READING, WRITING AND KINDERGARTEN REDSHIRTING: A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE ON A BIG ISSUE

Until recently, the term “redshirting” referred to a college athlete delaying participation in regular season games for one year. This extra time allowed for growth, practice, and skill development in preparation for the following year.

Now redshirting has found its way to the preschool population. Parents of preschool children with summer or early-fall birthdays, who just make the kindergarten cut-off and thus could become the youngest in the class, are forced to examine the possibility of following this paradigm shift.

Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell has shared ideas about it on 60 Minutes. Parenting blogs constantly debate the issue, and even the The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times continue to examine whether the practice ultimately does more harm than good to our children and our school system.

Current research on redshirting is inconclusive as to its long-term effectiveness and clearly needs further long-term studies. As always in life, either decision has its pros and cons, as well as complications for both the individual student and education as a whole. For me, it has always been about the child in question and, more importantly, the whole child. A child is not defined by age alone, but is a unique person whose cognitive, emotional, and social needs must be treasured, protected, challenged, and grown in the very best way possible.

As parents, we all know that you can have multiple children living in your home, being raised by the same set of parents, yet they can be very different. Case in point: my three children. Two of my children were winter babies, so the issue of kindergarten placement was moot. My middle daughter, however, was a different story in all areas. Born in late August 1992, she barely made the kindergarten cut-off. Redshirting was not yet on the radar, and in fact, the trend was to move children ahead.

As the school year progressed, it became clear that she was not up to speed. Her fine motor skills were poor, and she was becoming very frustrated with homework, often throwing down her pencil in tears. She was the only child who was not yet a fully emergent reader, and though her emotional intelligence was high with adults, she was unable to fully connect socially with her peers. As a special education teacher, it was difficult to witness; as a mother, it was devastating.

So began my fight with the principals, teachers, and even my husband. After all, what did I know? I was a special education teacher and therefore biased toward what I was seeing. I was overreacting because I was a neurotic mother. To make a very long story short, three years and two public school principals later, I took my daughter to a private school. After her screening, the headmaster came up to me with a worried look and cautiously told me that, in their opinion, my daughter should repeat the third grade.

I didn’t know whether to cry or scream. I did neither, and my daughter enrolled as a third grader that year. After she completed three years of private school, she re-entered our public middle school. It was rough for a while, but as she progressed through high school, she became socially, emotionally, and academically confident. Her high school years were filled with strong, lasting friendships, a spot on the varsity cheerleading and competition squad, and, best of all, good grades. She studied abroad for a semester in Florence, was consistently on the Dean’s List at the University of Rhode Island, and graduated just last year. I couldn’t be more proud.

The following are some points for parents to consider when making this difficult decision:

• Keep in mind your child’s uniqueness. Be clear about their characteristics, as this should be the guiding factor behind your decision—not merely their possibility of being one of the youngest in the class. Are they overly shy, apprehensive, lacking physical coordination, experiencing difficulty following directions, or easily frustrated? If so, holding them back and starting kindergarten a year later is something you should strongly consider.
• Plan a visit to your child’s prospective kindergarten classroom. Speak to the teacher and principal about expectations regarding academic readiness so you can get an idea of how your child will fare.
• Talk with your child’s preschool teachers. Do they feel your child is ready to begin kindergarten? They will be able to provide insights that only they can offer as professionals working with your child and others in a classroom setting.

Once you have armed yourself with all the information you need to make the best decision you can, take a deep breath. While no one can predict the future, take comfort in knowing that you have made the best decision you could at that time. It’s a long journey. Try to enjoy the ride and celebrate all the wonderful milestones ahead of you and your preschooler.