If you have a child with a late summer or early fall birthday, you might feel hesitant about enrolling them in kindergarten. After all, they may end up being one of the youngest kids in their class, and you might be concerned about how this could impact them academically and socially. Enter: the practice of redshirting for kindergarten.
What is redshirting in kindergarten? Simply put, it’s the practice of holding a young-for-their-grade kid back a year, and enrolling them in kindergarten the following year. “The practice is most common when children have summer birthdays that fall near the cutoff date for starting kindergarten, in an effort to avoid a child being the youngest in their class,” says Dr. Johnna Weller, an instructor at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and chief academic officer at Learning Care Group.
Weller adds that redshirting has gained popularity since the pandemic, when many parents had their kids wait a year to start kindergarten, rather than participate in remote learning. Here’s more about the practice, including why people do it, some pros and cons and how to make the best decision about redshirting for kindergarten.
Redshirting kindergarten “…can give children another year to mature academically, socially, emotionally or physically before starting kindergarten.”
—Dr. Johnna Weller, chief academic officer at Learning Care Group
Why do parents redshirt in kindergarten?
There are many reasons for redshirting kindergarten, but the main reason parents tend to do it is because of concerns about their child’s school readiness and maturity. “[It] can give children another year to mature academically, socially, emotionally or physically before starting kindergarten,” Weller says. “Parents may feel that this extra year can give their child an advantage in academics, as well as sports, in the future.”
Melissa McCall, a preschool literacy teacher and consultant at Moving Little Minds, says that probably the most compelling reason to redshirt has to do with social maturity. “If the child is unable to regulate emotions or play kindly and independently, many parents consider a second lap in preschool,” she says.
This was the reason that Rachel Cederbaum, a former AP English teacher and the owner and lead academic coach at Gold Signature Writers LLC, chose to redshirt her son, who had an August birthday. “The teachers strongly encouraged us to do so for social and emotional development and maturity,” she says. However, although her daughter also had a summer birthday (late June), Cederbaum chose not to redshirt her daughter, because she felt her daughter was ready for school socially, emotionally and academically.
How common is redshirting for kindergarten?
Between 4-5.5% of parents choose to delay kindergarten for their kids, according to research from Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy.
“There is a high price tag associated with holding your child back and this is due to the high cost of Pre-K.”
—Rachel Cederbaum, owner and lead academic coach at Gold Signature Writers LLC
Cederbaum says that redshirting is definitely common in her community in suburban Maryland. She hypothesizes that it’s more common in affluent areas, probably because of the fact that redshirting your child can be costly, if you want to have them enrolled in preschool during the year they skip.
“There is a high price tag associated with holding your child back and this is due to the high cost of Pre-K,” Cederbaum shares. “For my son, we paid close to $20k for him to attend private kindergarten and then enrolled him in our local public school for kindergarten.”
How do educators feel about redshirting?
So, do educators think redshirting is a smart idea? Cederbaum says that most kids can benefit to some extent from redshirting, with some exclusions. The exception would be kids who are mature for their age or academically advanced, she explains.
“However, even in these cases I believe that social-emotional learning is most important, and children benefit from extending a play-based childhood,” Cedarbaum adds. “In my classroom and on the sports field, I saw that the students who were older for their grades tended to have an increased confidence in their aptitude that comes with age.”
McCall says it’s not possible to make a blanket statement about redshirting. “As an early literacy professional and a preschool teacher, I believe that you truly have to look at the situation on a case by case basis,” says McCall. “If a child is struggling with executive functioning skills, emotional regulation and knows very little academic skills, such as letter names and sounds, rhyming and number identification, I would strongly consider redshirting.”
Pros and cons of redshirting in kindergarten
The research is mixed on redshirting, with some studies showing positive associations between the practice and academic accomplishment. One study found a link between redshirting and academic academic achievement in third grade. However, other research has been less promising, with a 2020 study finding that redshirting didn’t give kids reading acquisition success.
Here are some of the potential pros and cons of redshirting, according to the experts we connected with:
Pros
- More time in pre-K to gain social skills like confidence and independence.
- Increased maturity and emotional regulation.
- More experience and skills in sports.
- More time to learn core academic skills, such as early math and reading/language skills.
Cons
- Separates kids from their same-age peers.
- Potentially conveys to kids that they aren’t capable of going to school.
- Potential for a child to be academically ahead in kindergarten, which could lead to boredom and acting out behaviors.
“The skills that are most important for success in kindergarten are executive function and social-emotional skills, such as problem solving, critical thinking and working well with others.”
—Dr. Johnna Weller
Academic redshirting for kindergarten: how to make the decision
Making the decision redshirt or not can be a weighty one. All of the experts we spoke to emphasized that it’s a very individual decision, and one that you should consider carefully. Here are the things to consider:
Assess their kindergarten readiness
“Being ready for kindergarten is much more than knowing the alphabet and counting,” Weller says. “The skills that are most important for success in kindergarten are executive function and social-emotional skills, such as problem solving, critical thinking and working well with others.”
Read more:
Reach out to experts
If your child is enrolled in preschool now, definitely talk to their teachers about their abilities, Weller says. If your child isn’t in school, reach out to family members, babysitters or other adults who know your child to give you their perspective on your child’s maturity, adaptability and kindergarten readiness.
Look at your child as an individual
Above all, Weller says that you should really consider your child as an individual, thinking about all that you know about your child’s temperament and personality.
And don’t forget to ask them how they feel, too, she says. She recommends parents talk with their child in an age-appropriate way to see how the child feels about going to kindergarten.
Consider the future
Besides considering where your child stands now, you have to consider how the decision to redshirt for kindergarten will affect the future. Weller says you might want to ask yourself questions like:
- How will waiting a year impact my child’s peer relationships?
- How will redshirting affect their love of learning now and in the future?
The bottom line
Redshirting kindergarten can work out really well for some kids, but it may not be the best choice for all kids. “Like everything in learning, it is not a one-size-fits all solution,” Cederbaum says.
Choosing whether to redshirt or not is also a decision that requires time, patience and doing your due diligence. In addition to reaching out to family and teachers, you may want to talk to your pediatrician or a child psychologist for insights about your child’s development.
At the end of the day, the decision will be up to you as a parent. And when that time comes, here’s Cederbaum’s final common sense advice: “Like everything in parenting, trust your gut, and then follow it.”
