Going from being able to nap or play whenever you want to a structured, full-day school day can be like an educational shock for a child. She recommends at least two days of half-day preschool for children a year away from starting kindergarten. From soup to nuts, they are expected to know certain things when they walk in the door. It's like they need to hit the ground running, not learn it once they get in. For example, although the children from her Head Start classes have until the last of December to turn 5 for kindergarten, Bodison says they are still expected to know their first and last names, their parents' names and their address for starters.
Some districts even test children before or shortly after the school year has started.
Sanders says that in her district, all kindergartners are evaluated by the school nurse using the Press Test which screens a child's physical development, alphabet recognition and his or her knowledge of body parts, colors and shapes. Some children are just late bloomers, whether they were born in September or January. That's exactly why I don't buy the theory of birth date solely deciding if a child is ready or not. Age, like alphabet recognition, is only one indicator. There are so many more.