Post by Danielle on Oct 8, 2015 16:05:10 GMT
Dear Danielle:
I have a child who should start kindergarten in the fall, but a friend told me I should “redshirt” him because he’s a boy. Can you help me with my decision?
Confused Mom
Dear Confused:
I will start by unequivocally saying that this is a practice that I do not agree with – unless there is a legitimate reason to do so – like a developmental delay.
Let me explain. Redshirting is the practice of holding kids back a year before starting kindergarten so that they’ll be more advanced than their peers – ostensibly. This term is derived from college athletes, mainly in the US, in order to allow them more time to mature physically. It is done so that they are bigger and stronger when they compete in their sport.
While it is known that boys mature cognitively more slowly than girls and can have a harder time in early years of school adjusting to routines and expectations; that is not a reason to redshirt boys. Parents mistakenly believe that they are giving their children an advantage over other kids. This practice is more common among parents who want their children to excel at sports and, demographically, is more prevalent among white males from affluent families.
Research shows that these kids tend to have lower levels of motivation in later years, can suffer social troubles due to being thought of as slow, and implies that the child has already failed at school – even before they begin.
There are other reasons to avoid this as well. It puts more strain on teachers as they have a wider range of ages, maturity, and ability in one class, as well as costs parents more to keep a child in daycare one year longer. Further, this child will be driving, and perhaps drinking sooner than his peers.
If one were to consider this for their child the decision needs to be based on that child’s individual needs, as already stated. If there is no legitimate reason to do so other than hoping the child will excel at sports, then don’t do it.
I have a child who should start kindergarten in the fall, but a friend told me I should “redshirt” him because he’s a boy. Can you help me with my decision?
Confused Mom
Dear Confused:
I will start by unequivocally saying that this is a practice that I do not agree with – unless there is a legitimate reason to do so – like a developmental delay.
Let me explain. Redshirting is the practice of holding kids back a year before starting kindergarten so that they’ll be more advanced than their peers – ostensibly. This term is derived from college athletes, mainly in the US, in order to allow them more time to mature physically. It is done so that they are bigger and stronger when they compete in their sport.
While it is known that boys mature cognitively more slowly than girls and can have a harder time in early years of school adjusting to routines and expectations; that is not a reason to redshirt boys. Parents mistakenly believe that they are giving their children an advantage over other kids. This practice is more common among parents who want their children to excel at sports and, demographically, is more prevalent among white males from affluent families.
Research shows that these kids tend to have lower levels of motivation in later years, can suffer social troubles due to being thought of as slow, and implies that the child has already failed at school – even before they begin.
There are other reasons to avoid this as well. It puts more strain on teachers as they have a wider range of ages, maturity, and ability in one class, as well as costs parents more to keep a child in daycare one year longer. Further, this child will be driving, and perhaps drinking sooner than his peers.
If one were to consider this for their child the decision needs to be based on that child’s individual needs, as already stated. If there is no legitimate reason to do so other than hoping the child will excel at sports, then don’t do it.