The year has just begun, and there are many kids who will blow candles in this first quarter. In my daughter's class, celebrations of children born in December and January are held together: 11 months apart and same academic year.
And it is that the school year in Spain is organized according to the natural year of birth, so that students with different maturation level coexist. This fact, especially remarkable in the stage of Infant and first years of Primary, has been the object of numerous studies throughout the years: How does the month of birth influence the academic stage, in particular, and life, in general?
The elders of the class
Apart from the typical advantages that are usually clearly seen during the first courses of Early Childhood Education (psychomotor level, sphincter control, language acquisition ...), it seems that according to the research carried out, being born at the beginning of the year would be more advantageous for children.
Here are some of the studies that have been done in this regard, and the conclusions obtained about how the fact of being of the elders of his class influences the child.
Higher academic performance and better grades
In 2009, the Ministry of Education published a general evaluation of the education of students in the fourth year of primary school (nine and ten years). Among the many factors analyzed, the month of birth of the students of the same class was also taken into account, and in this respect the results showed a highest performance among students born in the first quarter of the year.
Thus, and according to this study, it seems that children born between January and March are better in the skills of linguistic communication, mathematics and knowledge and interaction with the physical world.
In Babies and more Older children in each class are more successful in their academic and adult stages, according to a recent studySuccess in the academic stage of the first of the year was also reflected in a recent investigation by the National Office of Economic Research in Massachusetts (United States). In this study it was determined that the veterans of the class show substantial differences with respect to the rest of the partners in terms of cognitive development, especially in the school stage between the ages of six and 15.
This would translate, according to the researchers, into best scores on primary and secondary examsIn addition to other future aspects that have nothing to do with academic performance, such as a lower rate of imprisonment for crimes during adolescence, and better work outcomes in adulthood.
Higher chance of becoming elite athletes
There have also been studies that relate the month of birth with the probability of becoming an elite athlete. According to research carried out in 2011 by the Institute of Sports Sciences of the Camilo José Cela University, and expanded in 2013 with new data, it seems that 48% of the players in the Spanish Football League were born in the first quarter of the year.
But the relationship between the month of birth and the probability of becoming a professional athlete does not only stick to football. Other sports such as ice hockey have also been analyzed, and the results obtained, which are very similar, have been published in scientific journals such as ScienceDirect.
More self-confidence and predisposition to teamwork
A recent study published in 2018 by the Queensland University of Technology of Australia, analyzed the influence of the month of birth on long-term behavior of 1,007 participants aged between 24 and 60 years.
The investigation showed that those who had been among the elders of their class in their school years, showed greater self-confidence in adulthood, as well as a greater predisposition to work in teams and to take risks in different areas of life.
In Babies and more Pressured children have less confidence in themselves There are no differences with respect to professional achievements in adulthood
In 2013, several universities in Sweden met to conduct research on Long-term effects which has the fact of being of the largest in the class. The data were obtained by analyzing the academic results up to 16 years and subsequent professional achievements of a sample of the Swedish population born between 1935 and 1955.
As published by other studies just mentioned, this Swedish research also coincided in stating that older students in the class get better academic grades than their peers, although this difference tends to decrease with age.
And, although veteran students are slightly more likely than their peers to enter the University, it does not seem to be a particularly significant fact, nor are the professional achievements in adulthood.
Show higher expectations about your future career
However, and as opposed to the Swedish study, according to another published in 2015 by the University of Chicago, the probability of finishing high school and attending college is significantly higher in veteran students.
In addition, it was found that these students had higher expectations regarding his future career, as well as a higher perceived intelligence. This is due to the confidence in themselves and their aptitudes that they are generating throughout their school stage, after the academic achievements.
The minors of the class
The age difference of the smallest of the class with respect to their older classmates can be up to almost twelve months. Many begin the Infant stage without controlling sphincters, and with a clear psychomotor disadvantage with respect to other children. And it is that a year of difference at such early ages can be very significant when it comes to acquiring new skills and knowledge.
But it is precisely these appreciable differences, which they encourage the little ones of the promotion to try harder and not to be left behind with respect to the rest of children. Let's see, however, what some of the studies that have been done on the youngest students of the promotion say.
In Babies and more, seven keys to foster in your children the value and importance of effortBetter cardiovascular health and stronger bones
Although we have seen, the elders of the class seem to be more likely to be elite athletes, the little ones are not far behind, and according to several studies they are more sports fans than the rest of their teammates.
