Here's what I don't understand about red shirting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My August boy went to school on time and is doing great. We met with the school psychologist before making the decision and he strongly urged us to send him. He said red shirted kids might have a leg up in K-2 ish but by the time they are in middle school they start to feel uncomfortable with how much bigger and developed they are than everyone else. Also, by the time they are in high school, they look like they don't belong anymore. 20 is too old to be in high school.

If your school psychologist said this to you, I’d contact his supervisor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you care what other people do? That's no way to go through life.

I'm not OP - Because if your child is two years older than mine in the same classroom, that's a problem for my child.

Can't do math.

DP. A child with a February/March/April/May/June birthday would be two years older than my September birthday DC for a portion of the school year.

That’s ...not how this works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Red shirting is not nearly as prevalent as this forum makes it seem

This. I’m a teacher with experience in multiple school systems- DC, FairfX, MCPS. Redshirting is rare unless you go private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you care what other people do? That's no way to go through life.

I'm not OP - Because if your child is two years older than mine in the same classroom, that's a problem for my child.

Can't do math.

DP. A child with a February/March/April/May/June birthday would be two years older than my September birthday DC for a portion of the school year.

Yes, a child redshirted with a February birthday would turn 7 midway through kindergarten, but at that time, a non-redshirted September child would be 5.5. The February child is roughly 18 months older than a September child, not 2 years. Regardless, outside of private schools, redshirting of the spring birthday kids is quite rare, so I really don’t think this is something you’ll have to worry about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you care what other people do? That's no way to go through life.

I'm not OP - Because if your child is two years older than mine in the same classroom, that's a problem for my child.

Can't do math.

DP. A child with a February/March/April/May/June birthday would be two years older than my September birthday DC for a portion of the school year.

Yes, a child redshirted with a February birthday would turn 7 midway through kindergarten, but at that time, a non-redshirted September child would be 5.5. The February child is roughly 18 months older than a September child, not 2 years. Regardless, outside of private schools, redshirting of the spring birthday kids is quite rare, so I really don’t think this is something you’ll have to worry about.

I know of two children who were redshirted with birthdays during the school year, not during the summer. My kid doesn't think in terms of 5.5 compared to just-turned-7. Just 5 compared to 7.

You're correct that mostly redshirted kids are just 12-13 months older than my DC, not 18 months. In upper elementary grades, the differences are not so large anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My August boy went to school on time and is doing great. We met with the school psychologist before making the decision and he strongly urged us to send him. He said red shirted kids might have a leg up in K-2 ish but by the time they are in middle school they start to feel uncomfortable with how much bigger and developed they are than everyone else. Also, by the time they are in high school, they look like they don't belong anymore. 20 is too old to be in high school.

If your school psychologist said this to you, I’d contact his supervisor.

Seriously. Either the PP is making this story up or she’s in a crappy school whose staff members don’t understand literally the most basic math possible?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you care what other people do? That's no way to go through life.

I'm not OP - Because if your child is two years older than mine in the same classroom, that's a problem for my child.

Can't do math.

DP. A child with a February/March/April/May/June birthday would be two years older than my September birthday DC for a portion of the school year.

That’s ...not how this works.

OMG the anti redshirters really don't understand simple math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, stop. I've been in education for 20+ years. The concept of sending a child who was born within 1 month - at the most 6 weeks) before the cut off has been a conversation among middle class parents for all those 20 years. Nobody is talking about holding a child who was born in February and will therefore be 51/2 at Kindergarten entry into public school. They are talking about kids who turned 5 a few days before they start school. There is a HUGE difference at 5 years old between being barely 5 (Aug birthday) and being basically 6 (Sept/Oct birthday). Just as there is with a just turned 1 year old and a child who is basically 2 at 23 months old.

And for those who ARE held back with a spring birthday - the 2 examples given above - were a child who immigrated to this country with NO English and a child with serious developmental delays. (and frankly, a child with developmental delays needs MORE than just to be held back, but their parents know that - it's none of your business).

And by right before the cutoff I mean an August or mid July birthday for a Sept 1 cutoff, a Nov 15 through Dec 31 birthday for Dec 31 cutoff. Even the June kids are going to kindergarten.

Someone needs to be the youngest, someone needs to be the oldest, but if my child weren't socially and emotionally ready for the heavy lift of kindergarten (at this time, this country has VERY developmentally INappropriate kindergarten expectations for children, too) then I'd hold my August birthday kid back if he really wasn't ready. And some just aren't! Or, if I wasn't sure, I'd send him to a different Kindergarten (private or Waldorf), and then send him to either Public Kindergarten (to keep holding him back/redshirting) or 1st grade depending on whether he were ready.

+1 Could not agree with the bolded more.

+2 I was sent a year ahead of my peers. Different country, different time, but I was home by 1pm every day for the first 5 years or so. I am terrified of how my 5yo will be expected to be gone until 4pm each day!

Are you a SAHP with no preschool? I don't get it. Most of us at age 4 put our kids in a 9-3 preschool to get them prepared. Going to elementary school was not a transition as kids at our preschool were prepared. It was a non-issue as they were used to it, used to sitting and functioning in a classroom. Most were also reading.

