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)

First grade entry ages were determined for all learning disabled (LD) children in grades 1 through 12 in a large special education cooperative. The results suggested the possibility that children who enter first grade early may be more likely to be labeled LD than children who enter when they are older. (Author)

The effects of school entrance age on school performance and adjustment were examined by comparing six groups, each representing two months of the year. While there were age group differences in the entry year, there were none in subsequent years. (Author/MT)

A recent paper has demonstrated a relationship between suicide during the teen years and the age, relative to one's classmates, at which these individuals entered school. This represents the latest, and perhaps most important, of a series of studies that have focused on the effects of grouping children by age of entry into particular activities.…

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)

State and district accountability systems are increasingly including retention in grade for young students who do not demonstrate adequate reading achievement levels. This article examines the research on the effectiveness of retention and other responses, including social promotion, and the growing parental practice of "academic redshirting" of…

This descriptive qualitative study offers insight into how mothers decide to delay kindergarten entry. Analyses of interviews reveal that the fifteen mothers in this study could be classified into two groups. One group based the decision on variables associated with their children, usually something problematic. Mothers in the second based the…

The rising trend in the minimum entrance age for kindergarten in the US has been motivated by findings from cross-sectional studies that older entrants have more favorable school outcomes compared to younger entrants. However, these studies fail to account for endogeneity in entrance age resulting from parental choice, leading to biased estimates…

This study examines the degree of correlation between the age of a child on entering kindergarten and the child's academic achievement. A review of literature provides evidence that premature learning may actually create a block to later learning. One study reported that many chronologically young children who had a higher than average I.Q. failed…

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)

Summarizes recent ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) documents and journal articles that discuss issues related to children's age at entry into school. Includes details about ERIC and ordering ERIC documents. (EV)

Presents rates at which first-time students enroll in different types of institutions by age, family income, and dependency status. Also provides students' reasons for enrolling in less-than-4-year institutions. (Author)