and birtfadate effect study. Scores were atudyzed using a two by tfiree analysis of variance. Gender, month of birth and the dependent variables of reading, and written expression scores were analyzed for each of the seven different grade levels. Repeated measures for October, January and April were compared for trends in reading, and written expression fluency over a school year. A consistent gender effect was found at all grade levels. Male students' mean score in reading, writing and spelling was lower than female students' mean score at every grade level. There was not a significant birthdate effect or a significant interaction between gender and month of birth. The month of a student's birth had no effect on the student's ability to read or write for any grade level.ti Tables V Acknowledgment vi

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“…By sixth grade, the race of students and their participation in the freeand-reduced lunch program is thirteen times more significant an issue compared to students' age at the time of school entry (Jones & Mandeville, 1990).…”

Section: Socioeconomic Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even as the smallest factor, age still has a significant effect on student achievement. Both overage and underage students were in the high risk category for academic failure (Jones & Mandeville, 1990).…”

Section: Birth-date and Retentionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decision-Making Perspectives for Kindergarten Entry

Watkins¹

2013

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Watkins, Kathlene S. M.Ed., Education Department, Cedarville University, 2012. DecisionMaking Perspectives for Kindergarten Entry.This study investigated the factors teachers utilize when recommending parents delay or not delay kindergarten entry for their child. Fourteen preschool and kindergarten teachers representing the demographic areas of rural, urban, suburban, and private schools, were interviewed to gather data concerning school readiness skills, learning differences between genders, kindergarten screening, state standards, and situations for recommended kindergarten delay. Consistently among all demographic groups, teachers are of the same opinion in the following issues: first, children need to be evaluated individually for kindergarten entrance; second, social-emotional growth is the greatest readiness factor; third, academic rigors of kindergarten require attention of parents and teachers in the decision to delay or not delay kindergarten entry; fourth, children with questionable readiness are at an advantage if given an extra year before entrance.

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The Effect of Age at School Entry on Reading Achievement Scores Among South Carolina Students

Cited by 39 publications

References 8 publications

Age of Entry to Kindergarten and Children's Academic Achievement and Socioemotional Development

Age of Entry to Kindergarten and Children's Academic Achievement and Socioemotional Development

The effects of month of birth and gender on elementary reading and writing fluency scores using curriculum-based measurement.

Decision-Making Perspectives for Kindergarten Entry

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