School-ready

I think what now must be recognized is that to successfully educate many of these children - because the families are no longer performing the function they once did of delivering a school-ready child at age 5.

But even an erroneous or honest but misguided reading of test results can mean a year-long detour for an otherwise school-ready child.

To be 'school ready' implies that a child has reached a certain stage in his or her development where it is felt that benefit will be gained from formal education. However, a child does not become school-ready alone.