What is junior kindergarten?

While implementation will vary from school to school, junior kindergarten is a way to address the needs of children whose fifth birthday is after Aug. 1.

Why was it created?

Next school year, entering kindergartners must turn 5 by Aug. 1, rather than the current cutoff date of Dec. 31. However, those who turn 5 between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31 can still enroll in kindergarten, but will receive targeted instruction as needed and will be able to move into regular kindergarten or first grade the following year with no stigma of "retention" attached.

How many children will this affect?

About 14,000 children enter kindergarten every year. With the Aug. 1 cutoff date, more than one-third of these children are likely to be classified as junior kindergartners.

How will the curriculum differ?

Again, this will vary from school to school, but the goal will be for junior kindergartners to achieve the same academic standards as their older peers and move on to first grade. Junior kindergartners may receive different or added activities and materials.

Why is there so much variation in programs?

Schools have the flexibility to determine the best practices for their situation, explained educational specialist Amy Ng. Schools will be given extra professional development on early-childhood education, which they can use to decide how to address the needs of all their kindergartners.

Some schools are limited by the number of teachers or classrooms and will be unable to separate the late-born children; others will choose to combine or separate junior kindergarten and regular kindergarten for philosophical reasons.

Are late-born children less likely to succeed than those born earlier in the year?

The Department of Education sees few children held back in kindergarten, regardless of when they were born. "For most of the schools, it's maybe one or two, depending on the size of the school," Ng said.

However, supporters of junior kindergarten pushed for the program because late-born children often have discipline problems and need remedial services because they lag behind their peers.