Analysis of birth dates and school entry ages of 188 gifted children (grades five through eight) revealed that over 60 percent of the Ss were late entering school. Results supported earlier studies in which a large percentage of learning disabled children were found to be early entering. (CL)

Any given child should attend school full time when three parties agree that the time is right: the child, his or her parents, and the school officials. Arbitrary starting dates based on calendar age are outmoded and educationally unsound. (PGD)

G. Gredler defends his use of the cumulative retention rate to address the question of school readiness. (CL)

In the United States, a psychometric psychology dominates the thinking of educators. For traditional, political, and social reasons, developmental psychology rarely informs educational practices. This is the case even though studies show that the inducing of cognitive learning before a child is ready will reduce the child's learning potential and…

Discusses early entrance to kindergarten on the basis of whether a child's success in school can be reasonably predicted. Provides an early entrance procedure. (FL)

Discusses implications of the possibility that the state of New York will recommend that compulsory education for children begin at age four and that one year be taken off the top year of high school. Ways early childhood professionals might respond to the issue are indicated. (RH)

The author refutes the findings of a study (EC 124 401) indicating a birthdate effect on readiness level and suggests that school psychologists and others should stop blaming chronological age for reading failure. (CL)

There is a great deal of concern on the part of not only educators, but also politicians, counselors, psychologists, researchers, members of boards of education, and parents, regarding current issues concerning kindergarten education. Central to these issues is the push for academics. With this push has come standardized testing, workbooks, and a…

Contends that arguments for raising the age of entry to school in Australia are not supported by the research evidence and are contrary to trends overseas, where the movement is towards extending early childhood programs rather than raising the age of entry to school. (Author/MP)

The authors, while supporting the view expressed in EC 124 402 that decisions on school readiness should not be determined by birthdate, express concern over statistics used in the study. (CL)

Addresses the origins of the American school readiness myth, arguing that Americans are far too preoccupied with readiness. Concludes that early childhood professionals need to address and demystify this myth by defining early childhood education in the content-oriented context of what young children should know and be able to do. (SD)

In contrast to a common set of roles or definitions, it is a common sense of mission that unifies practitioners in the field of early childhood education. Successful missions in time become transformed into organizational sagas that capture the allegiance and commitment of a group. Early childhood educators can increase their commitment to the…

All children should be started in school, and subsequently promoted, on basis of their behavior age rather than on basis of their age in years. Research data support this idea, and some schools that have adopted it as policy find that they can reduce failure by 50 percent. A child's school readiness can be tested with a behavior examination. (KH)

This article analyzes why schools fail to provide for early admission of intellectually advanced children. Reasons cited include misinterpretation of research findings, bias of school personnel, expense of screening, convenience of administering a uniform entrance age procedure, etc. Benefits accruing from early admission are discussed. (JDD)

The National Education Association prepared this booklet on school entrance age because the association feels that the issue of a national cutoff date for entrance to kindergarten is perhaps the least controversial, most popular, and easiest educational reform issue to promote. The first part of the booklet: (1) provides information that supports…