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Age of peers and early childhood development
D B Bailey1, M R Burchinal, R A McWilliam
1Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599.
Insights
Children in mixed-age childcare showed different developmental paths than those in same-age groups. While initially scoring higher, these differences in communication, cognitive, and motor skills vanished by age five.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Early Childhood Education
- Child Development Research
Background:
- Childcare settings significantly influence early childhood development.
- Understanding developmental trajectories in different group settings is crucial for educational practices.
- Previous research has explored age-grouping effects, but longitudinal data on specific developmental domains is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the developmental trajectories of children in same-age versus mixed-age childcare environments.
- To analyze growth curves for overall development and specific domains (communication, cognitive, motor, adaptive, personal-social).
- To determine the long-term impact of childcare group composition on child development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 59 children aged 21-67 months, randomly assigned to same-age or mixed-age groups.
- Developmental assessments using the Battelle Developmental Inventory at 6-month intervals.
- Hierarchical linear modeling to analyze individual and group growth curves across five developmental domains.
Main Results:
- Mixed-age and same-age groups exhibited distinct developmental trajectories for communication, cognitive, motor, and overall development (quadratic vs. linear).
- Adaptive and personal-social development trajectories were similar across both group types.
- Mixed-age children initially scored higher but differences diminished by age five, with no significant disparities by then.
Conclusions:
- Childcare group composition impacts specific developmental trajectories, particularly in cognitive and communication skills.
- The initial advantages observed in mixed-age groups are temporary and do not persist into later preschool years.
- Findings suggest that while group dynamics influence early development, children's developmental paths tend to converge by age five.
Abstract:
We examined the developmental trajectories of 59 children between 21 and 67 months of age randomly assigned to same-age or mixed-age child care groups. Children were assessed at 6-month intervals with the Battelle Developmental Inventory. Using a hierarchical linear model for analysis, we computed individual and group growth curves for overall development and development within 5 domains: communication, cognitive, motor, adaptive, and personal-social. Group assignment affected the developmental trajectories for communication, cognitive, motor, and overall development, with mixed-age children showing a quadratic trajectory and same-age children a linear trajectory. For adaptive and personal-social development, however, the trajectories were similar. Across all domains, the mixed-age children tended to score higher than the same-age children at the younger ages, but these average differences decreased over time and had disappeared by age 5 years.