The Impact of Age and Gender on Prep Children's Academic Achievements

Abstract

Within the current climate of heightened interest in the education of young children, it is essential that consideration be given to different factors which may impact, either positively or negatively, on the achievement of young learners when their academic progress in literacy and numeracy is considered. The research study reported in this paper aimed to investigate whether age and gender impacted on the academic results of five-and sixyear-old students in Tasmanian state schools. The dual-method study considered the children's development in the area of early literacy and numeracy, at the commencement of their year in Prep (following their previous year in kindergarten). Results for 884 students from the PIPS (Performance Indicators of Primary Schools) testing procedure (mandated by the Tasmanian Department of Education for all children at the start of their year in Prep) were used to inform this study. Quantitative results revealed that children's age had a significant impact on the results they receive in PIPS at the commencement of Prep. Younger children (aged 5.00-5.03 years at the time of the test) within the Prep class cohort were found to be performing at significantly lower levels of academic achievement than their peers who were six to 11 months older in the areas of maths, reading and phonics. Likewise, girls achieved statistically higher results in reading and in the PIPS total scores when compared to the scores of boys. This study provides key evidence that there are children who, because of their age or gender, are achieving lower test scores on PIPS. These children and their literacy and numeracy needs must be more fully understood and acted upon.

Predicting children's mathematical performance in grade one by early numeracy

“…Although age-related effects were rather weak and they do not seem to bear an independent role in explaining differences in later mathematics performance, they nevertheless have some implications in relation to research and educational practices; not only when assessing individual differences in early mathematics skills, but also when considering special educational support, chronological age should be explicitly taken into account (cf. Boardman, 2006;Dowker, 2008;Hojnoski et al, 2009).…”

“…More precisely, a study by Strand (1999) showed that girls performed better than boys at the age of four years (Baseline measurement) and at the age of seven (Key Stage 1 measurement), but that the progress of boys was greater than that of girls between the two measurement points. Similarly, compared to same aged boys, better early numeracy skills have been found in Finnish girls aged 4-7 years (Aunio, Aubrey, Godfrey, Yuejuan, & Liu, 2008;Aunio, Hautamäki, Heiskari, & Van Luit, 2006) and in Australian girls aged 5-6 years (Boardman, 2006). In contrast, Jordan et al (2006) found that kindergarten boys outperformed girls in the overall number sense, nonverbal calculation and estimation skills.…”

“…Boardman, 2006), but is in line with some others (Aubrey & Godfrey, 2003). As there is evidence suggesting differences in the growth rate of children's skill development as a function of gender , and that gender effects may vary as a function of the specific skill assessed and the age of the child (e.g., Goodchild & Grevholm, 2009;Liu, Wilson, & Paek, 2008) and even some psychosocial and cultural factors (Geary, 1994), future studies should focus more precisely on the moderating factors influencing gender differences in the developmental trajectories of specific skills.…”

“…The preschool age is especially interesting as during those years the children's competence seem to transit from biologically primary qualitative skills to more complex and culturally bound, biologically secondary number, counting and arithmetic skills (Geary, 1994(Geary, , 2000. Age is also an educationally relevant factor since the variation in children's chronological age in one kindergarten or first grade classroom can be up to 12 months, and even more in terms of the actual skill level (Boardman, 2006;Dowker, 2008;Hojnoski, Silberglitt, & Floyd, 2009).…”

Early Mathematical Performance in Finnish Kindergarten and Grade One

“…Very young children's mathematical competence is basic by nature, but as children grow up they learn more complex mathematical skills. Age is also an educationally relevant factor since the variation in children's chronological age in one kindergarten or first grade classroom can be up to 12 months, and even more in terms of the actual mathematical skill level (Boardman, 2006;Dowker, 2008;Hojnoski, Silberglitt, & Floyd, 2009). Several studies suggest that girls and boys possess identical primary numerical abilities (Dehaene, 1997).…”