Taller by Fall

How fast kids grow, year by year

Kids' sizes are about 3 inches apart. How long a size lasts comes down to how many inches your kid adds in a year, and that changes a lot with age.

Inches gained each year

Age	Boys' height at the start	Boys gain that year	Girls' height at the start	Girls gain that year
2 to 3	34.0 in	+3.3 in	33.5 in	+3.5 in
3 to 4	37.4 in	+2.9 in	37.0 in	+2.7 in
4 to 5	40.2 in	+2.6 in	39.7 in	+2.7 in
5 to 6	42.9 in	+2.6 in	42.4 in	+2.8 in
6 to 7	45.4 in	+2.5 in	45.2 in	+2.7 in
7 to 8	47.9 in	+2.4 in	47.8 in	+2.4 in
8 to 9	50.3 in	+2.2 in	50.2 in	+2.1 in
9 to 10	52.6 in	+2.0 in	52.3 in	+2.0 in
10 to 11	54.6 in	+1.9 in	54.3 in	+2.4 in
11 to 12	56.5 in	+2.2 in	56.7 in	+2.8 in
12 to 13	58.7 in	+2.8 in	59.5 in	+2.3 in
13 to 14	61.5 in	+3.0 in	61.9 in	+1.3 in
14 to 15	64.5 in	+2.4 in	63.1 in	+0.6 in

Median heights from the CDC 2000 stature-for-age reference. Your kid's own numbers will differ.

What that means for sizes

From 2 to 4, kids add about 3 inches a year. That is one full size every year, and sometimes two.
From 5 to about 9, growth settles at around 2.5 inches a year. A size lasts a little over a year.
The growth spurt comes at about 9 to 13 for girls and 11 to 15 for boys. Three inches or more in a year is common, and the timing varies a lot from kid to kid.
After the spurt, growth slows quickly. Most girls are close to their adult height by 14 or 15, most boys by 16 or 17.

Why the size you buy depends on today's height

Two kids of the same age can be most of a size apart. A kid at the bottom of a size can add 2.5 inches and still be in it. A kid at the top needs the next size within weeks. That is why buying ahead by age goes wrong so often, and why the calculator asks for height.

Work out your kid's sizes

Inches gained each year

What that means for sizes

Why the size you buy depends on today's height

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