October 10, 2024 • 9 mins
What if giving your child an extra year before kindergarten could set them up for lifelong success? In this episode, we explore the intriguing concept of redshirting and its potential to enhance not just academic performance but social and emotional growth as well. Backed by research from reputable sources like the Journal of Educational Psychology and the National Bureau of Economic Research, we discuss how this decision can positively influence children's maturity, emotional regulation, and executive function. We also touch on how these early advantages might ripple through their educational journey, possibly impacting high school graduation rates and college attendance.
Discover how a simple choice can lead to profound effects on your child's confidence and social skills. Studies show redshirted students often have stronger social abilities and self-esteem, which can make school a more enjoyable experience. Imagine a classroom where your child feels confident, eager to participate, and ready to embrace new challenges. Plus, we discuss how these benefits might extend to happier, less stressed parents. This episode is a must-listen for any parent contemplating the merits of redshirting, filled with insights and possibilities that could reshape your family's educational path.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everybody and welcome to another Deep Dive.
Today we're tackling a topicthat I know a lot of parents are
thinking about redshirting.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
That whole idea of giving your kiddo an extra year
before kindergarten and we wantto be clear up front.
We're really zeroing in on thepotential benefits here.
We're not trying to give like athis or that kind of neutral
overview.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Exactly, yeah, there's a lot of research out
there and we want to focus onwhat makes redshirting seem like
a good choice for some families.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Like, we've got these studies that lay out some
pretty interesting upsides andyou know, one of the first
things that comes to mind for meand I bet a lot of parents is
just like.
Maturity level.
Yeah, is my kid actually readyfor a classroom Like a classroom
like developmentally?
Are they there?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And there's research that actually backs up that
concern.
A 2007 study in the Journal ofEducational Psychology found
that older students often didbetter academically, especially
early on.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Which makes sense right, Like a year at that age
is huge.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Oh, absolutely.
It's not just knowing your ABCs, it's brain development.
That year can make a differencein their emotional regulation,
their executive function.
You know all those skills youneed to focus and control your
impulses and actually like learnin a classroom.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
It's like setting them up for success right.
And speaking of success, thatreminds me of this other study
we've got here from the NationalBureau of Economic Research,
and it actually found thatregistered kids tended to score
higher on standardized testseven later on in their schooling
.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
So it makes you wonder if it's like a snowball
effect.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yeah, it's really interesting to think about that.
Like obviously it's not aguarantee that your kid's going
to suddenly become like astandardized test whiz.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Right.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
But it does make you think about the long-term impact
that even just that little bitof extra time can have.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
It's fascinating.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
And of course you know, it's not just about
academics.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
No, absolutely not.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
There's a whole social side to kindergarten too.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Hugely important.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
And check this out.
There's a study from theJournal of Applied Developmental
Psychology that foundredshirted students often had
stronger social skills, whichagain like kind of tracks with
what we were just talking about.
Right, those extra months couldbe really important for
developing social and emotionalintelligence.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah, it's all about making friends and reading
social cues and feelingcomfortable in a group all that
stuff that makes school more funand less stressful, and if a
few extra months can help withthat, it's worth thinking about.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Totally and you know all that confidence.
Whether it's social or academic, it really can make a
difference.
There's some research from 2006that found redshirting could
even be linked to a boost inself-esteem for kids, and that's
huge.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, think about it.
A child who feels good aboutthemselves is going to be more
likely to participate in class.
They're going to be morewilling to take on challenges
and try new things.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Absolutely, and they might even enjoy learning more,
which is like the Holy Grail,right Exactly.
And happy kids usually meansslightly less stressed parents.
We saw the survey from theNational Center for Education
Statistics from 2013, and itsaid that parents of redshirted
kids were often more satisfiedwith how their child was doing
in school.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Which makes sense.
It can align with what a familyis looking for in those early
years.
Yeah, now, obviously not everyparent's going to feel that way,
and that's okay, of course, butit is something to keep in mind
.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
For sure and get this .
We even found some researchsuggesting that redshirting
might have some really long-termeffects, like way down the line
.
Oh, wow, Like what yeahpotentially influencing high
school graduation rates and evencollege attendance.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
See, that's where we need more research, for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Because that is fascinating to think about.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
It really is Like do those early advantages have this
ripple effect that impacts achild's whole educational
journey?
