In the autumn of 1976, I was a bright-eyed 4-year-old stepping into my kindergarten classroom. Back then, parents didn’t hesitate to enroll their little ones at that tender age, as the cutoff was generally December 31. It was typical to find a room bustling with 4-year-olds, who would mature and catch up with their older classmates throughout the school year.
Fast forward to today, and such a scenario is virtually nonexistent. Most school districts have shifted the age cutoff to late July or August, making it rare to find 4-year-olds in kindergarten. Even this adjustment hasn’t quelled parental concerns, leading many to “redshirt” their 5-year-olds—essentially postponing their start to kindergarten until they turn 6. This term, borrowed from college athletics, refers to allowing freshmen to sit out their first year while still keeping four years of eligibility. Parents have recognized the advantages of this strategy in education, believing that an extra year can help their children develop the maturity needed to handle the demands of contemporary kindergarten.
A study by Stanford University supports this notion, revealing that children who delay their entry into kindergarten exhibit better attention spans and significantly higher levels of self-control compared to their peers. Remarkably, these advantages persist for years. Additionally, researchers found that postponing kindergarten can decrease the likelihood of hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders. This trend has been particularly embraced by parents of boys, who often face challenges with attention at that age, resulting in a greater number of boys being redshirted.
This phenomenon is explained by the “relative age effect.” Older children in a class tend to have a more advanced physiology, which makes them more receptive to learning. But does delaying kindergarten yield lasting benefits beyond early schooling? Or do these children eventually catch up with their peers in middle and high school?
A recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research is among the first to track redshirted kindergartners into adulthood, and the findings are illuminating. According to NPR, students who begin school later tend to outperform their younger classmates, boasting improved odds of attending and graduating from prestigious colleges. The study specifically compared children who turned 5 in August and started kindergarten immediately with those who celebrated their fifth birthday in September and were in the same class. Remarkably, the older students scored nearly 40 points higher on SAT exams. Socioeconomic status did not play a significant role in this age achievement gap, indicating that even kids from affluent backgrounds experienced the same disadvantages when starting school at 4.
This rising concern about the optimal age for starting kindergarten may stem less from age itself and more from the evolving nature of what kindergarten entails. Today’s kindergarteners are expected to independently read before even stepping into the classroom—an expectation that many argue is unrealistic. Researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggest that early education should prioritize age grouping over strict grade-level requirements, which could help mitigate the stark developmental differences that a mere year can create. Lowering the expectations for incoming kindergarteners might also assist younger children in catching up with their older classmates.
In summary, delaying kindergarten can offer significant long-term benefits, especially in terms of academic performance and personal development. With modern kindergarten’s increasing demands, parents should consider the potential advantages of allowing their children an extra year to mature. For more insights into home insemination and related topics, check out this resource on pregnancy, and learn more about how to navigate the journey of parenthood at Make a Mom.