At What Age Should Child Enter Kindergarten?

Our son is big for his age and shows signs of being ready for kindergarten but, because of his end-of-August birthday, he will be one of the youngest in his class. We want to give him every advantage in life, but we struggle with the decision of whether to have him start kindergarten this year or to wait another year. Can you provide us with some of the positives and negatives of starting him a year late? - Uncertain
Answer: There is no clear-cut evidence that delaying entrance to kindergarten provides children with a magical academic advantage. While it is true that older children do slightly better in kindergarten and first grade, it is not clear how long this advantage lasts. Some studies show the younger students catching up with their older classmates academically as soon as the end of second grade, while others indicate that being younger is always a disadvantage. The greatest advantage of starting kindergarten later seems to be for boys in the area of reading.
Potential advantages for entering school later also include having better motor and social skills in the early grades. And older adolescents might do better in sports and social situations. On the other hand, some children dislike being among the oldest in their classes and are less challenged by schoolwork as they enter middle school and high school.
Nationally, 9 percent of all young children are now entering kindergarten later; however, in some areas this figure is as high as 64 percent. Many kindergartens are becoming more academic in order to challenge these older students. This can make the kindergarten curriculum inappropriate for younger and less mature children. Also, the younger children in classes are the ones who are more often labeled learning-disabled or are held back.
There is no sure way to determine when a child should enter kindergarten.