Effects of Kindergarten Entry Age on Writing Achievement
Graduation Date
Fall 2011
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program Name
Education
Program Director
Lisa Ray Kelly
Abstract
This study examines if the age at which a child enters kindergarten has an effect on his or her writing achievement in kindergarten. The current literature finds a correlation between entry age and academic achievement; however, entry age does affect various groups of students differently. The purpose of this study is to explore if changing the entry age cutoff date to September (making students older when they enter kindergarten) will have an impact on student academic achievement. The kindergarten writing dictation scores and entry age (four or five years old) were compared for three years to determine if entry age effected student achievement. Although there was no overall statistical significance relating entry age to writing scores, there was a statistical difference when the students were disaggregated by gender. The age at which a boy enters kindergarten has a profound effect on his kindergarten writing scores.