In the autumn of 1976, I embarked on my kindergarten journey at just 4 years old, thanks to a late fall birthday. Back then, it was quite normal for parents to enroll their children in school at this young age, as the cutoff date typically fell on December 31. Classrooms were often filled with 4-year-olds, who would gradually mature alongside their older peers throughout the school year.
However, times have changed. Nowadays, most school districts have shifted the age cutoff to late July or August, making it rare for 4-year-olds to attend kindergarten. In recent years, some parents have taken to “redshirting” their 5-year-olds, a practice borrowed from collegiate sports that allows athletes to delay their participation for a year to enhance their skills and maturity. This trend has found its way into early education, where many parents choose to postpone their child’s kindergarten start until they are 6 years old, believing this extra year will better prepare them for the demands of modern-day schooling.
A study from Stanford supports this notion, revealing that children who delay starting kindergarten exhibit significantly better attention spans and self-control compared to their peers. These advantages appear to last well into their educational journeys. Additionally, researchers have found that postponing kindergarten can decrease the likelihood of issues like hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, a concern particularly relevant for parents of boys, who often face more challenges in maintaining attention at that age.
The concept of the “relative age effect” helps explain this phenomenon. Older children in the classroom tend to have a more advanced physiology, making them more receptive to learning. But does this decision have implications that extend beyond the early school years? A recent study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research is one of the first to track redshirted kindergartners into adulthood. The findings are revealing: children who start school at an older age tend to outperform their younger classmates, showing improved chances of attending and graduating from elite colleges.
The study compared children who turned 5 in August and began kindergarten immediately with those who celebrated their fifth birthday the previous September. Results showed that the older group scored nearly 40 points higher on the SAT. Interestingly, socioeconomic background did not play a significant role in these achievement gaps, indicating that even children from affluent families who started school younger faced similar disadvantages.
This raises an important question: Is the issue of when to send children to kindergarten a reflection of their age or the evolving expectations of kindergarten itself? Today’s kindergarten resembles what first grade once was, with expectations for children to read independently before they even step through the door. Researchers suggest that grouping children by age rather than grade-level expectations in early education could help ease the stark differences that a single year can create. A reevaluation of our expectations for incoming kindergarteners could also aid younger students in catching up with their older counterparts.
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In summary, delaying kindergarten can have significant long-term benefits for children, influencing not just their early academic performance but also their future educational achievements. As parents navigate this decision, understanding the implications of age and maturity on learning is crucial.