It's not about being "prepared" - you can push academics too early on preschoolers as well. Doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. When it comes down to it, K just isn't developmentally appropriate for many kids, particularly those who just turned 5. Ask anyone familiar with early childhood development.

I posted links on the last stupid redshirting thread if you want to actually learn something about the subject. Or feel free to google.

It is developmentally appropriate and those saying it make no sense. Saying its not developmentally appropriate is meaningless. There is no substance. I am very familiar with early childhood development. And, we didn't hold back our child. Instead, we knew he'd be young in his grade and we prepared him. Ever consider if your child is not ready and there are no developmental delays that you may be the problem. You say oh, its not appropriate as an excuse not to prepare your child.

But not familiar with kindergarten, as it is today compared to 10+ years ago. Kindergarten has changed, children haven't.

+1

Please feel free to do some current research, PP. It's not about "preparation" at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you care what other people do? That's no way to go through life.

I'm not OP - Because if your child is two years older than mine in the same classroom, that's a problem for my child.

Can't do math.

DP. A child with a February/March/April/May/June birthday would be two years older than my September birthday DC for a portion of the school year.

That’s ...not how this works.

OMG the anti redshirters really don't understand simple math.

Every single thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you care what other people do? That's no way to go through life.

I'm not OP - Because if your child is two years older than mine in the same classroom, that's a problem for my child.

Can't do math.

DP. A child with a February/March/April/May/June birthday would be two years older than my September birthday DC for a portion of the school year.

Yes, a child redshirted with a February birthday would turn 7 midway through kindergarten, but at that time, a non-redshirted September child would be 5.5. The February child is roughly 18 months older than a September child, not 2 years. Regardless, outside of private schools, redshirting of the spring birthday kids is quite rare, so I really don’t think this is something you’ll have to worry about.

I know of two children who were redshirted with birthdays during the school year, not during the summer. My kid doesn't think in terms of 5.5 compared to just-turned-7. Just 5 compared to 7.

You're correct that mostly redshirted kids are just 12-13 months older than my DC, not 18 months. In upper elementary grades, the differences are not so large anymore.

But, really, it doesn’t matter that a child thinks another kid is two years older. If the difference is 18 months, it is still 18 months no matter what a child thinks. And those cases are few and far between. With most kids, it is a 12 or 13 month difference in age, which makes very little difference in the classroom. You will always have about 12 months between the oldest and youngest anyway, and another 4-8 weeks will not have a substantial effect on what happens in the classroom.

People need to make the decisions that are best for their own children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My August boy went to school on time and is doing great. We met with the school psychologist before making the decision and he strongly urged us to send him. He said red shirted kids might have a leg up in K-2 ish but by the time they are in middle school they start to feel uncomfortable with how much bigger and developed they are than everyone else. Also, by the time they are in high school, they look like they don't belong anymore. 20 is too old to be in high school.

If your school psychologist said this to you, I’d contact his supervisor.

Seriously. Either the PP is making this story up or she’s in a crappy school whose staff members don’t understand literally the most basic math possible?

If you redshirt a September kid, they would be 7 when they start so 20 as a senior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My August boy went to school on time and is doing great. We met with the school psychologist before making the decision and he strongly urged us to send him. He said red shirted kids might have a leg up in K-2 ish but by the time they are in middle school they start to feel uncomfortable with how much bigger and developed they are than everyone else. Also, by the time they are in high school, they look like they don't belong anymore. 20 is too old to be in high school.

If your school psychologist said this to you, I’d contact his supervisor.

Seriously. Either the PP is making this story up or she’s in a crappy school whose staff members don’t understand literally the most basic math possible?

If you redshirt a September kid, they would be 7 when they start so 20 as a senior.

What are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My August boy went to school on time and is doing great. We met with the school psychologist before making the decision and he strongly urged us to send him. He said red shirted kids might have a leg up in K-2 ish but by the time they are in middle school they start to feel uncomfortable with how much bigger and developed they are than everyone else. Also, by the time they are in high school, they look like they don't belong anymore. 20 is too old to be in high school.

If your school psychologist said this to you, I’d contact his supervisor.

Seriously. Either the PP is making this story up or she’s in a crappy school whose staff members don’t understand literally the most basic math possible?

If you redshirt a September kid, they would be 7 when they start so 20 as a senior.

Again...basic math is a beautiful thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you care what other people do? That's no way to go through life.

+1

DC has classmates with July and August birthdays and they are just fine. Actually one of the kids with a March birthday seems the most immature (socially) in the class. It all just depends on the kid there is no one size fits all.

[Anonymous]

Redshirting parents think they are beating the system. They aren’t. When you’re a kid, you want to be older and when you’re an adult, you want to be younger. Redshirting benefits someone in elementary school (most of the time) but starts to hurt them as they hit high school and graduate college. It stinks to lose another year to school. You spend YEARS in school and this isn’t including grad school. Why make your kid go through that just so they are a little bigger or faster in kindergarten? Kindergarten hardly matters. One less year of retirement savings does.