Setting Entry Age For Kindergarten Triggers Debate

By Laura Miller

Among young children and adults alike, kindergarten talk is often about birthdays.

To children, the topic may be a matter of pride--who is older, who got more presents--but to adults, it is one of serious debate. For years, teachers, early-childhood experts, parents, and legislators have squabbled over the precise age at which children should be eligible to enter kindergarten.

Most recently, the debate has resurfaced in Ohio, where teachers are pressuring the legislature to raise the entrance age to prevent classrooms...