Modern America 1914-present |
School Entrance AgeBy Jenny GrimesStudent, University of North Carolina at Pembroke Imagine you are a parent of a child who is just barely old enough to begin kindergarten. You realize that, even though your child would begin attending school as a four year old, he or she will turn five before October sixteenth making him or her eligible to attend public school according to the North Carolina school entrance law. You are now faced with making one of the most important decisions that could affect your child’s school career. Should you send your child simply because he or she meets the age requirement or is there more to consider? The most important thing a parent can give a child is a good start in school. Some parents think that when a child is legally old enough to attend school then it is time to send them. Many parents never consider a child’s physical or mental maturity when deciding whether or not to send a child to school. The following evidence will show that a child entering school when they are developmentally immature tends to struggle more academically and socially than a child who is more mature for their age. I will also address solutions to the problem, such as extra guidance from teachers. However, I feel that a child who is developmentally young will benefit more by delaying school entrance if they are too immature for the rigors of a school setting. A child's chronological age and developmental age differ in that a child's chronological age refers to years. However, according to Harlow G. Unger, a Yale graduate and former journalist, "developmental age relates strictly to a person's maturity as exhibited in his or her normal behavior" (288). He indicates that some children may behave in a way that is developmentally younger than their age while developmentally older children may behave in a manner that is older than their age (288). Many schools rely on the child's developmental age instead of their chronological age for admittance into school, states Unger (288). I chose to conduct a survey by giving a questionnaire to a group of
elementary school teachers to find out what their observations are concerning
the performance of students who are considered developmentally younger
and those who are considered developmentally older. My survey consisted
of twenty elementary school teachers ranging from kindergarten through
fifth grade. All of the teachers work at E. Melvin Honeycutt Elementary
School located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The following chart shows
the names of the teachers in the survey and what grade they teach.
Differences between developmentally younger and developmentally older studentsI addressed several aspects in my survey concerning developmentally younger and developmentally older students. One aspect concerns whether or not teachers felt that significant differences exist between these twe groups of students. According to the research done by May Narahara, the author of The Effects of School Entry Age and Gender on Reading and Math Achievement Scores of Second Grade Students, delaying a child from entering school because he or she is considered young has no significant academic bearing on their ability to succeed (2). However, through my survey I found that all twenty of the teachers surveyed said that there are significant differences between developmentally younger students and developmentally older students, not only academically but socially too. These two groups of children have significant differences in their emotional and social maturity. Several teachers noted that developmentally younger children had more difficulty making the transition between school and home. They tend to cry more easily when left at school for the first time. Some teachers noted that sharing and taking turns with other students is more difficult for the developmentally younger student than for the developmentally older student. They claim that developmentally younger students become upset much easier and are sometimes more withdrawn than the students who are developmentally older. Some teachers also noted that developmentally younger students tend to tell on other students more often than developmentally older students. They also noted that developmentally younger students seem to quarrel more with other students and complain more about unfairness. One teacher noted that the sense of humor of a developmentally younger student is often unappreciated by those students who are developmentally older, sometimes causing the developmentally younger student to be laughed at or teased.Other differences between developmentally younger and developmentally older students affect the academic aspect of learning. According to some of the teachers in the survey, developmentally younger students have a more difficult time following class rules and routines. Some teachers noted that developmentally younger students have more problems with their attention level causing them to have a harder time staying focused on a particular task for a long period of time. Some teachers stated that developmentally younger students also have more difficulty staying in their seats for an extended amount of time. Some teachers claimed that developmentally younger students tend to have poor fine and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills in children involve the ability to control small muscles so as to handle small items and tools. Well-developed fine motor skills are needed for things such as handwriting, tying shoelaces, manipulating buttons, and building with small objects. Gross motor skills involve the larger muscles. A child with well-developed gross motor skills has better coordination and control over their various large muscles, which helps them with balance and physical activities. Both the fine and gross motor skills improve primarily with age and experience. According to some of the teachers in the survey developmentally older children tend to listen and follow directions better than developmentally younger children, allowing them to be more capable of working independently or in groups. Also, developmentally older students tend to be more organized than the developmentally younger student. According to the survey, some teachers felt that developmentally younger students have a more difficult time adapting their behavior when changing from one exercise to another. Some teachers observed that developmentally older children display more confidence in themselves and maturity than those who are developmentally younger. Therefore, developmentally older students tend to be more responsible when it comes to finishing assignments on time, using time wisely, working well with other students, and becoming an independent worker. The gender aspectAnother thing to consider is the gender of the child when trying to decide whether or not to send your young child to school. Research shows that girls tend to mature earlier than boys do. According to May Narahara, girls scored higher than boys on both the standardized math and reading achievement tests that were given to a group of twenty-four second grade students (4). I was able to obtain the retention record for the 1998-1999 school year at E. Melvin Honeycutt Elementary. Although twenty-nine students were on the list, I excluded one because that child has been identified with a learning disability. However, out of the twenty-eight students included in the retention report, only eight were girls, suggesting that girls stand a better chance at being promoted to the next grade than boys do.
