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Delaying Kindergarten May Not Be Best, Researchers Say

The increasingly common practice of holding 5-year-olds back from kindergarten for a year is being called into question by education researchers.

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An early reader looks to teacher, Josefina Pineda, in her Pre-K at the Dallas Independent School District elementary school Cesar Chavez Learning Center in Dallas, Texas.
Credit: Robert W. Hart

The increasingly common practice of holding 5-year-olds back from kindergarten for a year is being called into question by education researchers. Many parents hope the tactic will make their children more competitive once they enter school, but experts caution that delaying a child’s schooling has no long-term advantages, with many early benefits fading by middle school. (The Wall Street Journal)

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