Why is it good for schools to start early?

This practice has historical and practical reasons. One reason is to align with parents' work schedules, allowing them to drop off their children before heading to work. Additionally, it's believed that early start times may help students have more daylight hours for extracurricular activities or part-time jobs.

What are the benefits of school starting early?

Why are school start times important?

Key Takeaways

Inadequate sleep can lead to countless negative health consequences that impact students' ability to learn. Many experts advocate later school start times—sometimes up to an hour—to help students get the sleep they need.

How does school starting early affect students?

During the school week, school start times are the main reason students wake up when they do. The combination of late bedtimes and early school start times results in most adolescents not getting enough sleep. Getting enough sleep can improve academic performance.

Is it better to start school younger or older?

Studies show that older students often outperform their younger peers in the early years, but the older kids typically lose their advantage in the long run. In fact, some research shows that the younger students who have to strive to keep up with the older kids ultimately become more successful.

The Debate Over School Start Times

Why is it better to start school at 7?

A new study finds strong evidence that delaying kindergarten by a year provides mental health benefits to children, allowing them to better self-regulate their attention and hyperactivity levels when they do start school.

Should kids start school at 5 or 6?

Since school is mandatory for six-year-old students, parents and guardians must enroll their children in school once they reach the age of six (EC Section 48200).

Does school starting early affect grades?

According to many studies, later high school start times could potentially influence more than the sleep quality of students; it may result in higher attendance, better performance, and, in turn, better grades and higher graduation rates.

Does school starting early affect mental health?

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most public schools start too early for teenagers, leaving them sleep-deprived and at greater risk for a host of physical and mental health problems.

What time should I wake up if school starts at 8?

If school starts at 8 am, I would think waking up at 6:30 or 6:45 am would be an ideal time. You would be able to wash up, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, and get your clothes together. Before you know it, it's 7:15 to 7:30 in the morning. You would have to consider how far your school is from your house.

Why should school start at 10am?

Research has shown that the brains of adolescents work differently and that most have an internal clock that makes it harder for them to go to sleep early, and hard for them to wake up early. Pushing back start times, could potentially lead to better academic success for many teenagers.

How much sleep do teens need?

How much sleep someone needs depends on their age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.

What is the best time to start school?

Her team of researchers analyzed data from 28 studies and nearly two million study participants—mostly middle and high school students, with some elementary school children. They found that data showed that delaying school start times to between 8:30 and 9 a.m. has better developmental outcomes for young students.

Can a child start school early UK?

Most children start school in the September after they turn 4. A child does not need to start school until they reach compulsory school age. You decide whether your child will start school before compulsory school age - the admission authority cannot decide your child should start school aged 4.

Why is it better to wake up early?

Many studies show people who wake earlier are far less likely to develop depression, anxiety or other mood disorders. Researchers believe one reason could be those who wake up earlier have more access to daylight, which is a natural mood booster.

How does school starting later improve attendance?

(Reuters Health) - When high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later, attendance rates and graduation rates improve, according to a new study. The study backs previous research that says additional sleep boosts psychological, behavioral and academic benefits for teens.

What are the disadvantages of starting school early?

Countless studies have shown that early school start times are associated with students getting less sleep, which negatively affects student academic performance. Students with less sleep have difficulty paying attention in class and are likely to have lower grades. They may also experience irritability and fatigue.

Why do teenagers sleep late?

hormonal time shift – puberty hormones shift the teenager's body clock forward by about one or two hours, making them sleepier one to two hours later. Yet, while the teenager falls asleep later, early school starts don't allow them to sleep in.

Does starting school later reduce stress?

Depression and anxiety. All four studies that included depression and/or anxiety as outcomes found that students in later starting schools showed fewer symptoms of depression than students in earlier starting schools.

Is 4 too early to start school?

The research says: "Children around the age of four may not be ready for the environment they encounter in the reception class, which will include having to deal not only with a curriculum that may not be tailored to their needs but also with a number of social and emotional adjustments.

Can you be 8 in 1st grade?

This isn't at all uncommon for kids whose parents have decided to follow the trend of “late start” by delaying kindergarten until their child is 6. Those children turn 7 in kindergarten and 8 in first grade.

Does starting school later improve focus?

For one, students are more likely to be well-rested when they start school later in the day. This leads to improved concentration and focus, which in turn leads to better attendance.

What grade is a 10 year old in?

Elementary school is kindergarten through 5th grade (ages 5-10), middle school is grades 6-8 (ages 11-13), and high school is grades 9-12 (ages 14-18).

What grade is a 7 year old in?

2nd Grade: Most students are approximately 7 years old; 3rd Grade: Generally, children are around 8 years old; 4th Grade: Typically, students are about 9 years old; 5th Grade: Children in this grade are usually around 10 years old.