Early Learning and Development Standards: For Preschool...Kindergarten Age in USA - What Age Do Kids Start School?

To start kindergarten in the state of Illinois, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 1 of the kindergarten year.

The assessment of a child's readiness for school may be considered in addition to age and residency requirements.

Children who are 5 years old on or before September 1 can start school.Depending on the assessment of a child's school readiness, the school district can either allow or deny the child to attend school prior to that date.A school district that operates on a year-round basis may allow children who will be 5 years old within 30 days after a term starts to attend school.Illinois school code, 105 ILCS 5/ 10-20.12 is the full text of this code.The school year is school age.

September 1 seems to be the most frequently used cutoff date for kindergarten entry in the United States.Colorado allows local education authorities to decide on a date.

Illinois does not require that children attend kindergarten before being allowed to enroll in first grade.

Depending on the school's assessment of her readiness, a child who will be 6 years old on or before December 31 may begin first grade in the fall under certain conditions.She must have attended a nonpublic preschool, continued her education at that school through kindergarten, and been taught by an appropriately certified kindergarten teacher.