Using an arbitrary cutoff date, school districts regulate which children will begin school. This "natural experiment" was used to examine effects of age-and schooling-related influences on memory and 3 levels of phonological segmentation in children who just made vs. missed the cutoff. Group comparisons over time permitted assessment of schooling influences and Age X Experience interactions. Short-term memory was enhanced by grade one schooling, with no evidence of an Age X Schooling interaction. For phonological segmentation, both schooling-and age-related influences appeared, with unique patterns for each level of segmentation. The cutoff method proved sensitive to important changes in cognitive skills during this age period.

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