School District U-46 follows Illinois law which specifies that a child must be five years old on or before September 1st of their kindergarten year or six years old on or before September 1st of their first grade year in order to be age eligible for enrollment (105 ILCS 5/10-20.12).  The District provides an opportunity for early entrance to Kindergarten and First grade under provisions of the Accelerated Placement Act.  Early entrance to Kindergarten and First grade can be considered for children who are intellectually advanced and whose potential and skills are within the very superior range when compared with their peers.

 The decision for a child to enter school early can have a significant impact on a child’s academic and social performance throughout his or her school career and therefore should be considered very carefully.  Although significant, academic readiness is only one factor that should be considered.  Other factors to consider include:

• physical maturation and social-emotional development during elementary, middle and high school years when compared to grade level students.
• the attainment of societal milestones such as driving and college entrance.
• participation in sports and other activities with older students.

These factors should all be weighed by parents or guardians when evaluating whether early entrance might be appropriate for their child.