Find a Child’s Age Before a Brigance Screen

Every BRIGANCE® screen starts with the same step: work out the child’s exact age on the day of screening. The age decides which screen and which set of items you use, and it is written on the data sheet or record book before scoring. This Brigance age calculator gives you that age in seconds, in years, months and days, with the working shown.

It is useful for early childhood teachers, Head Start and preschool staff, early intervention providers and school psychologists who use Brigance tools from Curriculum Associates.

Unlike a general date tool, this Brigance chronological age calculator is set up for screening: it shows the age in the years;months;days format used on Brigance forms, lets you match the rounding rule in your manual, and handles premature birth. Use it as a quick Brigance calculator on screening days, then copy the result straight to your records.

Which Brigance Screen Fits This Age?

The Brigance Early Childhood Screens III are grouped by age. Use the child’s chronological age on the screening date to choose:

Brigance tool	Typical age group
Infant & Toddler Screen	Birth to 35 months
Early Childhood Screen (3–5 years)	3, 4 and 5 year olds, in age-specific forms
K & 1 Screen	Kindergarten and first grade
Inventory of Early Development (IED III)	Birth to developmental age 7

Age groups can differ between editions, so always confirm them in your current Brigance manual. For other assessments, see our test age ranges chart.

Brigance Age Calculation: Step by Step

A child born on 28 October 2021 is screened on 12 February 2026.

• Days: 12 is smaller than 28, so borrow January (31 days): 12 + 31 = 43, and February becomes month 1.
• Months: 1 is smaller than 10, so borrow a year: 1 + 12 = 13, and 2026 becomes 2025.
• Subtract: 2025 − 2021 = 4 years, 13 − 10 = 3 months, 43 − 28 = 15 days.

The exact age is 4 years, 3 months, 15 days. If your instructions round 15 or more days up, it becomes 4 years, 4 months. Enter the dates above to see the same working in the worksheet.

Should the Age Be Rounded?

Many screening instructions ask for the age to be rounded to the nearest month before choosing items or reading score tables, usually by rounding 15 or more days up. Others use the exact age. Because this changes the months, check the scoring section of your Brigance manual and set the rounding switch in the calculator to match. When in doubt, write the exact age on the record book and note any rounding you applied.

Read more about how different tests handle this in our age rounding rules for testing guide.

Corrected Age for Children Born Early

For infants and toddlers born prematurely, many early childhood screening tools adjust the age for the weeks born early until about age 2. Enter the weeks early in the calculator to get the adjusted age, or use our corrected age calculator to see both ages side by side. Follow your Brigance manual on whether and when to apply the adjustment.

Recording the Age on the Data Sheet

1. Write the screening date and the child’s birth date in year, month, day order.
2. Copy the exact age from the calculator in years, months and days.
3. If your instructions call for it, write the rounded age next to it.
4. Use that age to pick the correct screen form and score tables.

Keep the same date for every part of the screen, including the self-help and social-emotional sections, so all scoring uses one age.

Why Use a Dedicated Age Calculator?

Hand calculation is easy to get wrong when you need to borrow both a month and a year, or when February and leap years are involved. A dedicated chronological age calculator for screening removes that risk and shows each step, so a colleague can check the work. For your other assessments, try the Pearson age calculator alternative, the Super Duper age calculator alternative or our main chronological age calculator.

This is a third-party tool. This site is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Curriculum Associates. BRIGANCE is a registered trademark of its owner, used here only for identification.

Brigance Age Calculator FAQs

How do I calculate a child’s age for a Brigance screen?

Enter the birth date and the screening date in the Brigance age calculator above and copy the result. By hand, subtract the birth date from the screening date in days, months and years, borrowing when a column is too small.

Is there an official Brigance age calculator?

Curriculum Associates provides scoring tools for Brigance users. This page is an independent, free chronological age calculator you can use alongside them to find and check the age.

Do you round the age for Brigance scoring?

Many screening instructions round 15 or more days up to the next month before choosing items or score tables. Check your Brigance manual and set the rounding switch to match.

Which Brigance screen do I use for a 3 year old?

Use the Early Childhood Screen form for 3 year olds. Children up to 35 months use the Infant & Toddler Screen. Confirm the age groups in your edition’s manual.

Should I use corrected age on a Brigance screen?

For infants and toddlers born early, many screening tools use an adjusted age until about age 2. Follow the guidance in your Brigance manual and enter the weeks early in the calculator if needed.

Can I use this Brigance calculator online on a phone or tablet?

Yes. It works in any browser, so you can use it on a tablet during screening days.