Research on the relation of age of admission to kindergarten and later school achievement has yielded inconsistent findings. This study examined the school district records of two cohorts of kindergartners who had been enrolled in the same school district during Fall 1989 and Fall 1990. Records for both cohorts were examined at the completion of…

The practice of delaying students' entrance into kindergarten raises several questions. This literature review asks: (1) How does the entrance age of kindergarten children affect academic achievement?; (2) Do age-eligible older students perform better academically than younger students?; (3) Do year-older or "red-shirted" students have…

Academic redshirting, the practice of postponing a child's entry into kindergarten, is intended to give a child an extra year to become ready for school, an especially important goal given the increasing academic demands of early elementary years. This digest presents information about the incidence of redshirting, and summarizes some of the…

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…

This study tested hypotheses regarding the relation of differences in kindergarten entry and rentention that relate to gender and ethnicity. Hypotheses were: (1) the age at which children enter kindergarten would vary as a function of their gender and ethnicity; (2) children who were held out of kindergarten would be in the younger part of their…

Twenty-one questions parents may ask about kindergarten are answered in this booklet. Generally, the content aims to clarify the purpose and scope of kindergarten. Several questions have to do with entering a child in kindergarten: the required age, necessary information, attendance regulations, length of school day and screening tests. Questions…

Raising the age of eligibility to enter kindergarten has not eliminated variations in children's readiness for school, and parents and teachers have used delayed entry and retention as strategies to accommodate these variations. Information from the 1993 and 1995 National Household Education Survey is used to describe the numbers and…

A consideration of readiness for kindergarten must take into account the kindergarten program and the teacher's expectations of the child. This digest first examines kindergarten teachers' expectations for children's social, behavioral, sensory-motor, cognitive, and language abilities upon entrance to kindergarten. The issue of kindergarten…

Educators commonly recommend that children born during the summer months, especially boys, be given an extra year to mature before entering kindergarten so that they will not suffer from the academic disadvantages of being among the youngest children in a class. Terms such as "academic red-shirting" and "graying of the…

Educators commonly recommend that children born during the summer months, especially boys, be given an extra year to mature before entering kindergarten so that they will not suffer from the academic disadvantages of being among the youngest children in a class. Terms such as "academic red-shirting" and "graying of the…

The early elementary teacher must find a reasonable solution to the question of how to best meet the needs of incoming 5-year-olds. This study reviews recent research on the academic and emotional needs of young students and on existing programs dealing with school readiness. Brief annotations are presented for 54 research articles. These articles…

Assessed the reading and mathematics abilities of kindergartners and first graders in the fall and spring of the school year. Found that younger first graders made as much progress over the year as older first graders and more than older kindergartners. Findings demonstrated that entrance age was not a good predictor of learning or academic risk.…

Presents overview of a position statement from the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education endorsed by the NAEYC Governing Board regarding entry and placement in kindergarten. Identifies questionable educational practices resulting from trend toward demanding more of kindergarten children. Lists…

Provides rationales based on current research for extending the length of kindergarten school day and for lowering entrance age to four years. Considers a variety of environmental and educational factors. A holistic view of these educational changes is suggested so that the long-range impact on the child, the school, and the elementary school…

Presents issues concerning kindergarten, Grade one and Grade two curriculum content, which is now more academically oriented than 30 years ago. Using examples drawn from teaching experience, discusses related issues of school entrance age, the ungraded K-2 classroom, beginning reading instruction, and parent involvement. (NH)