More teacher guidance needed for the developmentally younger studentsAnother aspect of the survey was concerned with the possible requirement of extra attention that developmentally younger students may need. Some teachers felt that developmentally younger students need more individual attention to help keep them focused on a task. Also, developmentally younger students must be reminded more to stay on task so they complete their work on time. Some teachers noted that developmentally younger students benefit more by working in small groups. However, some teachers noted that these students get side-tracked easier and must be brought back into group activities more often than developmentally older students. Therefore, they require more assistance during group activities as well as individual activities. Some teachers stated that developmentally younger students require more one-on-one time with the teacher or teacher assistant so they can receive extra help with understanding what is required and to stay focused on the assignment. Some teachers claim that peer tutoring is beneficial for those students who are developmentally younger. Some teachers noted that developmentally younger students require more work on developing their fine and gross motor skills. Some teachers find that they must repeat directions more often for the students who are developmentally younger and that they can only retain one to two directions at a time without forgetting them or mixing them up.Solutions to the problemAnother concern addressed by the survey focused on how developmentally younger students could overcome the differences that exist between the two groups of students. Although some teachers feel that positive support and nurturing from home and school may help a developmentally younger student overcome the differences between him or her and the developmentally older student, they felt that some developmentally younger students might never overcome these differences. Some teachers felt that multi-age classes greatly benefit children who are developmentally younger. A multi-age class consists of children who are in different grades, such as some who are in kindergarten and some who are in first grade. The multi-age class is geared to handle children at different developmental levels. Some teachers feel that some type of screening before a child enters public school would be beneficial in determining whether or not a child is developmentally ready to begin school. There are two basic types of tests given to pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children, the developmental screening tests and the school readiness tests. According to Meisels, Steele, and Quinn-Leering, a child’s possible need for special education classes are revealed through the developmental screening tests while a child’s readiness for an academic curriculum is evaluated through a readiness test (287). They state that a child’s capability to gain skills will be echoed in the developmental screening test (287). They also feel that a child’s present abilities are revealed through the readiness tests (287). North Carolina does not require mandatory testing for children upon entrance into public school. However, some states do require testing before a child is allowed to enter school. Some teachers felt that a quality pre-school would greatly benefit a child who is developmentally immature. Some teachers expressed a desire to have the North Carolina entrance date moved back from October to January so all children would be at least five years old when they started school. Many teachers believe that one way to help a child overcome the differences between developmentally younger students and developmentally older students is “the gift of time”, which refers to allowing a child the time they need to become developmentally mature before entering school, for children develop at their own rate and cannot be hurried. Thus, a child with a late birthday should be given screening tests that would determine the child’s potential for learning and exhibit what they already know. Children who perform poorly on these screening tests would greatly benefit by waiting an extra year before entering public school, especially if they attended a quality pre-school during that year or a special program developed to help children who are developmentally immature.Survey resultFinally, twelve out of twenty of the teachers surveyed felt that a child who is developmentally immature would benefit significantly by waiting an extra year before entering public school, especially if the child spends that year in a quality pre-school or a quality play group for those children who have a stay-at-home parent. Only four out of the twenty felt a child should start once he or she reaches the legal entrance age for public school, while four of the teachers surveyed remained undecided. I noticed that out of the eleven teachers surveyed who teach in the grades kindergarten through third, nine out of eleven teachers felt that a developmentally younger child would benefit significantly by delaying school entrance an extra year.ConclusionThe most valuable assets we have are our children and, as parents, we have an obligation to provide them with the best start in school. Children have less difficulty when they start school at a time when they are developmentally mature enough to handle the rigors and responsibilities they face in school. We must take the whole of the child into consideration when deciding whether or not to send our children to school, not just the fact that they are legally old enough to enter into the public school system. A child who is developmentally young can greatly benefit by having the opportunity to mature both socially and academically before entering into school. We as parents must choose wisely for the choice is ours to make.BibliographyMeisels, Samuel J., Dorothy M. Steele, and Kathleen Quinn-Leering. "Testing, Tracking, and Retaining Young Children: An Analysis of Research and Social Policy." Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children. Ed. Bernard Spodek. New York: Macmillan, 1993. 282-289.Narahara, May. The Effects of School Entry Age and Gender on Reading and Math Achievement Scores of Second Grade Students. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 1998. Unger, Harlow G. "Developmental Age." Encyclopedia of American Education. 1996 ed. |