Can slowing down be the secret to getting ahead in life? Join us as we explore this provocative idea with John Chavez, a veteran educator with over two decades of experience. John shares his game-changing 17, 18, 19 approach and discusses the vital years before college. Discover how the developmental differences among students in the same grade can significantly impact their readiness for college and adulthood. It's not just about hitting the books; it's about nurturing social and emotional maturity that grows with age.
John shares his innovative strategy of having children repeat kindergarten at a new school, which effectively resets their educational journey without the stigma of being held back. We touch on fascinating research from the Journal of Educational Psychology that illustrates the benefits of being older within a grade, including higher self-esteem and reduced anxiety. While this approach isn't a universal fix, it sparks a compelling conversation about how a child's relative age can influence their confidence and performance. Tune in to hear John's personal experiences and insights, and consider how this approach might transform your child's educational path.
Episode Transcript
Okay, so have you ever heard of the term
redshirting?
You know, like in educationit's kind of interesting, right?
Like we're always told to go,go, go faster, further got to
get ahead.
But what if and I know thissounds kind of counterintuitive
but what if slowing down likeactually help us get further in
(00:21):
the long run?
That's the whole idea behindredshirting, at least in the
world of education.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
And it's a pretty hot topic these days.
We've actually got John Chavez.
He's a super experiencededucator, been doing this for
over 20 years, also a coach, andhe's got this really
interesting take on redshirting.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
He actually used it with his own sons.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
And he calls it the 17, 18, 19 approach Okay, and it
really focuses on those yearsleading up to college, you know,
like those make or break years.
So that's what we're going tobe diving into today.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Awesome.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
It's kind of like, you know, back in high school
and there was always that onekid who was like a year older
than everyone else, Like Ispecifically remember gym class
and it'd be that one kid who wasjust like towering over
everyone else.
And and it'd be that one kidwho was just like towering over
everyone else and you just knewthey were going to like dominate
in basketball, Right, but Inever really thought about it
beyond that.
You know, like the whole biggerpicture.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Right right.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
But John Chavez did, and he actually lived it, even
with his own sons.
So what exactly is this whole17, 18, 19 philosophy?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
So it's actually pretty straightforward when you
think about it.
You know how in a typical highschool graduating class, you've
got kids who are 17, 18, and 19?
.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Right yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
All in the same grade , all working towards, you know,
graduation, collegeapplications, that whole thing.
But developmentally they can bein totally different places.
Oh, absolutely Like a17-year-old compared to a
19-year-old, that's huge.
Huge yeah, and that's Chavez'sbig point.
Even just that one year canmake a world of difference in
terms of how ready a student isfor college, and you know just
(01:55):
life in general.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
So it's not even just about like their grades and
academics.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Exactly, it's about the whole package.
You know that social, emotionalmaturity that comes with age.
It's about being able to handlethe pressures and
responsibilities that come withcollege and, frankly, just being
an adult.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
That makes a lot of sense.
So how does this 17, 18, 19thing actually work?
Like is he saying hold kidsback a year?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
So it's a little different than the traditional
way people think aboutredshirting.
Usually, parents think aboutholding their kid back in
kindergarten.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yeah, that's what I always thought it was.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
But Chavez, he suggests something different.
He says delay their entry intofirst grade and have them repeat
kindergarten.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Oh, interesting OK.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
But and this is key have them repeat kindergarten at
a new school.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Oh, I see.
So it's like hitting the resetbutton, but without like the
stigma of being held back withthe same group of kids.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Exactly, you got it.
See, there's actually a ton ofresearch out there that shows
how much of an impact a kid'srelative age within a grade can
have on them psychologically.
Like there was this one study,I think it was in the Journal of
Educational Psychology and theyfound that students who are
older than their classmates inthe Journal of Educational
Psychology and they found thatstudents who are older than
their classmates, they tend tohave higher self-esteem and way
less anxiety.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Oh, wow, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Which makes total sense, right yeah, if you think
about it, if you're always theyoungest in the class, you might
feel a little unsure ofyourself, a little more pressure
to keep up.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
It's like that feeling of always playing catch
up, even if you're doing justfine.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, exactly, and that can really wear on a kid's
confidence and their performancein school.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
That makes a lot of sense, but OK, so there has to
be like downsides to this wholething too, right?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Oh, absolutely.
It's not a magic solution orone size fits all kind of thing,
right?
I mean, one of the biggestconcerns is how a kid would
adjust socially, you know, ifthey're always a year older than
their classmates yeah, that'strue will they be able to find
their group, make friends andreally feel like they belong, or
will they always feel likethey're on the outside looking
(03:53):
in?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
that's a really good point.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
I didn't even think about that and then there's the
whole thing about how they seethemselves academically.
If they know they had thatextra year, will they always
wonder if they actually neededit.
You know, like would they havebeen just as successful without
it?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Right.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
And that could really mess with their confidence as
learners.
And then, of course, the bigoverarching question is does
delaying formal education reallygive kids a big advantage in
the long run?
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Right.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Or are there other things that matter more, like
their family background, howmuch money their parents make,
their individual learning styles?
You know all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
It's definitely a lot more complex than it seems at
first glance.
I mean, it really makes youthink, like if you were in this
position and you had to makethis decision for a kid in your
life, what would you do?
Like if you had a niece, anephew, your own child, what
would be the most importantfactors for you?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Oh man, that's a tough one.
There are so many things toconsider.
I mean, you'd have to thinkabout their personality, how
they learn best, how well theyget along with others.
Are they already kind of aheadof the game, or are they
struggling to keep up?
I mean, it's definitely not aone size fits all situation.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Definitely not.
It's a lot to weigh.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Exactly, and you really have to think about the
long game, like how is thisdecision going to affect how
they grow socially, how they seethemselves as learners and how
prepared they are for not justcollege but like life after that
?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
It's a really interesting perspective for sure
, and I think, if anything, itchallenges that whole idea that
getting ahead always means goingfaster.
Definitely.
You know, sometimes slowingdown a bit might be the best way
to help a child truly thrive.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Absolutely Couldn't agree more.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Something to think about, especially if you're like
tempted to rush towards thatfinish line.
Sometimes taking a littledetour might be the best way to
go For sure Sometimes taking alittle detour might be the best
way to go, for sure, and youknow, it makes you wonder.
If slowing down can be sobeneficial in education, could
it apply to other areas of lifeas well?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Hmm, that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Like what about redshirting in sport Right, or
music or even the arts Right?
I mean, there are definitelyplaces where developmental
differences can be just asimportant as they are in school.
Absolutely so maybe that'ssomething for all of us to
ponder, whether we're parents,educators, coaches or just you
know trying to navigate our ownpaths in life.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I like it.
It's definitely something tothink about.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Because maybe, just maybe, slowing down is the key
to unlocking our full potential.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I'm all for that.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Well, on that note, that's our deep dive for today.
Thanks for joining us and we'llcatch you next.
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