School Entrance Age- the chronological age a child must be in order to be eligible for kindergarten entrance.  Over the past 25 years there has been a movement toward raising the kindergarten entrance age.

Cut-off Date- the date set by a school district for school entrance. Most states require students to turn five by this date. This date varies from state to state ranging from June 1 to December 31.  California requires children to turn 5 by December 2nd.

Young Student- a term used by educators to describe a child who is younger than other members of his or her class. The child's birthdate is usually close to the cut-off date. For example, a California child born in November is a young student.

Summer Birthdates- a term used to describe children who are born in June, July and August. This term is used in states with a September 1-30 cut-off date. These children are usually the "young students" in the class.

Older Student- a term used by educators to describe a child who is older than other members of his or her class. The child's birthdate is usually soon after the cut-off date.
For example, in California there is a December 2 cut-off date, therefore children born in January are older students.

Delayed Entry- refers to the practice of enrolling children in kindergarten after the eligible age. Also known as holding out or academic redshirting.

Academic Redshirting- a term taken from college sports. Used to describe the practice of delayed entry. The goal of academic redshirting is to give children an academic advantage over their classmates.

Graying of Kindergarten- this term is used to describe the trend of academic redshirting.  In many affluent communities a large of percentage parents have engaged in delayed entry, and therefore a majority of students in the kindergarten class are old for the grade. The "graying of kindergarten" has also led to increased academic demands.

Kindergarten Screening- the process many school districts use when children enter kindergarten. Various measures may be used to screen a child's vision, hearing, speech, motor and cognitive development. Children may be referred for special services if necessary.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)- a method of instruction, that utilizes knowledge of the predictable sequences in which children grow and develop. The method focuses on all domains of development, social, cognitive, emotional and physical. The child's individual temperament, learning style and family background are also taken into account.

Academic Skills-the skills some educators or parents expect children at a certain grade level to learn. For example, some may consider recognition of the alphabet or counting as the academic skills necessary for kindergarten. The academic skills parents and teachers expect from younger children varies greatly from person to person or school to school.

Readiness-this is a term used by many kindergarten teachers, school districts or other early childhood educators. The idea of what constitutes readiness varies greatly from person to person, and is not standardized. The term is frequently used to describe how prepared a child is to enter kindergarten.  There are several different ideas about readiness, which are described in the readiness link on the home page.

Readiness Testing-this is an assessment of skills that children have acquired. The most frequently used readiness test is the Gesell School Readiness Test (GSRT). Some school districts use readiness testing to screen for kindergarten entrance.

Holding Out-a term which has the same meaning as delayed entry or academic redshirting.

Retention-applies to the practice of having a child repeat a grade. Research has shown that kindergarten teachers are more likely to have a younger child repeat the grade than an older child.

Social Skills- used to describe the social and emotional behaviors of children. Parents and teachers often use social skills to describe behaviors such as turn-taking, sharing, getting along with others, and independence. Many kindergarten teachers feel that the development of social skills is as important as the development of academic skills.