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##  Academic Redshirting and Young Children. ERIC Digest.                        

The term redshirting originally referred to postponing a college                athlete's participation in regular season games for one year to give            him an extra year of further growth and practice with the team in               the hope of improving the player's skills for future                            seasons. 
Academic redshirting for young children refers to the                practice of postponing entrance into kindergarten of age-eligible               children in order to allow extra time for socioemotional,                       intellectual, or physical growth. This kind of redshirting is most              often practiced in the case of children whose birthdays are so close            to the cut-off dates that they are very likely to be among the                  youngest in their kindergarten class. This Digest discusses what                studies have said thus far about redshirting and its potential                  effects, and offers suggestions for parents considering delaying                their child's entrance into kindergarten. INCIDENCE OF                        REDSHIRTINGThe National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)              reports that academic redshirting occurs at the rate of about 9% per            year among kindergarten-age children (West, Meek, & Hurst, 2000).               Redshirting has traditionally been more common in affluent                      communities and for children attending private schools, although                some scholars speculate that there may have been a recent increase              in certain public school districts (Brent et al., 1996). According              to NCES, boys are more often redshirted than girls, and children                born in the latter half of the year are more likely to be redshirted            than those born earlier. The NCES report also shows that white,                 non-Hispanic children are more than twice as likely as black,                   non-Hispanic children to have entered kindergarten later than their             birthdays allowed (West, Meek, & Hurst, 2000). 
Redshirting may be             a response to demands for a higher level of school                              readiness (Graue & DiPerna, in press; May et al., 1995). In a                   national survey, teachers indicated that 48% of their students were             not ready for the current kindergarten curriculum (NCEDL, 1998).                Alarmingly high percentages of teachers indicated that half of their            students lacked important skills, including "following                          directions" (46%), "academic skills" (36%), and the ability to "work            independently" (34%). In light of such data, many scholars suggest              that academic curricula are not appropriate for young                           children (Graue & DiPerna, in press; May et al., 1995; Shepard &                Smith, 1988). EFFECTS OF REDSHIRTINGResearch on redshirting               has so far failed to provide a clear picture of its short- and                  long-term effects. Some studies have examined the effects of                    redshirting that occur immediately or within the early elementary               years. Others have examined its long-term effects. Proponents and               opponents of redshirting often use the same evidence but reach                  opposite conclusions. It is therefore unclear whether redshirting               solves problems of school readiness. 
Immediate Effects. Research              on academic redshirting suggests that in the short term,                        redshirting (1) raises the child's academic achievement (math,                  reading, general knowledge) and conduct on par with or above that of            younger classmates (West, Denton, & Germino-Hausken, 2000); (2)                 increases the child's confidence in social interactions and                     popularity among classmates (Spitzer et al., 1995); and (3) may                 simply add to the normal mix of ages and abilities within the                   classroom. However, there is also some speculation that, in classes             where there are children who have been redshirted, some older                   children may feel alienated from their younger classmates, and some             older classmates may have an unfair advantage over younger                      classmates in size and in psychomotor and social skills. The                    presence of children of a wider age span may also make the class too            diverse for a teacher to manage well. 
Effects in Grades 1-3.                  Researchers have observed other effects of redshirting within the               first three years of elementary school, including (1) academic                  achievement that is nearly equal to that of their grade-level                   peers (West, Meek, & Hurst, 2000), (2) a lower likelihood of                    receiving "negative feedback from teachers about their academic                 performance or conduct in class" (Cromwell, 1998; West, Meek, &                 Hurst, 2000), and (3) less need for special education than                      classmates who were retained as kindergartners (Kundert et al.,                 1995; May et al., 1995). However, there is also evidence that some              first- through third-graders who were redshirted as children                    required greater use of special education services than their                   non-redshirted and non-retained classmates (Graue & DiPerna, in                 press; May et al., 1995). 
Long-term Effects. Proponents of                    redshirting often point out that there is no definitive evidence to             show that redshirting harms children in the long term. However, Byrd            et al. (1997) found that adolescents whose school entry had been                delayed exhibited more behavioral problems than their classmates.               Moreover, in light of evidence of a higher use of special education             by redshirted youths, there is a great deal of speculation that many            individuals who were redshirted as kindergartners may have had                  special needs that were misdiagnosed as immaturity and that should              have been treated by some form of direct intervention other than                delayed entry (May et al., 1995; Graue & DiPerna, in                            press). SUGGESTIONS FOR PARENTSBecause the research is                    inconclusive about the effects of redshirting and few school                    districts prohibit it, parents are usually the ones who have to                 decide whether to keep their child out of kindergarten for an extra             year. The following are some points for parents to consider in                  making a decision: 
   *  Be clear about the specific                          characteristics of your child that cause you to be unsure about his             or her readiness to begin kindergarten with age-mates. In other                 words, don't delay entrance into kindergarten just because the child            is likely to be among the youngest in the class or has a summer                 birthday. 
   *  Check the school's kindergarten readiness                     screening procedures or tests to get an idea of how your child might            fare in the kindergarten classroom in which she or he will most                 likely be placed. 
   *  Be assertive about finding out what the               school expects of entering kindergartners and the school's                      suggestions on how you can help your youngster to be prepared. 
