Redshirting Kids: Is it a Good or Bad Idea? |
Posted: February 19, 2020 |
You've probably heard of redshirting kindergarten. Holding kids back and urging them to start school later is something that's increasingly popular. But does this method actually help, or hurt your child? Over the course of history, the starting age for kindergarten has taken on wide varieties. For the past 5 years, states and districts pushed the minimum age to start kindergarten up so that more kids are at least 5 years old when they begin school. Still, there are other states like Maine and Connecticut who have 4 years and 6 year-olds in kindergarten classes. Every child is different. Some kids are ready to read and write. Others still struggle with paying attention and sitting down quietly to listen. And being younger than most can pose problems as some kindergartens are becoming increasingly more academic. So why all the redshirting?Parents will typically hold their children back because they might feel he isn't ready. Perhaps his reading still needs extra work from the trusted reading program they enrolled him with. Maybe they believe that their child isn't ready socially, cognitively, or emotionally. Or maybe the child isn't quite sure how to write their own name yet. And yet some parents will want to give their child a leg up. This is assuming that being older will perhaps make him more advanced. "In a lot of circles, it’s become the fad. Particularly in upper-middle-class circles where parents want to give their children every advantage, and want their kids to be ahead of their peers." ~ Gary Painter, associate professor at USC’s School of Policy, Planning, and Development. Is redshirting making a difference?To be fair, redshirting works in the short term. The results are promising. NCES data reported that redshirted children are able to score slightly higher on reading and math scores at the beginning and at the end of the year. This is compared to kids who began kindergarten at 5 or younger. But it should be noted that the differences are slight. And as of the moment, there is no data to support long-term effects. Should I Send My Kids to Pre-school?Kindergarten/preschool provides the foundation for learning. This applies to both academic and social needs of a child. It's the foundation that will help your child succeed in elementary school. And pre-school is: #1 Opportunity for growthFor a lot of children, pre-school is their first experience in a structured setting. Kindergarten has teachers and groups of children. This is the place to learn to share, follow instructions, and begin the foundation for learning that usually happens in elementary school. #2 Contributing to emotional and social developmentFor young children to learn, they need to feel cared for and secure with a teacher or a caregiver. They should be able to spend time away from their parents, but at the same time, build trusting relationships with adults and other children outside of the immediate family. A good preschool program can nurture and warm-up relationships among teachers, children, and parents. Children thrive in a consistent environment -- in care, at home, and in school. #3 A place where kids get to make choicesIn preschool, children have several choices of activities. Children who wander aimlessly are encouraged to choose one that interests him. Teachers at preschool are ideally alert to a child who doesn't know how to enter other children's play. And most of the time, they may offer suggestions on ways to join the group. #4 Where language is promoted and cognitive skills are developedPreschool age kids' language skills are nurtured in an environment that's language-rich. Between the ages of 3 and 5, children's vocabulary grow from approximately between 900 to 2,500 words. Within this period, sentences also become longer and more complex. Pre-school is the place where children stretch their language skills through thought-provoking questions and introducing new vocabulary. And when it comes to cognitive skills, this is strengthened by children engaging in a wide range of hands-on activities that would challenge them to observe closely. They can ask questions, test ideas, or solve problems. #5 Effective at boosting pre-math and literacy skillsYoung children usually show a growing interest in pre-literacy and pre-math skills. Kids are curious and observant, and they want to be competent in skills that their families and society value. This involves reading the instructions for assembling toys, choosing the right coins and the correct bills to pay before they go to elementary school. Ready or Not, Just Do ItYes, parents are free to make the decision and determine their child's readiness for kindergarten. And each child's level of maturity (at kindergarten age) varies from one case to another. No question about it, kids need kindergarten. But kindergarten is insanely academic -- now more than ever. And many people feel like kindergarten is the new first grade level. The big question is whether a child is prepared and ready for formal reading instruction. Not all children are set up for reading success. For this reason, parents need to start preparing their kids to learn and enjoy reading. This can be accomplished through fun literacy activities -- like reading aloud, drawing, playing writing games, etc. Not enough children are getting this kind of preparation. "About 1.5 million kids come to kindergarten and they can't write their name or retell the story of a favorite book.They're already behind. They're the achievement gap." ~ J. Richard Gentry, PhD.
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