Relative age effects (RAEs), where older children within an age-based group have better academic, sporting, self-concept and mental health outcomes than their younger peers, have been demonstrated in multiple countries. Australian research has found self-concept and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder RAEs, but academic RAEs have not been explored. This cross-sectional observational study investigated RAEs among Western Australian year 3, 5, 7 and 9 government school students who took a National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) test in Numeracy, Reading, Spelling, or Grammar and Punctuation in 2017. After adjusting for gender and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, we found that among the 98% of students who were in their recommended school year, younger students were on average significantly outperformed by their older classmates in all tests. RAEs were strongest in year 3, and progressively weakened through years 5, 7 and 9. These results are consistent with international research. They also support the hypothesis that age-related immaturity of relatively young children disadvantages them in academic competition, but this decreases as the age difference becomes a smaller proportion of their lived years. We also examined the performance of the 2% of children who were outside their recommended year. Accelerated students on average significantly outperformed their older classmates. Delayed progress students performed significantly worse than their younger classmates. A likely explanation for this reverse RAE is that accelerated students are often promoted because they are high academic achievers and delayed children are held back because they are performing below expectations.

中文翻译：

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孩子的相对年龄对算术和识字测试结果的影响：2017年西澳公立学校NAPLAN分析

相对年龄效应 (RAE) 已在多个国家/地区得到证明，其中年龄较大的儿童在学业、运动、自我概念和心理健康方面比年轻同龄人更好。澳大利亚研究发现了自我概念和注意力缺陷多动障碍 RAE，但尚未探索学术性 RAE。这项横断面观察性研究调查了西澳大利亚州 3、5、7 和 9 年级公立学校学生的 RAE，这些学生在 2017 年参加了国家评估计划 - 识字和算术 (NAPLAN) 算术、阅读、拼写或语法和标点符号测试。在调整性别、原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民身份后，我们发现在 98% 的学生中，他们推荐的学年，在所有测试中，年龄较小的学生的平均成绩明显优于年长的同学。RAE 在第 3 年最强，并在第 5、7 和 9 年逐渐减弱。这些结果与国际研究一致。他们还支持这样一种假设，即相对年幼的孩子与年龄相关的不成熟使他们在学术竞争中处于不利地位，但随着年龄差异在他们的寿命中所占的比例越来越小，这种情况会减少。我们还检查了 2% 超出推荐年份的儿童的表现。平均而言，加速学生的表现明显优于年长的同学。延迟进步的学生表现明显比他们年轻的同学差。