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The average 8th grader height and weight for boys and girls

The average 8th grader height and weight for boys and girls

If you want to know the average 8th grader height and weight for boys and girls, then you’re in the right place. 

You’ll learn how tall 8th graders should be and how much they should weigh as well as how their physical development will progress as they get older. 

See More Height, Weight, and Grade Guides:

What is the average height for an 8th grade boy?

A table showing the average height for an 8th grade boy

What is the average height for an 8th grade boy? Based on American height measurement data, the average height of an 8th grade boy is 5 feet 4 inches.

As I’ve mentioned before, the period between seventh and eighth grade is a crucial period of physical development for boys because they’ll typically gain around 3 inches of height.

This trend continues between grades 8 and 9, a period in which boys will gain another 2.5 to 3 inches of height on average.

Up until grade 8, height is fairly even between males and females. But during 8th grade—when boys become teenagers—they start to grow rapidly and often stand considerably taller than their female peers.

Of course, boys with a later birthday may not start to grow tall until later in the academic year. During this period of puberty, a few months of growing can make a big difference to an 8th grade boy’s height.

What is the average height for an 8th grade girl?

A table displaying the average height for an 8th grade girl

What is the average height for an 8th grade girl? According to US height measurement research, the average height of an 8th grade girl is 5 feet 2 inches.

As with 8th grade boys, the eighth grade is a crucial period of physical development for 8th grade girls. 

Indeed, between grades 8 and 9, the average girl will gain 1 to 2 inches of additional height, which will often result in her final height.

Girls don’t tend to grow as rapidly as boys during 8th grade. However, if a girl has tall parents, then she may still be taller than quite a few or even most of her male peers since boys don’t stop growing for a good few years (4 or 5 years) after 8th grade.

What is the average weight of an 8th grade boy?

A table showing the average weight of an 8th grade boy

What is the average weight of an 8th grade boy? According to body mass data from the CDC, the average weight for an 8th grade boy is 133.2 pounds or 60.42 kilograms.

Since the previous grade, boys will have typically gained around 25 lbs of additional body mass, which is the most significant period of weight gain during a male’s physical development.

Some boys might gain less weight than this if they’re shorter than average or if they have an especially lean physique. 

Naturally, the opposite of this is also true; taller boys will likely gain more weight due to having a large bone structure, which automatically means more space for lean (muscle) mass as well.

What is the average weight of an 8th grade girl?

A table showing the average 8th grader weight for girls

What is the average weight of an 8th grade girl? According to body mass data taken from a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the average weight for an 8th grade girl is 125.8 pounds, which is equal to 57.06 kilograms.

As mentioned earlier in this article, this is the first time during a child’s pubertal development that boys are significantly heavier and taller than girls.

At this age, the average 8th grade boy weighs around 7-8 lbs more than the average 8th grade girl. The year before, the opposite of this was true; girls were around 7-8 lbs heavier than boys.

This weight difference just shows how significant 8th grade is for the physical development of so many children.

Girls will typically gain around 9 lbs between grades 7 and 8 and an additional 11-12 lbs between grades 8 and 9 as they start to attain their adult frame. 

Why are some 8th graders so tall and others so short?

An 8th grade boy getting measured to see how tall he is

Although we’re able to calculate an average 8th grader height for boys and girls, there’s still a lot of variances when it comes to the stature of 8th grade children.

Height, more so than weight or body fat, is a product of genetics. So if an 8th grader has tall parents, then there’s a good chance that they’ll also be tall.

Another overlooked aspect of 8th grader height is a child’s birthday. 

Those who have later birthdays are obviously younger than those with earlier birthdays, meaning that they’re also likely to be a bit shorter, seeing as they’ve had less opportunity for physical development (i.e., fewer months of growing).

While many parents and children are concerned about height, body weight and fitness levels are also important, especially considering that many children and teens are sedentary these days.

Therefore, it’s critical to encourage 8th graders to be active on a daily basis, which is easier to do if you can get them to perform an activity that they enjoy.

Basketball, cycling, and running are often popular among boys, while dancing, cycling, and running are popular among girls. All of these activities can contribute to a healthy weight when performed regularly.

What age is 8th grade in the United States?

What age is 8th grade in the United States? In America, 8th grade is equal to age 13 and 14, depending on when the 8th grader was born.

In the UK, 8th grade works out at year 9, which is a child’s third year of secondary education.

In conclusion: How tall is the average 8th grader?

We know that the average 8th grade boy is around 5 feet 4, while the average 8th grade girl is around 5 feet 2. But there are, of course, plenty of boys and girls who are shorter or taller than this because height is largely genetic.

Ultimately, knowing the average weight and height for 8th graders can help parents, pediatricians, and other healthcare professionals to see if a child is developing at the ideal rate.

Of course, the precise age of the child should be taken into account when assessing their physical development because, as mentioned, a child can grow significantly taller and gain a lot of body mass during a few months of puberty.

References

  1. Eighth Grade – Parents’ Guides – Family Resources | National PTA. www.pta.org. Retrieved from https://www.pta.org/home/family-resources/Parents-Guides-to-Student-Success/eighth-grade
  2. Harrell, J. S., Pearce, P. F., Markland, E. T., Wilson, K., Bradley, C. B., & McMurray, R. G. (2003). Assessing physical activity in adolescents: common activities of children in 6th-8th grades. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners15(4), 170–178. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-7599.2003.tb00259.x