In general, children who enter kindergarten are age five or older, or will turn five by October 1st of that school year. Some parents whose child will turn five later in the school year wish to have their child enroll when they are just four years old. The advantages of early entrance into kindergarten include making new friends, learning new things early and getting a head start on the rest of the academic grades. The decision should include assessment of the child's development on various levels.
Many schools offer full-day kindergarten to allow the children more time to learn new things. The advantages of being in kindergarten all day include having a more relaxed atmosphere with lessons that are not hurried, and the ability to provide more variety in lessons for the children. A 1982 review by Thomas Stinard of 10 research studies showed that children in full-day kindergarten often showed an advantage in academic performance up to a year after kindergarten.
Half-day kindergarten is much more common and the school day typically ends around noon. Going to kindergarten for a half day typically has the benefit of being less stressful for the children, who learn the same basic lessons as children who attend a full-day kindergarten. Another advantage is that many children at this age have a short attention span and a half-day program allows them to remain focused during the shorter school hours and then have more time for less structured activities.
During the course of a school year, your five-year-old will learn a variety of lessons that will carry with him throughout the rest of his school years. These include reading and writing basic words; counting by using cubes and other objects in the classroom; basic math skills of adding and subtracting; knowledge of plants and animals, weather and seasons; as well as social skills such as getting along with others and sharing.