Opinion Blog

Ask a Psychologist

Helping Students Thrive Now

Angela Duckworth and other behavioral-science experts offer advice to teachers based on scientific research. Read more from this blog.

Student Well-Being Opinion

What to Watch Out for When Students Have Summer Birthdays

Relative age matters when assessing behavior
By Dr. Anupam B. Jena — July 12, 2023 1 min read
What's something teachers should know about assessing behavior?
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

What’s something teachers should know about assessing behavior?

Teachers see students every day, and their opinion carries a lot of weight with parents—which I know from firsthand experience. When I was a kid, I didn’t always pay attention in class, and my grades showed it. My report cards came home with several C’s scattered among the A’s and B’s, along with comments from my teachers about my lack of focus.

After meetings with my teachers, my parents would talk to me about ways to avoid distraction. One topic that never came up: my July birthday, which meant I was one of the youngest kids in the class.

We often overlook factors such as when a child is born when assessing behavior. It’s not a natural thing to consider when you’re concerned about why a child is chatty in class, easily distracted, and has trouble focusing compared with their classmates. But in a study of nearly half a million American children, my colleagues and I found that the month a child is born has a potentially huge impact when assessing their behavior. Why? We found that young kids with summer birthdays are more likely than fall- or winter-born kids to be diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

In most parts of the United States, age cutoffs for a given grade start in September. Kids with summer birthdays are expected to behave the same way as September-born kids, even though they’re almost a year younger and, not surprisingly, less mature. Some of them will be diagnosed with ADHD because they’re not focusing as well as the other kids, even if all they need is more time to grow. The same problem has also been observed around the world.

What does this mean for teachers and parents? Teachers can note students’ relative age when assessing their school performance. A child who is more easily distracted may just be young for their grade, something a teacher can easily identify and incorporate into their assessment. For parents: If your child has a summer birthday and you’re wondering about an ADHD diagnosis, ask the doctor, “Could it be they just need a bit more time to catch up with their peers?” Working together, doctors, parents, and teachers can make better diagnoses and help all children thrive at school.

The opinions expressed in Ask a Psychologist: Helping Students Thrive Now are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Substitute Teacher Staffing Simplified: 5 Strategies for Success
Struggling to find quality substitute teachers? Join our webinar to learn key strategies to keep your classrooms covered and students learning.
Content provided by Kelly Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI in Education: Empowering Educators to Tap into the Promise and Steer Clear of Peril
Explore the transformative potential of AI in education and learn how to harness its power to improve student outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
English Learners Webinar Family and Community Engagement: Best Practices for English Learners
Strengthening the bond between schools and families is key to the success of English learners. Learn how to enhance family engagement and support student achievement.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being Student Journalists Want to Cover Politics. Not Everyone Agrees They Should
Student journalists are grappling with controversial topics—a lesson in democracy that's becoming increasingly at risk for pushback.
7 min read
Illustration of a paper airplane made from a newspaper.
DigitalVision Vectors
Student Well-Being Opinion 3 Things You Need to Know About Absenteeism
We studied the data from more than 1.5 million students. Here’s are some overlooked insights to boost attendance.
Todd Rogers, Emily Bailard & Mikia Manley
4 min read
Scattered school desks seen from above, some with red x's on them signifying absences.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and iStock/Getty Images
Student Well-Being SEL Has Become Politicized. Schools Are Embracing It Anyway
Eighty-three percent of principals report that their schools use an SEL curriculum or program.
5 min read
Image of positive movement when attending to a student's well-being is a component.
Dmitrii_Guzhanin/iStock/Getty and Laura Baker/Education Week
Student Well-Being Students Don't Want to Talk About Politics, Either
The election is occurring at a time when many schools are discouraged from having tough conversations in class.
6 min read
Viewers gather to watch a debate between Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the Angry Elephant Bar and Grill, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Antonio.
Viewers gather to watch a debate between Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the Angry Elephant Bar and Grill, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Antonio. Researchers say students are more reluctant to talk politics this election cycle.
Eric Gay/AP