Research and Evidence on School Starting Age

Earlier this month the "Too Much, Too Soon" campaign made headlines with a letter calling for a change to the start age for formal learning in schools. Cambridge researcher David Whitebread, explains why children may need more time to develop before their formal education begins in earnest...There are several strands of evidence which all point towards the importance of play in young children’s development, and the value of an extended period of playful learning before the start of formal schooling.