Redshirting

[Guest guest]

So I had some fun looking up stuff on redshirting on google scholar this afternoon. I thought I'd present another point of view.By the way, Kaye, I agree with you that twice exceptional kids aren't served by simply putting them in school early, or a grade ahead. Or even in a GATE class, really. Montessori was wonderful for my son because it was individualized. If he could have done that forever, it would have been great. My dd, who is highly gifted (minus the special needs) was bored out of her gourd in GATE classes. Things got better in high school with AP classes and Academic Team. That's a school team that matches wits with another school team in a Jeopardy-like competition. Her first year, her team won the county championship.Here is a sampling of what I found on redshirting:"...waiting an extra year may make students more likely to drop out of school thus reducing life time earnings." (from Jane Lincove and Painter, "Does the Age that Children Start Kindergarten Matter? Evidence of Long-Term Educational and Social Outcomes""Today’s schools also provide other valuable services – such as nutrition, psychologicalcounseling, and remediation for learning disabilities – that can provide bigger benefits ifinterventions occur at an early age (Karweit 1988; May, Kundert, Nickoloff, Welch, Garrett & Brent 1994; May & Kundert 1997). Particularly if a child is in need of these services, schoolattendance may improve learning in the long-run." (Lincove and Painter)WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT HOLDING CHILDREN OUT (from "Opportunity Deferred or Opportunity Taken? An Updated  Look at Delaying Kindergarten Entry" by Hermine H. Marshall, Ph.D. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web1. Some families delay their child's kindergarten entry because of maturity concerns. Often these concerns are influenced by the culture of the school or community.2. On average, delaying kindergarten entry has no long-term effect on academic achievement. By about third grade, any early differences disappear. However, the combination of youngness and low ability may have neggative consequences for achievement.3. Holding children out deprives them of instruction that, regardless of age, promotes learning of many skills.4. Holding children out does not result in any social advantage. There are no differences in peer acceptance or self-concept.  On the contrary, some children who are redshirted worry that they have failed and develop poor attitudes toward school. They are more likely later to have behavior problems and to drop out.        5. Children who have been held out are more likely to receive special education services later. Enrolling children when they are eligible may lead to their receiving help earlier.6. In developmentally appropriate kindergartens, children's age or maturity should make no difference. In kindergartens that are pressure-cookers influenced by the demands of achievement-oriented teachers, families may have greater cause for concern.CONCLUSIONFamilies concerned about their child's maturity and whether to enroll their child in kindergarten when he or she is eligible have often been advised to give the child the gift of time. Research does not support this practice. In f act, delaying kindergarten entry often has negative effects. Families need to consider that by holding their child out, they may in fact be depriving the child of important opportunities for learning--what Graue and DiPerna (2000) refer to as theft of opportunity.