“Redshirting” Begins At A Young Age

At this time of the year, the push is on to “round up” children for kindergarten. State Education departments and individual private schools set the age requirement for starting kindergarten. Although those dates can very by months, the great debate begins as to whether those with the youngest birthdays (and those closest to the cut-off dates) are ready to begin kindergarten.

The term “redshirting”, taken from the sports arena to designate a freshmen tagged to sit out a year before playing, has made its way to the kindergarten arena. Children, especially boys, are being redshirted, or held back from starting kindergarten, in order to make them one of the oldest in their class, instead of one of the youngest.

It would be handy if a giant crystal ball existed tht could tell parents whether it would benefit their child to hold them back a year. But judging an entire childhood by looking at its first four to five years is difficult. With some children, the decision is easy. The maturity level, social skills, or cognition is lacking. Holding those children back a year to mature and develop just makes sense. But what if the child is your average developing child for their age? The decision becomes more clouded.

What are the benefits to delaying the start of kindergarten? Starting a child at age 6, rather than 5, allows them to be one of the oldest and possibly the smartest in their class. They won’t have to compete with other children that are months older. Being a year older than peers suggests those children should be the leaders in their class. This applies not only to the kindergarten year but in the rest of the school life as a whole. That added year also gives another year of size growth. So not only now but later, when sports teams are formed, gives those children a year’s height and growth above their peers.

What, then, are the consequences of “redshirting” your child? Data shows that nearly a quarter of kindergarteners start at age 6. To not hold back those youngest children means that now they will be competing with children up to 18 months older. Studies have shown behavioral problems in children who are older and may be bored in classes that are just too easy for them. Some research suggests there are more dropouts from children who are held out. But none of the research is wide-spread or overwhelming for either side.

Educators weigh in on both sides of the debate. Some suggest holding back all of the youngest children, including those with birthdays up to three months before the cut-off date. Others advocate starting all children old enough for kindergarten and deciding at the end of kindergarten whether the child is ready for the first grade. Starting children based solely on their birthdate may be the only option for low income parents, who may not have the luxury to pay fees for another year of preschool. Federally funded programs, such as Head Start, aren’t available once a child becomes age eligible for kindergarten.

Spring has arrived and so has the “round up” of youngsters for kindergarten. It might be best just to judge each child on their own merits. Look at attention span, motor skills, socialization, overall behavior, independence, and an interest in learning. Is the child curious, inquisitive, and able to take care of themselves? Odds are, the struggle to decide may be more dramatic than these young children’s kindergarten year. Let’s hope so.