Speaker 2 (03:41):
It makes you wonder it really does.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah.
So, as we're wrapping up ourRedshirting Deep Dive today,
we've covered a lot of potentialbenefits Things like maybe
getting a bit of a head start inmaturity and academics,
stronger social skills, a boostin confidence.
We even talked about happierfamilies.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And it's important to remember, those are all
potential benefits, notguarantees.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Redshirting is a big decision and every kid is
different.
What works for one family mightnot work for another 100%.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So, with all that in mind, what really sticks out to
you, what matters most to youand your family as you're making
this decision, something tothink about.
Thanks for joining us on thisdeep dive and we'll see you next
time.
Hey everyone, welcome back foranother deep dive.
You know, today we're tacklingsomething uh, kind of big.
You know it's a question I hearfrom parents all the time yeah,
redshirting kindergarten,redshirting, holding your kid
(04:32):
back a year, so they hit theground running.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Right, it's huge.
I mean the playground chatteralone.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Oh, it's intense and everyone wants what's best to
give their little ones an edgeRight.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Right and on the surface it makes sense.
A whole extra year.
Who wouldn't want that?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Exactly.
But that's what this deep diveis about, right.
What's lurking beneath thesurface?
We're going past the hype,digging into some research that
might make parents hit pausebecause you're a kid, your
choice, but let's be informed,yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Informed decisions are the best kind A hundred
percent.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
So first up let's talk about little Timmy, right,
he's a year older, bigger thanthe other kindergartners, maybe
even ahead on a few lettersB-U-T, socially.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
That's where Morrison's 2009 study, published
in the Journal of EducationalPsychology, really comes in.
You can't just fast forwardsocial development.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Makes sense, but what does that look like in real
life?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Well, imagine Timmy at recess.
Everyone's into say tag, youknow classic kindergarten stuff.
But Timmy, he's trying to getthem to play chess or talk about
the stock market.
Okay, maybe exaggerating a tad.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
But I get your point.
Like he's not speaking the sameplay language.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Exactly, and that can be isolating, makes it harder
to connect, build thosefriendships that are so crucial.
At that age, confidence takes ahit too right?
Oh, for sure.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
You're not fitting in , maybe feeling like you should
be further ahead, ouch.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, and that segues into another biggie.
Those academic advantages mightnot last as long as parents
think.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Wait, really, I thought that was the whole point
of redshirting.
I know right, wait really Ithought that was the whole point
of redshirting.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I know right but Dadar's work out of the National
Bureau of Economic Researchback in 2006, they tracked kids
long term, those early gamesPretty much gone by middle
school.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
So no guarantees of a straight of life, huh.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Nope More complex than that.
In fact, some research suggestsolder kids who don't excel
actually feel worse.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Oh man, that's got a sting, adding insult to injury,
almost.
Why is that though?
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Well, think about it.
Everyone expects more rightTeachers, parents, even Timmy
himself might internalize thatTalk about pressure.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, it's like this unspoken thing.
Oh, you're the older one,you've got this.
No room for error.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
And McEwen in 2011 found exactly that this pressure
cooker effect is real.
Kids feel it and it can impacttheir learning, their enjoyment,
everything.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
So are we saying those early years like magically
matter more?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Maybe not magic, but definitely critical.
Gormley's 2005 study out of theInstitute of Education Sciences
found that those earlyinteractions, the social skills,
the foundation of learning.
It's prime time for that stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
So even if they catch up academically, socially,
emotionally, they might bemissing out on something key.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Potentially Every kid's different, but it's worth
considering.
And then there's the societalangle.
This one's big.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Ooh, okay, hit me with it.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Think about WHO red shirts most often Renane and
Steele from the Harvard KennedySchool 2007,.
They found it's often familieswith more resources.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Makes sense.
It's an investment, right Time,often money for another year of
preschool.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Exactly, and that creates what they call an equity
bomb.
The gap between the haves andhave-nots widens Kids without
those advantages, they'replaying catch-up from day one.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Wow, so it's not just about little Timmy anymore,
it's about the whole consistentsystem, deep stuff.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Right, it's multi-layered.
No easy answers, unfortunately,that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
But hey, listeners, that's why we deep dive right
Gets you thinking.
