Kindergarten redshirting

[Renee845]

This is interesting, this thought never even once occurred to me when I was planning my daughter. That being said, her birthday is August 23, she will be turning 5 the week before K starts and will no doubt be one of the youngest in her class, I had worried about whether or not she was ready since A) she is such a young 5 when she starts and B) she was a preemie. I talked to her preschool teacher and she assured me that DD will be just fine but I guess it is something to consider.

Anyway, I live in NY and I thought the cut off was in Oct? of course since you actually researched this I am sure you are right.

 

[carrie6466]

I'm in NY, on Long Island. I don't know if it is a district wide thing or a state wide thing, but our cutoff date is 12/1. You must be 5 by 12/1 or before to go to Kindergarten. I know this because my DD, whose birthday is 6/27, had 2 good friends in her preschool class who were 12/2 and 12/16 birthdays and both turned 5 in preschool. Where my dd just turned 5, they will be almost 6 when they all start Kindy in Sept.

You aren't required to send your child to Kindergarten here. It isn't mandatory to send them to school until after their 6th birthday. I'm not sure exactly what the policy is on holding them back a year and then starting K, but I know one person recommended I do that with my dd, as she has some developmental delays. We're not going to hold her back, but she is going into a special ed K program.

 

[jamieT]

"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."

My husband and I are going to start trying to have a baby next winter/spring.. but it is really important to him that we time the birth so that the baby will be older when they go into kindergarten rather than younger... I guess one of his co-workers children went into kindergarten too soon (even though the parents knew their child wasn't ready) and failed kindergarten. First of all, I didn't realize it was possible to FAIL kindergarten!

So anyway.. my husband thinks that if a child fails kindergarten it's going to send a message that they are dumb or something is wrong and he just thinks it's better if we time the birth out so that our child can go into kindergarten when they've been 5 for a while....

so I was looking up the "cut off dates" by state last night and it just got so confusing! LOL.... maybe I'm just making it more complicated in my head than it is... but could someone help me?

We currently live in new york but we might move to texas someday... I think the NY cut of date was September 30th.. and the Texas date was August 1st.

so basically.. if your child is born after September 30th in New York that means they will be going to kindergarten the year AFTER their birthday....

so if they were born ... say... October 1st.. they would be 5 a whole 11 months before they go to school? Am I calculating this correctly?

lol. Is this really even that important to consider it when planning a baby?

any and all thoughts on this topic would be awesome! thanks everyone!

Seriously DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!!! This is one of the reasons that preschool is so popular now. I would enjoy trying until you concieve and not put so much pressure on yourselves. Readiness for kindergarten is usually based on how much mommy and dady put into it and not age. I have known very young children that are totally ready and kids that are on the older side that act as though they've never seen a letter before! As long as you read, sing talk and read read read to your child they will be fine.. and like I said preschool will do wonders. It definately did for my daughter!

 

[minkydog]

Posts like this, about people planning their child's birth to take advantage of a particular season or vacation or holiday, just crack me up. In a kind of sad way, really. Not that you wouldn't be thrilled to have a healthy child in any month of the year, but really...is it that important??

I have three kids, 1 born in August and 2 born in April. None were planned. We had a *lot* of fertility issues. We were just grateful to have each one. They are all as different as night and day.

Our oldest was never academically inclined and barely made it through HS, but is very gifted musically. Our middle child is a self-starter and an average student, but has charted her course since 2nd grade and is very talented (musical theater!) Our youngest was born with multiple disabilities--we started him in school as soon as it was legally possible; he couldn't even sit alone! He'll stay in school until he is 21, I imagine. How silly would it have been to try to plan my children's births to coordinate with some arbitrary school start date? Their needs are so different.

I say, if you want to have a baby, go have a baby. I hope your baby is healthy and whole. The other stuff will fall into place.

