In some cases, parents elect to enter children at age six because the child’s fifth birthday is so close to the school’s cut-off day that the child would be the youngest – physically and emotionally – in the class. In other cases, the parents determine that their five-year-old, while physically mature, lacks the mental or social preparation to begin elementary school. Still others believe that starting their child at age six gives her a leg up on his classmates, setting her up for future success.
Redshirting a kindergarten student can result in a pupil more developed physically than her classmates, a trend that could well last throughout the school years. This is a draw for parents who wish their son or daughter to excel in sports. Slate.com’s Emily Bazelon suggests that a more physically developed kindergarten child does reap future benefits, citing a study of Major League Baseball players whose August birthdays correlate with the cutoff date of many school districts’ kindergarten enrollment.
Pressure to prepare children for the “right” college lead some parents to delaying kindergarten until age six. “Blame it on No Child Left Behind and the race to get children test-ready by third grade,” writes Pamela Paul of the New York Times.” Delaying kindergarten, however, does not correlate with long-term academic success. Bazelon cites a 2008 report by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The report measured the scores of 17-year-olds who were redshirted, and concluded that the level of basic proficiency “has not risen at a rate that would suggest the majority of students are learning at a grade level higher than they were 20 years ago.”
Parents who suspect their five-year-olds are not emotionally prepared for kindergarten may choose to delay entry for a year. That was the case in 2006 for Philippa Barron, a Californian who told the San Francisco Chronicle that she elected to keep her twins, Caitlin and Jackson Pilisuk, in preschool for one extra year. Boys, with their high energy level, tend to be redshirted more often than girls are. However, the effects could cause issues. “Being the oldest can sometimes lead the child to feel as if he was held back because he wasn’t smart enough rather than any other reasons you might have,” notes The Labor of Love website.
For parents wishing to delay kindergarten entrance, the alternative is retaining the child in preschool, or if both parents work, paying for an extra year of childcare. For families in higher economic brackets, these choices may make little difference in their decision, but the story differs for lower-income parents. The Illinois Early Learning Project notes that along with the additional drain on parents’ finances, redshirting could delay the student’s overall education and entry into the workforce.