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September 7, 2010

When it comes to a child’s education, most parents want the best for them. A major concern for most parents is not only where to send their children to school--but also, when.

Recently, more parents are considering holding their child back a year, reports MSNBC. The practice of voluntarily delaying kindergarten, dubbed "redshirting" (after the practice of benching college athletes for a season to prolong their eligibility) is a source of both national and personal debate.

As kindergarten programs have become more rigorous, some say kids need to be older to handle the curriculum. And for children whose birthdays fall just before the kindergarten age cut-off date, starting them in school before they are ready can be a difficult decision for families.

When making the decision about when to start your young one in kindergarten, it's important to consider the school your child is entering, the teacher he or she is assigned to, and the child's birthday.

There is no hard-and-fast rule for predicting how successful the act of holding your child back will be. There are studies which show those children who are held back are equivalent with their classmates, while others show a slight boost academically.

The National Center for Education Statistics reported between 1993 and 1995, roughly 9 percent of kindergartners were held back--inn 2007, a study estimated 14 percent of kindergartners had now been held back. Though some experts argue that students who do better in the early years of the education will not necessarily continue to excel throughout their educational career.

A 2006 study in the Quarterly Journal of Economics showed that the youngest kids in each grade (through 8th grade) trailed behind in test scores, but the gap shrunk as grades increased. While recently, another study published by the Economics of Education Review found that kindergarten entry age had no effect on wages, employment, home ownership, household income, or marital status as an adult.

Surprisingly, the study showed that students who entered kindergarten younger were actually more likely to graduate high school than older students.

Every child is different, so when it comes to choosing whether or not to hold your child back, it is important that you consider both your child’s strengths and weaknesses, while also considering both the short and long term benefits of making this decision.

If you are struggling with choosing, seeking the help and support of a professional psychologist or education expert can also be very beneficial.

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