 

[abcboys]

I thought I was the only person that ever thought about that. My oldest 2 were born in oct and march so it was no big deal when they would go to kindy (cutoff sept 1) my oldest although one of the oldest in his class still struggles and failed 1st grade (even though we chose not to hold him back) I knew I didn't want a summer baby and was hoping I wouldn't get pregnant "right away" (but I did) and have to choose when they went to kindy. Well 3rd son was born July 11 and just turned 3. I don't know what I'll do when the time comes but I think I'll just wait to see how he does. Really, I was like you and kept saying I'm going to try not to have a summer baby b/c I don't want to have to choose when they go to K. But if you do get pregnant and have that summer baby it will be okay and try not to worry about it.

 

[bookgirl]

My nephews were redshirted (June Birthdays) so they were 6 years 2 months when they started Kdg. It really does give them a leg up (boys and maturity blah blah blah)...and hey if they're going to be sports minded it means that your kid (playing by grade and not age) is usually a whole year older than the other freshmen/jv players,,,,can't beat that...LOL if they also get freshman redshirted then they can play collegate on the five year program.

 

[EthansMom]

I agree with others that I wouldn't worry about Kindergarten when deciding when to conceive a baby.

Here in CT, the cutoff is 5 by Dec. 31, so a kid can be 4 for several months of Kindergarten. Most parents of kids who have Dec. birthdays choose to wait another year for Kindergarten, but not all.

I have one nephew who has a Dec. birthday, was not kept back a year, and seems to struggle to keep up with his classmates socially and emotionally. I have another nephew who has an August birthday, gets along well with his peers but was struggling with many academics. SIL and BIL decided to put nephew number 2 in Kindergarten for a second year and he has blossomed academically and with his confidence.

There really isn't any social stigma to going to Kindergarten for 2 years... much better for a child who needs it to get the extra help early on than to continue to struggle without understanding the basics.

BTW, Kindergarten these days is more like First Grade was for most of us... Around here, the presumption is that most kids will have gone to preschool for at least one year.

 

[mommyceratops]

I didn't read all the responses....

You can as the PARENTS hold the child...they can't make him go early...some parents choose to have their child held back...at age 5 they aren't going to know.

 

[momto2girls]

I absolutely understand your concern. I didn't realize that this should be a consideration before I conceived my older daughter. I soon realized that her summer birthday was going to be a big consideration. I obsessed over the decision about when to send her to K for a couple of years. In the end it all worked out for the best because we ended up deciding to homeschool. I doubt that I would have decided to do that from the get-go if I hadn't spent so much time researching and considering our educational choices. So, for that I am grateful because we love homeschooling. It was stressful up until that point though!

I would probably try to time the conception of your baby to a "safe" time, but if it doesn't work out, I would just go with the flow. I was fortunate enough to conceive my children on the first try both times so maybe you'll get lucky too!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I haven't read everyone's responses, but I'll agree with the few I have read that said you shouldn't worry about Kindergarten when trying to conceive. Every child is different. There are some kids that have late birthdays and do just fine in Kindergarten. And there will be some kids that have late birthdays and won't do well. There will also be some kids that have earlier birthdays and still struggle in Kindergarten.

Bottom line is you can make the decision based upon your child whether to send them or hold them back. And there's a good chance you will conceive at a time when this won't even be an issue. So don't worry about it.

My DD is turning 5 in the middle of September. State law has the cut off date at September 30, but several local school districts have cut off dates that are earlier. You can have your child tested to determine if he/she is ready to start too. I chose to hold DD back because she just isn't emotionally/socially ready for it. I am moving her out of her current preschool/daycare and into a pre-K program that will be a little more structured and closer to what she will experience in Kindergarten. I believe it will be a good transition for her as the pre-K program is in the same school where I'm planning to have her attend Kindergarten. When it came right down to it, this was the course I felt comfortable with. Now I just have to wait and see how it goes.

 

[5 for WDW]

I am with everyone else. Don't worry about it now. It totally depends on the child.
We are also on Long Island. Our cutoff is December 1st. Children must be 4 by 12/1 to enter Pre-k and 5 by 12/1 to enter Kindergarten.

My oldest son's b-day is in early August. You wouldn't think he would be one of the youngest in his grade since his b-day is a few months from the cutoff but he is. He has never had a problem socially or academically. He is right on target with his peers.