In Babies and more Those born in October are longer and better athletes, according to numerous studiesThis is mainly due to the fact that enjoy a better cardiovascular condition and muscular strength, due to the exposure to vitamin D that their mothers had during pregnancy, and that contributes to the formation of stronger bones.
This was evidenced by an investigation carried out in 2014 by the British University of Essex, in which the resistance, strength and cardiovascular fitness of almost 9,000 boys and girls between 10 and 16 years old were tested.
In this study it was found that those born between the months of October and November had larger bones and greater muscle mass, which made them significantly better athletes than the rest.
Better mental health
But in addition to physical health, it seems that the little ones in the class also have better mental health, since the chances of suffering from disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorders or dependency, are lower than in those born at the beginning of the year.
In Babies and more Half of mental disorders begin before age 14: keys to prevent and identify these problemsThis was revealed in the largest study on mental health carried out in England, and published in 2014 by the British Journal of Psychiatry, which also revealed that there is a lower propensity for suicide in those born in the last months of the year.
This research coincided with another large study of psychiatric patients in the United States, where it was found that the risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder was significantly lower, that if compared with those individuals born in winter (first months of the year).
They are longer, but they get sicker
And perhaps it is this combination between cardiovascular health, sport and mental health that makes those born at the end of the year are also longer than the rest. This is at least what a study carried out by the University of California and published in the National Academy of Sciences of the United States in 2001 says.
Years later, another scientific study published in the Journal of Aging Research would talk about a longevity that would even exceed 100 years, data that was later corroborated by a German research published on the Springer Link scientific website.
However, it seems that longevity does not exempt those born in the final stretch of the year from getting sick more frequently than the rest, especially with regard to the respiratory system. This was evidenced in 2015 by scientists from the University of Columbia (United States), although they made it clear that lifestyle and diet are more decisive than the month of birth.
Lowest academic performance
And in regards to the academic stage, it seems that the minors in the class show a lowest performance, which would result in a greater probability than the rest of repeating course, and a lower percentage of university access.
In 2010, the British agency Institute for Fiscal Studies published a study that analyzed the academic performance of a group of English students aged seven, 11, 14 and 16. According to the evidence, the smallest students in the class scored lower on the exams than his older companions. In addition, it was also observed that the percentage of access to the university in the age range between 19 and 20 years, was decreasing with the month of birth.
In the same year, but in France, a similar study was published, which also revealed that statistically, difficulties in schooling that the children in the class presented ended up having an impact on their future salary level.
In our country, a similar study was carried out in 2015, where a group of experts from the University of Extremadura analyzed the data of almost 26,000 students from 889 schools in Spain. The investigation showed that children born between the months of November and December have up to 85% more likely to repeat course, than those born at the beginning of the year.
However, in all these studies the authors stressed that the results were not due to the fact that the smallest students in the class had less capacity than their classmates, but to the educational model that groups children by year of birth regardless of the month.
Increased risk of ADHD
And there are several studies that have linked the risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with the month of birth, being higher in the youngest children in the class.
In Babies and more, the smallest children in the class have a higher risk of being diagnosed with ADHDThe most recent study we know of was published in 2017 in The Medical Journal of Australia, and it analyzed the results of children diagnosed with ADHD, emphasizing those born at the end of the Australian academic year. And that's how the experts saw that the smallest of the class had twice the risk of being medicated for ADHD.
This research coincides with other studies previously published in other countries such as the United States or Sweden, where the highest rates of student ADHD are found in those born at the end of the academic year.
Conclusions
Leaving aside academic subjects, according to studies carried out in this regard, the fact of being born at the end of the year would have a positive impact on physical and emotional health, as well as providing greater life expectancy.
But if we focus on the school stage, things change. And being born at the end of the academic year could have negative consequences during the first years of Infant and Primary Education, where the maturational differences between older and younger students in the class are more accused.
As we have seen, these consequences seem to occur in several countries whose educational systems group and serve students according to their year of birth, regardless of the characteristics and peculiarities of being born at the beginning or the end of the course.
For this, and for many other reasons that we have spoken on other occasions, we are many people who believe that the key would be in an individualized teaching, where the potential of each child is stimulated, students are grouped according to their abilities, and teamwork is promoted highlighting the competencies of each of its members, regardless of the month or year of birth.
