Anonymous wrote:I'm so glad we sent our late July girl to kindergarten on time (yes, on time) in an area with a 9/1 cutoff. She's doing great, loves it and I'm so glad she won't be in a giant class like the next class is bound to be. Her teacher said she never would've guessed she was the youngest in her class.

July shouldn't even be a question to send them.

The age difference in K-2nd grade can show up in academics, particularly reading levels, but those differences can be made up. The big impact is in middle school where physical size, emotionaly maturity, and puberty, all play huge roles in kids' academic and emotional well-being.

The teachers and administrators to talk to about the impact of red-shirting are the ones at the middle-school level and not the ones at the elementary school level.

If your kid is not doing well at the end of the kindergarten because they are young for their grade -- repeat it. NBD. If your kid is not doing okay, academically and emotionally, at the end of sixth and seventh grade, then you and your kid are in real trouble, and that trouble will continue for many, many years.

I'm so glad we sent our late July girl to kindergarten on time (yes, on time) in an area with a 9/1 cutoff. She's doing great, loves it and I'm so glad she won't be in a giant class like the next class is bound to be. Her teacher said she never would've guessed she was the youngest in her class.

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Anonymous wrote:We are homeschooling our K kid this year. FWIW we have one redshirted kid with a mid September birthday. We wouldn’t have held back any other child with a summer birthday, much less spring! That’s crazy! Our redshirter started K at age 5...

Mid-sept is not considered redshirting. In california, you must be 5 by the time you start K. Sept-Dec kids aren't even allowed in K if they aren't nearly 6.

Sept is redshirting in the DMV area.

Not in Maryland where the cutoff is 9/1, the September kids are naturally the oldest.

This was my op. We are in VA, so cut off is Sept 30. We got a lot of flack for holding back our 4 year old from K. I still think that’s ridiculous. I’m very glad we didn’t send him “on time.”

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Anonymous wrote:do you think the class that starts KG NEXT year will be super competitive throughout school (will bigger numbers lead to it being super hard to get into college etc.?)

Yes, I worry about this. My kid is K age next fall and I predict his class size is going to be bigger.

Don’t worry about it. Redshirting is a terrible thing to do to a child unless they are very athletic and will be competing in a sport later. It’s like artificially removing the cognitive challenges from kid that boost intelligence. Gifted children are statistically younger than their grade-level peers, an effect evidenced by parents of the smartest children asking if they ought to skip a grade, not if they should hold them back. I totally understand the reason behind redshirting during Covid this year and I know it probably was a difficult decision for many, but it’s so short-sighted for those children who are held back.

DP. Also have a 4yo who will start K next year and I'm more worried about larger class sizes than anything. Don't trust the schools to plan accordingly or have enough $$ for an extra teacher.

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Anonymous wrote:My friend’s son turned five on June 1, THE cutoff day to redshirt in our district. She’s redshirting because, what’s the point. If he had been born a few hours earlier, it wouldn’t be an option. As it stands now, he will be 6 years, 3 months when he starts K in 2021. Seems old. Maybe not. Will most redshirt if it’s an option for them this year?

Ok, that was just plain greedy of her. Redshirting a kid born between October and December is somewhat understandable(though not justified), but a kid with a June birthday is already on the older half. I guess the fact that her son was already slated to be older than most of his classmates wasn't good enough for her; she wanted him to be at-least 7 months older anyone else in his class. If I were you, I would tell your friend that if she wants to be on a moral high ground, she should move her son up to his age-appropriate grade.

What district are you in? Most kids in this area need to be 5 by Sept. 1 to attend kindergarten, so kids with Oct-Dec birthdays would not be attending unless their parents applied for an exemption.

It is funny how the cutoff varies so widely by region- where I grew up it was Dec. 1, where DH grew up it is Aug. 1 I think.

But yes locally I know of a couple kids who turned 5 in August and they did not start kindergarten. In both cases both parents work and the kids are in in-person PreK programs.

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Anonymous wrote:do you think the class that starts KG NEXT year will be super competitive throughout school (will bigger numbers lead to it being super hard to get into college etc.?)

Yes, I worry about this. My kid is K age next fall and I predict his class size is going to be bigger.

Don’t worry about it. Redshirting is a terrible thing to do to a child unless they are very athletic and will be competing in a sport later. It’s like artificially removing the cognitive challenges from kid that boost intelligence. Gifted children are statistically younger than their grade-level peers, an effect evidenced by parents of the smartest children asking if they ought to skip a grade, not if they should hold them back. I totally understand the reason behind redshirting during Covid this year and I know it probably was a difficult decision for many, but it’s so short-sighted for those children who are held back.

