BBC News – Judith Burns
“A delay in starting school for summer-born or premature children may be linked with poor academic performance later on, a study suggests. Some experts believe delayed school entry benefits this group of children. However, the study found children who missed a year of learning often did worse in tests at the age of eight…The researchers say many parents are keen to hold their children back a year if they are born prematurely or in the summer months, believing they are not mature enough. Previous research has backed this view for children who are born more than three weeks before their due date. However, the new analysis found delayed school entry could mean children missed out on learning opportunities “during the critical early years”.”(more)