Delaying Kindergarten

Is it beneficial to delay the age at which children begin kindergarten? New research finds that kids who enter at age 6 instead of age 5 — especially kids from disadvantaged families — do significantly better on standardized tests and learn more from schooling. But delaying entry also leads to substantial additional childcare costs — especially for poor families. These findings argue that policymakers may need to view entrance age policies as a package — one that considers both cognitive and noncognitive consequences.