So what's the takeaway forparents grappling with this?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Honestly forget the trends.
Look at your kid.
What do they need?
Where are their strengths,their challenges?
Talk to their teachers, observethem.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Trust your gut too 100%.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
This isn't a one-size-fits-all decision.
It's about setting your kid upfor success, whatever that looks
like.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Love that Individualized approach.
All right, listeners, someHEAVY stuff to ponder today.
Remember way you are yourchild's best advocate.
Until next time, keep askingthose tough questions.
Hey everybody and welcome to another Deep Dive.
Today we're tackling a topicthat I know a lot of parents are
thinking about redshirting.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
That whole idea of giving your kiddo an extra year
before kindergarten and we wantto be clear up front.
We're really zeroing in on thepotential benefits here.
We're not trying to give like athis or that kind of neutral
overview.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Exactly, yeah, there's a lot of research out
there and we want to focus onwhat makes redshirting seem like
a good choice for some families.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Like, we've got these studies that lay out some
pretty interesting upsides andyou know, one of the first
things that comes to mind for meand I bet a lot of parents is
just like.
Maturity level.
Yeah, is my kid actually readyfor a classroom Like a classroom
like developmentally?
Are they there?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And there's research that actually backs up that
concern.
A 2007 study in the Journal ofEducational Psychology found
that older students often didbetter academically, especially
early on.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Which makes sense right, Like a year at that age
is huge.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Oh, absolutely.
It's not just knowing your ABCs, it's brain development.
That year can make a differencein their emotional regulation,
their executive function.
You know all those skills youneed to focus and control your
impulses and actually like learnin a classroom.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
It's like setting them up for success right.
And speaking of success, thatreminds me of this other study
we've got here from the NationalBureau of Economic Research,
and it actually found thatregistered kids tended to score
higher on standardized testseven later on in their schooling
.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
So it makes you wonder if it's like a snowball
effect.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yeah, it's really interesting to think about that.
Like obviously it's not aguarantee that your kid's going
to suddenly become like astandardized test whiz.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Right.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
But it does make you think about the long-term impact
that even just that little bitof extra time can have.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
It's fascinating.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
And of course you know, it's not just about
academics.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
No, absolutely not.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
There's a whole social side to kindergarten too.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Hugely important.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
And check this out.
There's a study from theJournal of Applied Developmental
Psychology that foundredshirted students often had
stronger social skills, whichagain like kind of tracks with
what we were just talking about.
Right, those extra months couldbe really important for
developing social and emotionalintelligence.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah, it's all about making friends and reading
social cues and feelingcomfortable in a group all that
stuff that makes school more funand less stressful, and if a
few extra months can help withthat, it's worth thinking about.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Totally and you know all that confidence.
Whether it's social or academic, it really can make a
difference.
There's some research from 2006that found redshirting could
even be linked to a boost inself-esteem for kids, and that's
huge.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, think about it.
A child who feels good aboutthemselves is going to be more
likely to participate in class.
They're going to be morewilling to take on challenges
and try new things.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Absolutely, and they might even enjoy learning more,
which is like the Holy Grail,right Exactly.
And happy kids usually meansslightly less stressed parents.
We saw the survey from theNational Center for Education
Statistics from 2013, and itsaid that parents of redshirted
kids were often more satisfiedwith how their child was doing
in school.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Which makes sense.
It can align with what a familyis looking for in those early
years.
Yeah, now, obviously not everyparent's going to feel that way,
and that's okay, of course, butit is something to keep in mind
.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
For sure and get this .
We even found some researchsuggesting that redshirting
might have some really long-termeffects, like way down the line
.
Oh, wow, Like what yeahpotentially influencing high
school graduation rates and evencollege attendance.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
See, that's where we need more research, for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Because that is fascinating to think about.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
It really is Like do those early advantages have this
ripple effect that impacts achild's whole educational
journey?
Speaker 2 (03:41):
It makes you wonder it really does.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah.
So, as we're wrapping up ourRedshirting Deep Dive today,
we've covered a lot of potentialbenefits Things like maybe
getting a bit of a head start inmaturity and academics,
stronger social skills, a boostin confidence.
We even talked about happierfamilies.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And it's important to remember, those are all
potential benefits, notguarantees.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Redshirting is a big decision and every kid is
different.
