The Persistence of Early Childhood Maturity: International Evidence of Long-Run Age Effects*

The relationship between school-entry age and academic achievement in Lebanon. (c2011)

“…The same factors that may cause parents to delay or accelerate school entry of a child, such as perceived low ability or poor concentration, may influence the child's performance in school (Datar, 2003;Bedard & Dhuey, 2006;Gredler, 1980). This study does not attempt to find possible causal effects of age on academic performance; rather, the study evaluates the general correlation between age and achievement.…”

“…The age of starting school is an important issue because it is likely to affect children's adjustment and success in school (Bedard & Dhuey, 2006;Byrd, Weitzman, & Auinger, 1997;Lincove & Painter, 2006). The timing of school entry also influences other aspects of children's lives.…”

“…Sending children to school early cuts down on the amount of time they spend with their mother and diminishes the mother's contribution to their development (Datar, 2003). SEA may also affect how well they perform in school (Bedard & Dhuey, 2006;Bickel, Zigmond, and Strayhorn, 1991;Bigelow, 1934;Boardman, 2006;Breznitz & Teltsch, 1989;Crosser, 1991;Datar, 2003Datar, , 2006Davis, Trimble, & Vincent, 1980;Dickinson & Larson, 1963;DiPasquale, Moule, & Flewelling, 1980;Uphoff & Gilmore, 1985;Verachtert, Fraine, Onghena, & Ghesquiere, 2010) and may influence how much schooling they receive, i.e., their academic attainment (Angrist & Krueger, 1992;Dobkin & Ferreira, 2010;Pagani, Fitzpatrick, Archambault, & Janosz 2010). In addition, SEA determines the age at which children finish school and eventually enter the labor force, therefore affecting their cumulative life-time contribution to the economy before retirement (Deming & Dynarski, 2008;Hámori, 2007).…”

“…Researchers often refer to the age of the child in relation to other children in the same class as relative age (Aliprantis, 2010;Bedard & Dhuey, 2006;Deming & Dynarski, 2008;Dhuey & Lipscomb, 2008Dobkin & Ferreira, 2010;Elder & Lubotsky, 2009;Evans-Becker, 2003;Graue & DiPerna, 2000;Kern & Friedman, 2009;Puhani & Weber, 2007;Stipek, 2002;Weil, 2007;Yesil-Dagli, 2006;Zill, Loomis, & West, 1997). Large differences between the ages of same-grade students arise in countries and school districts that have a single annual intake window.…”

“…Children younger than the required age when school starts have to await the following school year to enroll. Consequently, the season and month of birth determine the relative age of individual students with the oldest students having mid-fall birthdays and youngest students having late-summer birthdays (Bedard & Dhuey, 2006). The month of birth accounts for up to one year difference in age between students in the same class.…”