               * Solicit the views of your child's preschool teacher about his or              her readiness for kindergarten. Ask, for example, whether your child            made some friends in her preschool group. Was he or she usually able            to follow directions? Does your child appear to the preschool                   teacher to be ready to begin academic work? 
   * Find out more                about the nature of the kindergarten program. Is it very formal? Is             it organized primarily around formal instruction in basic skills or             around more informal "learning centers?" Organizing children's                  learning around informal learning centers can accommodate a greater             developmental range of children than a formal, structured                       arrangement in which basic skills are taught to the whole group of              children in rows of desks. 
   * Is the class size larger than 25?             A very shy child might find a large class more difficult to adjust              to than he would a class of around 20 or less. Class size may be a              more important consideration for a shy child than even for a child              who is not shy but who lacks physical coordination. 
   * What else            would your child be doing if she did not start kindergarten? Would              the child have easy and safe access to playmates and play spaces?               Are there easily available (and affordable) good preschool programs             for your child? 
   * Ask the future kindergarten teacher for                  suggestions about what you can do at home to help your child reach              the same skill level as future classmates. 
   * Be careful about              conveying your own apprehension about starting school to your child.            If you approach the beginning of kindergarten with your child with              real confidence and sufficient reassurance, and, if possible, share             any concerns with the teacher, your child will adjust rapidly. 
               *  Be careful not to exaggerate to a child how much fun she or he               will have in kindergarten. It would probably be best to say                     something like "You'll make new friends, get to do lots of                      interesting things, but there will be one or two times when you wish            you were at home. But those times will pass. You'll see." This kind             of forewarning can often prevent a child from coming unstrung when              the inevitable difficult moments do occur. CONCLUSIONThe most             helpful approach for parents may be to obtain suggestions from the              school, and ideally from the future teacher as well, about how best             to help the child during the first few months of school. The child              is likely to adjust to the transition to school when parents are                careful about how they express their concerns. Parents can be most              helpful by offering the child reassurance and support, and by                   resisting the temptation to discuss their own anxieties and concerns            in front of the child. On the whole, the evidence about the short-              and long-term effects of redshirting is inconclusive. The evidence              suggests that some benefits of academic redshirting are short lived             and may in the long term be disadvantageous (Spitzer et al., 1995;              Graue & DiPerna, in press). FOR MORE INFORMATIONBrent, D.,                May, D. C., & Kundert, D. K. (1996). The incidence of delayed school            entry: A twelve-year review. EARLY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT, 7(2),             121-135. EJ 520 504. 
Byrd, R. S., Weitzman, M., & Auinger,                    P. (1997). Increased behavior problems associated with delayed                  school entry and delayed school progress. PEDIATRICS, 100(4),                   654-661. 
Cromwell, S. (1998). Starting kindergarten late: How does            it affect school performance? EDUCATION WORLD [Online]. Available:              http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin045.shtml. 
Graue, M.               E., & DiPerna, J. (in press). Redshirting and early retention: Who              gets the "gift of time" and what are its outcomes? AMERICAN                     EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL. 
Kundert, D. K., May, D. C., & Brent,            D. (1995). A comparison of students who delay kindergarten entry and            those who are retained in grades K-5. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS,                32(3), 202-209. EJ 517 406. 
May, D. C., Kundert, D. K., & Brent,              D. (1995). Does delayed school entry reduce later grade retentions              and use of special education services? REMEDIAL AND SPECIAL                     EDUCATION, 16(5), 288-294. EJ 510 039. 
National Center for Early              Development and Learning (NCEDL). (1998). Kindergarten                          transitions [Online]. NECDL SPOTLIGHTS, 1. Available:                           http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncedl/PAGES/ spotlt.htm. 
Shepard, L. A., &            Smith, M. L. (1988). Escalating academic demand in kindergarten:                Counterproductive policies. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JOURNAL, 89(2),                   135-145. EJ 382 617. 
Spitzer, S., Cupp, R., & Parke, R. D. (1995).            School entrance age, social acceptance, and self-perception in                  kindergarten and 1st grade. EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH QUARTERLY,                 10(4), 433-450. EJ 516 737. 
West, J., Denton, K., &                           Germino-Hausken, E. (2000). AMERICA'S KINDERGARTNERS. (NCES No.                 2000-070). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. 
West, J.,            Meek, A., & Hurst, D. (2000). CHILDREN WHO ENTER KINDERGARTEN LATE              OR REPEAT KINDERGARTEN: THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND LATER SCHOOL                  PERFORMANCE. (NCES No. 2000-039). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of            Education. 
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This project has been funded at least in                part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education,                  Office of Educational Research and Improvement, under contract no.              ED-99-CO-0020. The content of this publication does not necessarily             reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education,              nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or                        organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.                      **Title:** Academic Redshirting and Young Children. ERIC Digest.                        **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Descriptors:**  Academic Achievement, Kindergarten,  Kindergarten Children,                    Literature Reviews, Primary Education,  School Entrance Age,  School            Readiness,  Student Placement                                                **Identifiers:**  Academic Redshirting, ERIC Digests, Research Synthesis                      
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