My middle son's b-day is 12/21, so he missed the cutoff. He entered Kinder when he was 5 and turned 6 that December. He is the second oldest in the grade. He has also done wonderfully. He will be in 3rd grade this year. Each of his past teachers have commented on how mature he is. There is really a difference with him compared to some of the younger kids. I know another poster mentioned something about sports. That can be good and bad too. Even though he was only in 2nd grade this year, because he was 8 they moved him up to the 3/4 Little League team. Thankfully, my son is friends with a lot of the boys in those grades but, it did upset him that he couldn't play with his classmates. In the end he was thrilled with being on the team and really played at their level. But, I know if that would have been my older son in that postition he would have been very intimidated.

Our youngest is going into Kindergarten this September. She will turn 5 in October and is one of the youngest in the grade. We do not have any concerns about her at all. She did really well in Pre-K and her teacher laughed at me when I asked if DD was ready for Kindergarten. She can't wait and we are really looking forward to a great year with her.

Redshirting is not common here. There are parents that do it but, it is not the norm. The cutoff is the cutoff. I think I prefer it that way. For me, it takes away the worry about whether or not your child is ready. Of course, a parent should always do what is right for their child. They know their child better then anyone else. Thankfully, each of my kids were ready when their time came. I know there can be so many judgements made about this topic. I have never figured out why since it is about parents doing what they feel is right for their child.

 

[RMulieri]

Relax.You can't control conception, and will drive yourself NUTS trying.My dd is being held back till next Sept.I was also held back and i graduated College with honors.My brother went to Kinder. early and also graduated with honors.believe me kindergarten has NO bearing on what kind of student you become or what your academic career is going to be like.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

Well you can attempt to time conception if you know enough about your cycle thru charting and temping AND it is actually successful. My husband and I did want an October baby... and we have one by timing conception in Feb.

but anyways. Redshirting is actually holding your child back from Kindergarten even though they may make the age cut off. Your school district should have documentation on what the cut off is. Here in our district its Aug 31 really no exceptions unless you want to pay for independant screening. So my daughter will be almost 6 when she starts...she's going to do a year of pre-K.

My husband and I also both have Oct birthdays and the cut off was Dec 1..we started K at 4 years old...and we are both fine. There are probably pros and cons to both..I wouldn't let it overwhelm you..

Best of luck

 

[davidb69]

Honestly, I have never heard of someone trying to figure this stuff out 5 years ahead of time. Kids are always different and a lot of it depends on how they grow up emotionally.

Our first boy was very excited for school with no behavior issues. Our second boy who goes thru happiness issues, at summer camp at first has adjusted and we know he should be fine now. You also gotta know that if he has friends that are his age and are ahead of him in school, that could hurt he/she emotionally too. Good luck in having kids, just don't over think these things.

 

[brymolmom]

In our area you are not allowed to "redshirt" your child. You can keep your child out of kindergarten - children don't have to attend school until 7 - but when you do register them they will be placed with "age appropriate peers".

So if you keep your child out of kindy, the next year they will not be placed in kindy, but straight into grade 1.

If you do want to keep your child back, you will have to find a private school who will register them.

They have also put into place rules for HS students and sports - grade 10 students can't be any older than 16 to compete, grade 11, 17 and grade 12 is 18 - this is to prevent older students from dominating the field.

If your child is 17 in grade 10, then they have to compete with the grade 11 students.

If your child turns 19 in their senior year, they can not play HS sports anymore - even if they are still in HS.

OMG - I didn't realize that this type of regulation could be put in at the school board level! That is GREAT! I am a huge fan of banning redshirting (unless due to a specific delay that is being worked on with a doctor). I have a 4 year old who will start on time in Sept (dec 1st cutoff here) - and I know, full well, that if too many 'should be 1st grader' kids are in her classroom it will affect her classroom and her learning experience in a negative way. If there is an 'even playing field' and everyone in the classroom is within a 12 month span - you will likely get a 'bell curve' of skill levels. When you throw in kids who are already reading and should really be in 1st grade it throws that bell off it's curve, and leaves the young kids who should be there into the way, way bottom of the curve with a huge majority above them, NOT due to intelligence, simply due to more months alive on this planet in order to learn more things.

