Options for Kindergarten – Part Two: Redshirting

Posted on 23. Jun, 2009 by KB in Posts

Part Two – Redshirting

What is Redshirting?

Redshirting has primarily been associated with sports. It means giving a college athlete an extra year of practice to better their skills so they will have a competitive advantage (edge) the following year. Today, redshirting in the academic world means postponing Kindergarten for a year (even though a child is eligible age-wise) so a child can further strengthen their intellectual, emotional, and physical abilities. It is usually considered for children who would be the youngest in their Kindergarten classroom.

According to the NCES (National Center for Education Statistics), more boys than girls are redshirted. Also, children born the latter part of the year are more likely to be redshirted than those born earlier in the year. Redshirting may be more widely used today because of the higher academic standards and expectations starting in Kindergarten. Many parents and educators feel that if a child has a summer birthday, delaying Kindergarten for a year will work to their advantage. Is it a disadvantage being the youngest rather than the oldest child in a Kindergarten class? Some parents feel that an extra year of preschool will give their child the time they need to mature both socially and academically and that they’ll have better success in school because of it.

A parent may want to consider delaying Kindergarten for their child due to the following reasons:

if your child has a late summer or fall birthday
if your child is emotionally immature and is lacking age-appropriate social skills
if your child is not at grade level in specific academic areas
if it is recommended by the teacher(s)
if your child is transitioning from one school to another with a different school philosophy (e.g. a preschooler in a Montessori program moving to a more traditional public school)

When making this decision it is prudent to look at the “whole” child before deciding whether or not he/she is ready for the next grade level. Age is not the only deciding factor but also a child’s academic, emotional, social, and physical development. Naturally, input from former and current teachers, and possibly a psychologist or pediatrician can be helpful in making this decision. These professionals will be able to make a recommendation based on results of their daily interactions and assessments as to whether or not your child possesses the readiness skills that are necessary to move on.

What are the effects of redshirting?

According to Lilian Katz’s article, Academic Redshirting and Young Children, several studies found the following to be the immediate effects of redshirting are:

1) Raises the child’s academic achievement and conduct on par with or above that of younger classmates.

2) Increases the child’s confidence in social interactions and popularity among classmates.

3) Adds to the normal mix of ages and abilities within the classroom.

However, some older children may feel alienated from their younger classmates and have an unfair advantage over the younger classmates in size, psychomotor, and social skills. The article then goes on to list the effects of redshirting within the first few years of elementary school including:

1) Academic achievement equal to that of their grade-level peers.

2) A lower likelihood of receiving negative feedback from teachers regarding their academic achievement and behavior.

3) Less need for special education services than children who were retained in Kindergarten.

The Academic Redshirting and Young Children article also states some negative long-term effects like the following:

1) Adolescents who delayed their Kindergarten entrance were more likely to have behavioral problems than their classmates.

2) There is speculation that children redshirted as Kindergarteners may have had special education needs misdiagnosed as immaturity that should’ve been addressed by early intervention other than delayed entry.

Samuel J. Meisels, president of the Erikson Institute, a graduate school in child development in Chicago is one of the most outspoken critics on redshirting. He believes that it’s a bit ironic that these parents who delay Kindergarten entrance for their child because Kindergarten is too academic, are the first to criticize the Kindergarten teacher when their child becomes bored. This is the reason why Kindergarten has become more and more academic in the first place. Some critics also think it’s wrong when parents decide to hold back their preschooler when he/she shows no signs of struggling academically just so their child can get ahead of the class? This trend seems to be a hot debate amongst educators and parents alike.

I learned that many of the results obtained from different studies in regards to redshirting, and the advantages versus disadvantages, yielded inconclusive results. Again, it’s up to the parent to decide what is best for their child when deciding if redshirting is an appropriate choice for their child.

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