How long does it take for a June born child to catch up?

[bromley mum]

I have a June born DC who is starting secondary school in September. 11 Plus exams give consideration to the age of the child. I am wondering how long does it take for June born DC to be at the same level as those born on Sept/Oct?

[SunlampVexesEel]

I was July born... you don't need to worry about the age difference... it is not of any major significance even at 11; and irrelevant from 11+.



Regards
SVE

[Chelmsford mum]

I have an end of June daughter too, hence I tend to notice studies on the subject.I read one once that said that any differences in ability/performance had evened out by age 8 in the vast majority of cases.
In Essex they make no allowances for age in the 11+.

I am sure your DC will be absolutely fine.

[Milla]

Having said that, a teacher did tell me that differences could be apparent into their teens. But am sure it depends very much on the child. Interestingly, what I have taken to be some of the maturest children in my sons' classes have been August girls.

It's the gender difference which interests me, too, since am sure girls can flourish at the expense of boys. Any August boys here??? It's just that the girls can get so BIG so early and the boys look like scampering children in comparison. I suppose around this seemingly arbitrary date of 31 Aug / 1 Sept there's always going to be someone panicking or feeling hard done by. One of my boys is Sept, and at first I thought, oh no, he'll be bored, but for boys, even sussed ones like him, it's good I think. Sorry, August boys. Don't mean to say the wrong thing.

[Chelmsford mum]

But am sure it depends very much on the child.

I think so.I think we all attribute characteristics that are just inherent to things like "summer born" or first born etc.
I would say that in reception my little one seemed younger, but then at that age a year's difference with her peers was a whole quarter of her life.I guess I think that whilst the birthday gap difference is a large proportion of your actual age, ie when kids are very, very young, - it can matter.

I have all girls but several friends with all boys.A couple of years ago (eldest 15 next birthday), when I was dealing with strops, hormones and moods (the kids not me that time ), my friends with boys were having it easy.
Now my eldest had calmed down completey and is a rational human being again and all my friends with boys are having stroopy teens syndrome.It does seem that boys do that a bit later than girls.
I agree that at 11/12 girls look like women and boys look like....well boys!

[Looking for help]

My youngest is a boy with a birthday in May. He is very small, and quite immature compared with his peers. Educationally though, I don't think he has suffered being young as he is very bright, but then he didn't pass the 11+, and I keep wondering that although these tests are supposed to be standardised to take age into account, perhaps his immaturity compared to his older siblings who passed, made him panic or not concentrate so well, resulting in his rubbish score which made no sense to me. At his school though he is streets ahead in the subjects that interest him, not tech or PE and his insight into the whole election process was far superior to his older sister (18 ). In fact I had to hide a smile when he was explaining to her how this hung parliament had come about and who was who in the new government. She is as bright as a button, but has very little interest in anything apart from clothes and makeup

[doodles]

My June baby (yr3) is certainly more than able to hold his own. In fact Yr6 DS is far more childish. Think it depends on the child, gender and also (don't want to be contraversial here) possibly position in family.

For us certainly DS2 has "grown up" and been exposed to "older" things/experiences at an earlier age just because he has a big brother. Being first time parents with DS1 we were much more "age and stage" conscious - as a second child there were older toys and books about the house. He certainly went straight from Thomas the Tank to Power Rangers without the Tweenies in the middle because that was what his brother was into at the time.

[Chelmsford mum]

I agree Doodles and with girls, on whom there is huge pressure to grow up, I have really had to work to protect little one's childhood phase.
The others used to moan when she was watching care bears when they wanted to watch High School Musical! They are beyond the latter now as both are at secondary school but middle DD well meaningly gave 5 year old a "makeover" - yuk! We have a large age gap between first and last and definitely have to watch that 5 year old doesn't mimic nearly 15 year old.
Care bears rule in our house....

[solimum]

This is a subject I have been interested in for a while, as the parent of an August-born DS1 (who was definitely one of the shortest at his Yr 11 Prom!) . There have been some studies to show that the effect of being the youngest in the school year does persist, on average, all the way through, although obviously there will be numerous anecdotal exceptions. This literature review is quite comprehensive:

http://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/c ... ate_d3.pdf

and contains these observations:

" the disadvantage to Summer-borns was greatest when the children were in infant school but became weaker as the children got older."

and

"There is consistent evidence that the birthdate effect becomes less pronounced as children progress through the school system. Nevertheless, it appears that the Summer-born students are still educationally disadvantaged, relative to their Autumn-born peers, at age 18 and even beyond."

If it's any consolation, DS1 is on track for a 1st at a good university (he grew up a lot in his gap year!) so maybe the answer to the OP is 21 years or so.....

[Midget Man]

Midget is a June baby but has alway's been at the top end of academic ability since very early on and it was alway's stated on report's right from Early Years just how well developed his vocabulary and knowledge of the world was. Where he has been slightly different is he was slightly less mature in his way's but this is starting to change now he's yr6, but slowly Oh and he is still by far the smallest in his year, even every single girl is taller than him but I think that's just the way he was made and not age related because all my children are of midget size

DD on the otherhand is a March baby, but as of yet is nowhere near as academic as her older brother, she live's in fairy land as much as she possibly can, has the brain there but just choose's not to use it yet

DS2(5) is also another June baby yet he is even more advanced than Midget was at this stage and is not at all behind children almost a year older even at this young learning age where the age difference/ability are more apparent.

So from this, both my June boy's have performed better academically than my March girl, I think if a child is very intelligent then the age difference doesn't seem to be noticeable.