I have been wanting to find a way to stop this practice, because it will only be stopped if parental choice is removed. Even if my area changes the cutoff to August 1st, then the March, April, May, June, july kids will all be held back....many due to the very vague 'not ready' stipulation.

My child is a very average 4 year old. 4 Year olds are supposed to be in Kindergarten here...so even though she has the maturity and academics of an average 4 year old - she belongs there.

I am so happy to learn that regulations like this exist. I am going to start attending some school board meetings to see how to go about presenting and pushing for this type of regulation here!

Thanks for the info!

 

[hmacmahony]

Ahhh, the good old redshirting debate.
Honestly, just get pregnant, then worry about it in 5 years. The last thing I would worry about while trying to get pregnant would be redshirting.
Pregnacy sometimes cannot be planned, sometimes it happens right out of the gate. Worry about taking your vitamins!!
I have redshirted my kids, and it was not a decesion we made lightly (so I am not trying to make light of it), but believe me, we never even thought about it before we concieved.
Enjoy the art of making a baby, and the pregnacy, and all that fun stuff, then in a few years, worry about kindergarten!! They grow way to fast anyway, and in the blink of an eye they will be too big!!
Hope all works out, if you really want to talk redshirting, PM me, I can give you all the info we have, and places to look for info! But, really, just enjoy the next few months, they are such an amazing time in your life!!

 

[disney_family_1247]

I personally think that school cut-off dates are the last thing to be worried about when conceiving a baby . I'll share a few more pressing concerns: Can you get pregnant? Will everything go okay with the pregnancy? Will the delivery be smooth and safe for mom and baby? Will the baby be healthy?

When we wanted to have our first baby, we played the whole game of choosing when we wanted her to be born. I was teaching, and we decided that I should have a baby in the middle of April to maximize my time off. It became apparent that Mother Nature is not so easily scheduled. After four months of trying, we got pregnant. Our first daughter was born in mid-July .

As for starting K late or having to repeat it: in many states, kids don't necessarily repeat K, they go into Transitional 1st instead of regular 1st grade. I think that if you as the parents handle it right, your child wouldn't feel "dumb" if he/she had to repeat. My brother was very young for his class. He attended K in a public school. The next year, my parents put all of us in a private school. They put my brother in K again because he was so young. He has a BS, Masters in Pharmocology, and is currently in medical school, so I don't think he feels dumb .

There are enough things to worry about when you have kids. My advice is to relax and know that you can't control everything .

 

[Vijoge]

Two of the smartest girls I went to school with were born in October. Back then the cutoff was Dec 1, not June. They both graduated HS in three years (at age 16), went to college. One has a PHD and writes college textbooks for a living.

If you're concerned about starting school too young, though, check you're state laws. Many states don't even require a child start school until age 7.

 

[ldo]

HAVe a baby and don't worry--there are so many variables with each child. Most schools havea FIRM entry age--(ex. My April baby was ready to go to K a year early at 4.5 (but had to wait until a full 5), but most schools allow an extra year before attending K.
My July baby was near the cut-off (sept) and I was planning to "Redshirt." However, I sent him to private K (many preK places offer private K, as well--also there's Montesorri, etc.). My thought was to see how he did that year and probably repeat K the next year in public school, call the private K "Jr. K" which many of his friends who just missed the cut-off date were attending and that he would probably not even realize he had "repeated" K.
At midpoint, K teacher said either repeat K or go to 1st was OK for him. At our last conference, she said "please send him to 1st grade--he is totally ready." ANd we did--and he did just fine. good luck. Elaine

 

[Benducci]

2 things - 1- I think you are putting way too mich thought into this- concentrate first on being able to conceive & have a baby - you are putting the cart before the horse- have the bay first before you worry about kindergarten
2 - each child is an individual- some kids are ready before other kids- you don't know until you have your kids & see how they are - a child who is the youngest might be more mature than a child who is the oldest - you may have a child with learning difficulties & this will mean nothing to you. You don't know-
good luck!