Does Age Maturity Matter? A Study to Determine if Age Maturity Affects the Student's Grade in the Classroom

Overview

Objectives/Goals The purpose was to determine if a first grader's developmental age will affect their percentages on their math and reading tests in their class. If a student has a low developmental age and is struggling to keep up their grades, it might be best to place the student in a more appropriate grade that is specially designed for their developmental age. Methods/Materials Progress began by researching school-age children (the first few years of elementary school) and their age maturity. Then thirty-one first grade students at Bailey Elementary School were tested, using the Gesell School Readiness exam to determine each student's developmental age. All of the students' math and reading test scores were collected to compare with their developmental age. Results 80% of the students that had a high developmental age (6 or 6 ½) also had high math and reading test scores while students with lower age developments had a lower grade than those with a higher age development. (Example: student 20 had the age maturity of a 6 ½ year old, being 6 years and 4 months and had a 100% on both math and reading tests. Student 17 had the age maturity of a 5 ½ year old, being 6 years and 8 months and had an 87% math score and a 44% reading score.) There were a few exceptions though. (Example: student 28 had the age maturity of a 5 ½ year old, being 6 years and 9 months but had a 100% on their math score and a 98% on their reading score. Student 12 had the age maturity of a 6 year old, being 7 years and 11 months and had a 98% on their math score but had a 62% on their reading score.) Conclusions/Discussion For the most part, my hypothesis was correct. The student's developmental age did affect their math and reading grade in their class. 93% of the students are making a 90% or higher on their math test scores and 74% of the students are making a 90% or higher on their reading test scores, showing that, with a few exceptions, most of the first grade students are doing well (90% or higher on their math and reading test scores) considering the difference between their chronological age and their developmental age.

Competition history

• CSEF 2003 Behavioral Sciences · Entry S0322

Resources

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