Today's kindergarten is the onset of formal schooling for children—the first time families, schools, teachers, and communities come together to form an educational partnership. In this thought-provoking, issues-focused book, the experts examine the latest research on early schooling and give you a starting point with which to reexamine your beliefs, policies, and practices regarding the first years of school. Scholars, researchers, and other professionals will discover why early school transitions need to be improved and how these critical transitions affect children's future educational success. You'll find out the latest on

• readiness assessment
• entrance ages
• grade retention
• classroom structure
• family-school-community partnerships
• cultural diversity
• children with disabilities
• hildren in poverty

This book was developed through work at the National Center for Early Development and Learning. Visit the Center's web site for more information on the transition to kindergarten, a free online magazine, policy briefs, fact sheets, and more.