'Redshirting': What Is It & How Does It Affect Your Kid?

I hate to be the bearer of this ultra-sad news, but we’ve somehow already reached August — AKA the Sunday of summer. And you and your kids are probably beginning to feel the Summer Scaries (if you will), knowing school is just around the corner. So now parents and caregivers of kiddos approaching school age have a big decision ahead of them.

It’s time to decide if they’ll be “redshirting” their potential kindergartener. It’s not a decision to be made lightly, and so we spoke to experts in education and child development to help families figure out if redshirting is the right move for them.

What Is Redshirting?

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, redshirting in this instance is purposefully delaying a child’s entry into kindergarten even if they meet the age requirements.

“It’s like giving a child an ‘extra lap,’ allowing more time for development before they start formal schooling,” Melissa McCall, a preschool literacy teacher and consultant, tells SheKnows. McCall has taught preschool, kindergarten, and special education and trains preschool teachers on the importance of early literacy via her company, Moving Little Minds. And so she gets questions about this “A LOT!”

How Does Redshirting Affect Your Child?

Just like nearly every parenting decision, redshirting can be a good/and or bad thing for a child. It certainly would be nice if it was cut and dry, but each kid and family has different needs and circumstances. Overall, in McCall’s personal experience, she has seen more positive effects come from redshirting than negative.

So just what are those positive and negative effects, you ask?

What are the pros of Redshirting?

According to Dr. Jody LeVos, Ph.D., an early childhood development expert and chief learning officer at Begin, holding off on enrolling your child in kindergarten can give them — especially if their birthday is close to the cut-off date — extra time to “mature socially, develop physically, and get a strong grasp on some foundational skills that allow them to feel more confident and prepared for school.”

McCall has a similar message, saying a primary benefit is that children have more time to work on important interpersonal skills.

“Given the challenges many children face with social-emotional skills — especially post-COVID — an extra year in preschool can be beneficial,” she says. “If a child struggles with peer interactions, emotional regulation, or is entering kindergarten at a very young age, redshirting may help them adjust better to the structured environment of kindergarten.”

Aside from academics and social skills, Dr. LeVos says redshirting can be commonplace in communities that are big on athletics because kids who have been redshirted are larger, making them “presumably stronger and faster” (and presumably more successful on their respective teams).

This is an issue encountered by SheKnows’ Parenting Editor, Rita Templeton. Her son’s birthday was just one day before the kindergarten cutoff, but she felt he was ready academically, so she sent him. He has done fine in school overall, but now that he’s in high school, being nearly a year younger than most of the people in his class has clearer disadvantages. “The things I didn’t think about when he was very young are now coming up as issues he isn’t always happy about as a teenager: being a year behind his friends in physical growth, being one of the last to get his driver’s license, and the like,” she says. “He never struggled in any other areas, but these aspects of high school have been the biggest challenge.”

What are the cons of redshirting?

The flip side? Dr. LeVos tells SheKnows there’s “no singular, definitive verdict on the consequence of redshirting” but it could certainly impact a child’s confidence in the long term.

It could give a child’s self-esteem a boost if they are older than their peers and can have more academic or athletic success.

Or it could be to their detriment if they see their preschool friends move ahead without them or, if when they do get to kindergarten, they don’t feel like they belong physically or academically.

“If a child is significantly older or taller than their peers, they might feel out of place in the kindergarten class,” McCall said. “Additionally, if a child is academically advanced, it may cause the child to become disengaged in the class.”

Even when weighing the pros and cons, though, Dr. LeVos reminds parents that it’s all ultimately uncertain. (Which is the perhaps frustrating or perhaps freeing truth.) “Deciding to wait an extra year to start school is not a guarantee of, or an automatic detriment to, success,” Dr. LeVos says.

How do you know if redshirting is right for your child?

Not all families will have a choice to redshirt their child depending on their birthday and when the local schools’ cut-off is. It could also come down to whether or not the family can afford to keep their child in daycare for another year. (So yes, there are major socioeconomic implications when it comes to redshirting.) 

Dr. LeVos tells SheKnows that signs that a child might benefit from being redshirted include delays in physical, social, or cognitive development. It’s also worth considering if the practice is commonplace in the community and if the child’s current preschool is a good fit.

As for McCall, the “biggest indicator” is social-emotional development followed by their literacy skills. Parents should ask themselves: Does my child recognize their letters? Sounds? Where do they stand when it comes to oral language, writing, and phonological awareness? If you’re not sure, it’s worth having a chat with their current teacher.

“Speaking with parents in your child’s cohort, the kindergarten teachers at your intended school, and your child’s health care provider, can offer you differing perspectives to consider,” Dr. LeVos adds.

Are there alternative strategies or pathways besides redshirting that parents can consider?

When thinking about alternatives, parents should think about why they want to redshirt their child. If it’s because they’re worried that their child’s social-emotional skills are lacking, McCall says these can be practiced through role-playing different classroom situations with your child, reading books that focus on peer interactions, and scheduling playdates. 

Yes! More playdates can make your child more prepared for kindergarten.

If the concerns are academic, parents can consider tutoring. You might think of that as something reserved for older students, but Dr. LeVos tells us there are tutors who specialize in preparing young kids for school.

“You can also check your local library for summer programs that may target school readiness,” Dr. LeVos says. “Begin also offers a free program called Begin with 15 which is all about providing families with classes and other resources to help boost early learning through fun, interactive learning moments that are easy to implement into your everyday activities.”

How can parents ensure their child’s academic and social needs are being met if they choose to redshirt?

So what happens if you decide to redshirt your child? How can you make the most of that “extra lap?” Like we’ve said, even something as simple as more playdates, swinging by the local library, or downloading an educational app to the device you probably can’t peel them away from can make a huge difference.

Or, as Dr. Rebecca Mannis, Ph.D. — a leading learning specialist at Ivy-prep.com — points out, this can be a great time for parents to look into what kind of support (if any) their child might need down the line. 

“Parents are the most committed advocates for their children, they have the greatest investment in their kids’ growth and have the front seat to the many moments that make up their child’s developmental path,” Dr. Mannis tells SheKnows. “Whether it comes to deciding upon a proper kindergarten, nursery school, or any other time in this journey, it’s all about the parents creating a team whose skills and values speak to their understanding of their child’s needs.” 

Maybe you set up time with their current teacher, a learning specialist, an educational specialist, a speech pathologist, an occupational therapist, or other relevant expert this year so your child is getting the help they need to better prepare them for next year.

“For example, redshirting a child with low motor tone (which contributes to difficulty with posture and being neurologically ready to sit at a table and do academic work) can be helpful if there are also appropriate supports and accommodations in place,” she says. “ … Particularly if there is concern about the child’s capacity to manage the demands of a particular curriculum, putting together a team of professionals who are truly expert and knowledgeable about the school, curriculum, and your child, you and your child may be much better served.”

The redshirting year can be a time to look into those resources, research your child’s future school, and figure out if it is the right fit given any potential needs. So this year is not just an “extra lap” for kids, but a headstart for you.

Ultimately, families should remember that one [red]shirt does not fit all.

“There are so many variables to consider (positive and negative), and what works great for one family may not be the answer for another family,” Dr. LeVos says. “Even within a family, redshirting may be a great choice for one sibling, but not another. That’s ok!”