October 8, 2019
‘Redshirting’ your kindergartner: Is it the right choice in the long run?
The term “redshirting” originally referred to college athletes who sat out their first year to work on their skills without affecting their eligibility. The intent is similar for would-be kindergartners: By providing younger kids an extra year to develop physically, socially and emotionally, the expectation is that they’ll be better equipped to succeed. “No matter when you set it, you’re always going to have a classroom of kids who have at least 12 months of developmental difference,” says Kristie Kauerz, who directs the National P-3 Center at the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado at Denver.