Anonymous wrote:do you think the class that starts KG NEXT year will be super competitive throughout school (will bigger numbers lead to it being super hard to get into college etc.?)

Yes, I worry about this. My kid is K age next fall and I predict his class size is going to be bigger.

Totally anecdotal, but my K DD at a private school is one of only two 2015 birthdays in her class between March and July. Most of her class turns 6 by January and one girl will be 7 this winter (obviously an outlier, but still). There is a group of 4 kids from her preschool class of 15 that would be in her K class but stayed for a year of 5s class because her K is hybrid but the preschool operates under daycare regulations and is full-time.

I would say that the kids who are on the older end of the class cause more disruptions on the virtual days because they’re too mature, especially the girls. They’re bored and verbally/socially more advanced, so the usual format and pace of Kindergarten is definitely too babyish for them and they make it clear. An old 6 year old just won’t be enchanted by the things that charm a just-turned 5 year old. I’m not annoyed about redshirting because I’m competitive but because it’s crazy for a teacher in anything but a true Montessori environment to teach to a 20-month age range.

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone else concerned about the size of next fall’s k class? I’m assuming it will be artificially inflated by kids who were red shirted during COVID. I wonder what he impact will be nation wide. Trailers? Teacher shortages? More competitive college admissions?

Larger class sizes and more classes per grade. But the first grade classes will be small, so they will just transition one of the first grade teachers to teach K next year.

Our principal has suggested that he might age differentiate next year's K classes so we don't have a class where a child is 18 months older than a classmate. I have a kid with a June 2016 birthday, so OP's friend's kid will be a full year older than him, and we know people with spring birthdays who redshirted!!!

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Anonymous wrote:That is insanely old and bizarre.

That was my initial thought as well. While virtual K does sound like a nightmare, and while I guess starting K at 6 and 3mo doesn’t sound odd, starting senior year at 18 and 3mo does.

They will be in K when they turn 7. Kids just need to know how to read and basic math. Most parents can teach that. Sounds like lazy parents.

My 5 year old just started a kindergarten. It’s amazing how slow the academics are. My kid can read and do simple math. I looked through her workbooks for the year and she can already do everything. While this would not be an issue in a regular classroom, kindergarten is about learning social skills, working with other kids and transitioning to a school environment—I’m feeling very conflicted about distance learning. However, redshirting would aggravate the problem, not help.

In your situation I would look for a preschool that is offering in person K this year. Many are. And then go to 1st next fall.

Is anyone else concerned about the size of next fall’s k class? I’m assuming it will be artificially inflated by kids who were red shirted during COVID. I wonder what he impact will be nation wide. Trailers? Teacher shortages? More competitive college admissions?

Anonymous wrote:My friend’s son turned five on June 1, THE cutoff day to redshirt in our district. She’s redshirting because, what’s the point. If he had been born a few hours earlier, it wouldn’t be an option. As it stands now, he will be 6 years, 3 months when he starts K in 2021. Seems old. Maybe not. Will most redshirt if it’s an option for them this year?

Ok, that was just plain greedy of her. Redshirting a kid born between October and December is somewhat understandable(though not justified), but a kid with a June birthday is already on the older half. I guess the fact that her son was already slated to be older than most of his classmates wasn't good enough for her; she wanted him to be at-least 7 months older anyone else in his class. If I were you, I would tell your friend that if she wants to be on a moral high ground, she should move her son up to his age-appropriate grade.

Anonymous wrote:The anti-redshirting bias on DCUM is so weird. It must be because this area is so Uber competitive and intense that parents really feel like their kids are getting screwed by the older kids - for spots in programs? Sports? Otherwise, why would they care so much?

I think some of them are genuinely disturbed. There is the weirdo natural law lady, and I can think of a few others.

Anonymous wrote:The anti-redshirting bias on DCUM is so weird. It must be because this area is so Uber competitive and intense that parents really feel like their kids are getting screwed by the older kids - for spots in programs? Sports? Otherwise, why would they care so much?

I think it’s partly one or two people who are Uber-competitive and hate that any kid has an “advantage” due to being like a month or two older than the natural oldest, plus there’s at least one private school parent who didn’t get the concept of unofficial cut-offs in private where the spring and summer birthday kids are routinely held back. But, that person is free to slum it in public schools like the rest of us.

Also there is some kind of belief that redshirting leads to inequalities because poor people can’t afford to pay for an extra year of day care. However I grew up in a lower middle class area and have many friends/family who still live there and I assure you, redshirting exists across all income levels. I don’t think that excuse holds water honestly.