Getting Ready for School--How Old Will Your Child Be?

When Monday, September 1, 2008, rolls around, your child (whether entering kindergarten or fifth grade) will be a certain age, and every other child in the classroom will be a different age. In fact, the chronological age span in the classroom will range over a year or more, and the children's level of cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development will vary greatly. With that thought in mind, you can see why "How old will your child be?" is a good question to ask at this time of year.

How can teachers respond to developmental differences?
Another good question! How do teachers meet differing needs and differentiate instruction for all the children in their charge--while making sure all children meet grade-level expectations? As each school year begins, skillful teachers analyze their classes to discover the children's academic range. They also assess the range of chronological ages and the clustering of groups of children at certain ages.

Using the information they gather, teachers can think about normative developmental expectations for their grade level and, most importantly, for the age-clusters of the children they'll be teaching. They can then match these expectations to children's academic and social capabilities at the start of the year, rechecking as the children change throughout the year.

Give it a try!
To get a clear idea of this process and its usefulness for you as parent or teacher, consult my book, Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom, Ages 4-14. First, read the age and grade level expectations that pertain to your child or to the grade you'll be teaching. Then read Appendix A, "The Birthday Cluster Exercise," on pages 195-199. 

I hope this information will help you think about the upcoming school year for your child or the children you're about to teach. As you reflect on your learning, remember that each year, children express their unique personalities through fairly predictable patterns of development. Knowing some of these patterns can be comforting and helpful in our roles as parents and teachers.