What works for one family mightnot work for another 100%.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So, with all that in mind, what really sticks out to
you, what matters most to youand your family as you're making
this decision, something tothink about.
Thanks for joining us on thisdeep dive and we'll see you next
time.
Hey everyone, welcome back foranother deep dive.
You know, today we're tacklingsomething uh, kind of big.
You know it's a question I hearfrom parents all the time yeah,
redshirting kindergarten,redshirting, holding your kid
(04:32):
back a year, so they hit theground running.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Right, it's huge.
I mean the playground chatteralone.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Oh, it's intense and everyone wants what's best to
give their little ones an edgeRight.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Right and on the surface it makes sense.
A whole extra year.
Who wouldn't want that?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Exactly.
But that's what this deep diveis about, right.
What's lurking beneath thesurface?
We're going past the hype,digging into some research that
might make parents hit pausebecause you're a kid, your
choice, but let's be informed,yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Informed decisions are the best kind A hundred
percent.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
So first up let's talk about little Timmy, right,
he's a year older, bigger thanthe other kindergartners, maybe
even ahead on a few lettersB-U-T, socially.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
That's where Morrison's 2009 study, published
in the Journal of EducationalPsychology, really comes in.
You can't just fast forwardsocial development.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Makes sense, but what does that look like in real
life?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Well, imagine Timmy at recess.
Everyone's into say tag, youknow classic kindergarten stuff.
But Timmy, he's trying to getthem to play chess or talk about
the stock market.
Okay, maybe exaggerating a tad.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
But I get your point.
Like he's not speaking the sameplay language.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Exactly, and that can be isolating, makes it harder
to connect, build thosefriendships that are so crucial.
At that age, confidence takes ahit too right?
Oh, for sure.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
You're not fitting in , maybe feeling like you should
be further ahead, ouch.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, and that segues into another biggie.
Those academic advantages mightnot last as long as parents
think.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Wait, really, I thought that was the whole point
of redshirting.
I know right, wait really Ithought that was the whole point
of redshirting.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I know right but Dadar's work out of the National
Bureau of Economic Researchback in 2006, they tracked kids
long term, those early gamesPretty much gone by middle
school.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
So no guarantees of a straight of life, huh.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Nope More complex than that.
In fact, some research suggestsolder kids who don't excel
actually feel worse.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Oh man, that's got a sting, adding insult to injury,
almost.
Why is that though?
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Well, think about it.
Everyone expects more rightTeachers, parents, even Timmy
himself might internalize thatTalk about pressure.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, it's like this unspoken thing.
Oh, you're the older one,you've got this.
No room for error.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
And McEwen in 2011 found exactly that this pressure
cooker effect is real.
Kids feel it and it can impacttheir learning, their enjoyment,
everything.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
So are we saying those early years like magically
matter more?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Maybe not magic, but definitely critical.
Gormley's 2005 study out of theInstitute of Education Sciences
found that those earlyinteractions, the social skills,
the foundation of learning.
It's prime time for that stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
So even if they catch up academically, socially,
emotionally, they might bemissing out on something key.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Potentially Every kid's different, but it's worth
considering.
And then there's the societalangle.
This one's big.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Ooh, okay, hit me with it.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Think about WHO red shirts most often Renane and
Steele from the Harvard KennedySchool 2007,.
They found it's often familieswith more resources.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Makes sense.
It's an investment, right Time,often money for another year of
preschool.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Exactly, and that creates what they call an equity
bomb.
The gap between the haves andhave-nots widens Kids without
those advantages, they'replaying catch-up from day one.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Wow, so it's not just about little Timmy anymore,
it's about the whole consistentsystem, deep stuff.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Right, it's multi-layered.
No easy answers, unfortunately,that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
But hey, listeners, that's why we deep dive right
Gets you thinking.
So what's the takeaway forparents grappling with this?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Honestly forget the trends.
Look at your kid.
What do they need?
Where are their strengths,their challenges?
Talk to their teachers, observethem.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Trust your gut too 100%.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
This isn't a one-size-fits-all decision.
It's about setting your kid upfor success, whatever that looks
like.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Love that Individualized approach.
All right, listeners, someHEAVY stuff to ponder today.
Remember way you are yourchild's best advocate.
Until next time, keep askingthose tough questions.
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