Delayed enrollment

While most children begin kindergarten at age 5, states and local school districts have different requirements for age of required enrollment and the cutoff date for the youngest students. Families sometimes consider delaying enrollment for a child who has a birthday near the cutoff date or because they think the child needs more time to mature.

Research suggests that delaying doesn't result in notable differences in academic skills within the first couple of years of school. Also, allowing more time may not necessarily result in more readiness without interventions to address developmental concerns.

Research has also shown that children who are older than their classmates may have increased risk of social or behavioral challenges during adolescence.