The association of age and early literacy outcomes

The abstract for the article “The association of age and early literacy outcomes” investigates whether age at kindergarten entry is linked to early literacy achievement gaps and the persistence of these gaps over time. The researchers formed two groups of students from high-poverty, low-performing schools: the oldest and youngest children based on the kindergarten age eligibility cutoff date. They tracked 405 students from the start of kindergarten through the end of Grade 2. The findings indicated that the youngest students initially scored lower than their older peers on various early literacy measures at the beginning of kindergarten. Although this early-age achievement gap narrowed over time, it did not completely close by the end of Grade 2. The abstract concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for parents and educators.

Journal of Educational Research, 105, 431-441