If you grade or compare for admissions 5 yr olds to 3 yr olds, in most cases there would be no contest the 5 yr old would win. There are exceptions but not the rule.

I am really skeptical that successful students are being held back in grades 3 to 7. Name the school. It certainly has not happened at either of my children's private schools.

12% of the class would be born in the same month and year, 25% would have been born over the summer just like our child.

"Those of us with high school kids can tell you it really, really doesn't make a difference. "

As a high school parent of three, I can tell you that this is false. If it does not make a difference, why do so many parents of students who are doing well in school decide to have their son repeat a year? I am not speaking to those who see an issue in kindergarten and for various reasons, intellectual or emotional, decide to have their child repeat a year. What a very difficult decision and I know of several parents who have struggled with this.


I do have an issue with successful students being held back in 3-7th grade for other reasons, namely sports. There are quite a few of these red-shirted athletes on the various teams around, lacrosse and basketball seem the most prevalent. Whenever you hear the word "phenomenon" attached to a high school athlete, check his age. I am always curious when I see the All-Met teams come out ....how many of these athletes were red-shirted?..I would love it if the Post did research on this. This seems to be much more frequent occurrence in DC and Maryland than in Virginia. Many Virginia parents show up at privates in DC and MD wondering what in the world....how could all these students get held back?

I have seen athletes being mowed over in freshman football by the 220lb late 15 year old or 16 year old freshman. You may argue that there are 220lb 14 year olds doing the same thing...but these 14year old athletes do not have the muscle mass that a 16 year old would have. A one year difference is huge at this age as well as the remaining years of high school. That is why parents do it!

It also can make a difference socially. Those students who are 1 year to 18 months older do bring a new set of issues to the table. Your 14 year old freshman daughter may not be ready for the issues a 16 year freshman boy brings. I am not saying that every 16 year old freshman boy is not to be trusted..but what I am saying is the argument that "it does not make a difference" to red-shirt is ridiculous.

That is why parents spend an extra chunk of money on that extra year. Again, some students do truly need this extra year to be successful...and I believe these are in the minority .....for others....merely a "vanity" year....parents looking for that edge for little johnny.

For people with kids who have birthdays in August, for example, it is going to be either a choice btw kids a year younger or kids a year older. What makes you so positive that it is wrong and sad to choose to have them be on the older end?

Anonymous wrote:

This is what the complainers always say. That they somehow think parents are cheating. They really have no idea of the variety of kids out there and the reasons parents make this decision. And they have younger children,more often than not. Those of us with high school kids can tell you it really, really doesn't make a difference. Chill out. There's really nothing to be gained by working yourself up over what you perceive to be someone else's vanity.

You say that, but my conversations with the PreK, K, 1, 2, 3 grade teachers who are impacted by the decisions suggests otherwise. Sure, by high school, they have all gone through puberty, have the option for drivers licenses and can compete physically with each other on the fields and courts. In the younger years, the academics and social structures are being engineered by parents who are making a determination that their child, based on no physical or mental impairments, need more time so they can be groomed into leaders and class achievers. At the end of the day, their kids realize they are being paired with kids a year younger. It is sad, and the school administrators should not encourage it.

Anonymous wrote:@10:22 The issue is not when there are issues that impact a decision. The issue is when it is vanity redshirting for the sake of giving little Betty or Archie "the gift of time".

10:22 here. I understand the distinction - but if you read the comments - not everyone is making that distinction.

Anonymous wrote:@10:22 The issue is not when there are issues that impact a decision. The issue is when it is vanity redshirting for the sake of giving little Betty or Archie "the gift of time".

This is what the complainers always say. That they somehow think parents are cheating. They really have no idea of the variety of kids out there and the reasons parents make this decision. And they have younger children,more often than not. Those of us with high school kids can tell you it really, really doesn't make a difference. Chill out. There's really nothing to be gained by working yourself up over what you perceive to be someone else's vanity.

@10:22 The issue is not when there are issues that impact a decision. The issue is when it is vanity redshirting for the sake of giving little Betty or Archie "the gift of time".

My son's kindergarten class has several 7 yr olds in it.

So what, I was 12 going into the 9th grade in public school. When I went to private school, I repeated (red shirted) the 9th grade to attend my preferred school (they did not take kids into the upper school). I turned down Exeter, Andover and Mount Hermon which accepted me for the 10 th grade. I was still the youngest in my repeat 9th grade private school class. No issues. I was the shortest and lightest when I matriculated. I ultimately played 2 varsity sports and captained the basketball team my senior year.

I was not intimidated intellectually, athletically, creatively by older or bigger children (nor smaller or younger children). My parents did not instill these crass notions of inferiority in me as a youngster.

The proper fit does not necessarily adhere strictly to chronological age.

This parent is making a mountain out of a mole hill. If you do not like bigger, older...or smaller and younger children, in class with your child I would suggest withdrawing your child from the school.

22:53: First grade in Montessori is not mixed age class.

Pardon my ignorance, but can someone please explain why this is a problem? How is a non-redshirt student harmed by redshirt students being in the class?

Full disclosure, I started my DS a year late for K at a private school. He had diagnosed physical and mental developmental delays and everyone who knew him (his parents, his pre-K teacher, his prospective K teacher) all agreed that another year in pre-K was necessary. Otherwise, he would have not have been socially and developmentally ready for all day K. One of the biggest concerns was that he would have problems keeping his stamina. Everyone here who has boys knows that when they get tired, they can be distracted or disruptive. So when we made the decision, we were looking at his needs and how he would fit in a classroom setting.

Frankly, my DS is now a rising 7th grader and, in looking at him, you would not know that he is a year older chronologically. Developmentally, he is right where he is supposed to be. But if we had forced him to go to K solely based on his age instead of his developmental readiness, we would have doomed him to fail. He was not ready! And I cannot think of one competitive advantage he has because of the redshirting. He is on his developmental level.

So I ask again, what is the issue with placing kids based on their developmental readiness?

And to all those whose kids are ready for K at age 5. Good for you! But do not crap on those kids who are not ready at age 5.

most montessori schools have mixed age classrooms in the early grades and a lot of them only allow other montessori kids to attend the school after 4.

Again no one said all schools but the more traditional college prep schools have the philosophy of redshirting.

no one said all but a lot of the k-12 or k-8 redshirt. i do not think you see this as much in the catholic schools or some of the progressive schools.

My DD will turn 6 yo in early September, a few weeks after starting first grade at her private Montessori school. There are two other boys in her class turning 6 in Sept as well, and I think the other kids entering first grade with her are all 6 years old. So not all privates are redshirting.