Redshirting and the pandemic: how are they connected?

In this article you will understand:

What is Redshirting?

The dictionary definition of redshirting points to its pedigree from college sports before discussing its current use in early education.

When the term is used in early education, redshirting means “the practice of delaying a child from starting kindergarten for one year, believed by some parents to give the child academic, athletic, and social advantages.”

Having understood the meaning of redshirting, let us move to the effect of the pandemic on preschoolers followed by details around redshirting before we string both together.

Some (not all) effects and learnings of/from the pandemic on preschoolers:

• We know that children in their early years require a lot of interaction in their early years for healthy development. Parents who started home-schooling their older children had less time for their younger children.
• Virtual schooling was a waste of time for 0 to 3 pre-schoolers.
• The number of preschoolers who would fail a benchmark test of academic, physical and emotional development rose about 13% globally in the 1^st year of the pandemic. These children are likely to score lower marks during school years also.
• Masks in pre-school make school less educational and less fun.
• In many countries, lots of children were repeating their 1^st year in school (Grade 1) after turning up unprepared. This leads to bigger class sizes, less effective lessons, and a cycle of setting many of these children up for less than optimal jobs and incomes in the years ahead.

Redshirting

This concept of a delayed start of schooling first got noticed and discussed when Malcolm Gladwell’s OUTLIERS was published in 2008.

The delayed start of one year to a child’s schooling is not a new concept for many children unable to meet the required age for starting pre-school. In India, a child needs to have completed 3 years for admission to pre-school. Thus, a child who is 2 years and 4 months at the start of an academic year will need to wait a full year before starting pre-school. 

Yes, many children do join pre-school before age 3 but their formal start of school is recorded only when they reach the age of 3. Thus, their formal start of Grade 1 will be after completion of 6 years.

Yet, when this delayed start is now being suggested as a probable solution for boys to allow them to catch up with the girls in academics and the social front, it has opened up a rather lively discussion worldwide.

Before we proceed further

We need to point out 1 major cultural difference at the root of this push towards redshirting. The argument for redshirting in the USA points to boys and men losing their traditional position as the adult who provides for the family (and thus the leader of the pack), and thus their role and position in society with more women taking on the role of primary provider. Studies also point to an increase in the number of single mothers who are the head of the family, thus eroding the institution of marriage. 

In the Indian cultural context, this is still a long way away, probably never, one may argue.

The USA also has racial and deeper social issues that have no commonalities with the Indian context.

Redshirting only for boys

Why?

• It is a known fact, validated by neuroscience, that boys mature later than girls. However, this fact is ignored by the education policies of most nations and children of both genders start schooling at the same age.
• These boys lag behind the girls in classroom scores and then face other issues as grown men.

Thus, the case is put forward that giving boys the extra time will, in the long run, benefit society – men, women and children.

The case for redshirting boys

1. Feminization of the teaching profession is not ideal for boys. A father figure in school goes a long way when that role is lacking at home.
2. Rigid time-tables in schools are not good.
3. Emphasis on academics rather than vocational training is also not a good thing for boys.
4. Male brains develop slowly versus female brains:-
   1. The widest gaps in brain development is at 16/17 years – crucial years in academics
   2. Adolescence is a battle between 2 parts of the brain – sensation seeking and impulse control. I’m sure you would be able to pick out that sensation seeking is powerful in adolescence and that impulse control develops later, for boys
   3. Impulse control, planning & thinking about the future – these happen in the prefrontal cortex area of the brain, which matures 2 years later in boys when compared to girls
   4. The cerebellum in the brain plays a role in “emotional, cognitive, and regulatory capacities.” It reaches full size for girls at 11 and boys at 15
   5. The hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning, has different development timelines for boys and girls

Evidence for redshirting

Frances Jensen, the chair of the neurology department at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, told School Administrator magazine in a 2017 interview, “In adolescence, on average girls are more developed by about two to three years.”

There is also evidence to support the following:-

• Redshirting has resulted in reductions in hyperactivity and inattention during elementary school.
• Lower chances of repeating an entire year.
• Higher test scores.
• Better life satisfaction.

Drawbacks of redshirting

• The biggest drawback would be parents having to care for the child for 1 more year – this could mean additional childcare costs/loss of income with a parent dedicated to the extra year/career challenges etc.

An entire book on redshirting

Additionally, according to Richard V.Reeves, author of the bestselling book Of Boys and Men, the following urgent measures are required to help boys (in the USA) :-

1. More male teachers (barriers to male teachers are high)
2. More male English teachers since boys lag furthest behind girls in literacy and verbal skills
3. Investing in male friendly vocational education and training
4. More male college career counsellors
5. Of course, the basic premise of his book is that male children should start schooling a year later than girls.

Suggestions for parents 

• Be sure of the reasons that are making you consider a delayed start for your child. Yes, being short of the required age is a reason you cannot avoid.
• What does the school expect of your child and you as a parent? Discuss with the school how you can prepare your child for school.
• As school progresses, ask what you as a parent can do (at home) to aid your child’s development.
• Track the progress of your child by speaking with the teacher/s. Ask questions like
  • Has the child made friends?
  • Is the child able to follow directions?
  • Is the child ready for starting language and maths?
• What is the learning environment in the pre-school? Formal or informal? An informal learning environment (like in Olivia Montessori) works for children with varied developmental needs and who cannot follow a “one fits all” formal method.
• An optimal class/environment size is 25 children. Shy children will struggle when the class size is large.
• If you as a parent have any apprehensions/doubts about your child fitting into a pre-school, be very careful that they are not passed on to the child vocally or in your body language. Portray total confidence and keep your apprehensions for discussions with the teacher/s.
• Pre-school is supposed to be learning through activities and fun. Some may also say play and learn. However, do not exaggerate the fun part of pre-school to your child.

There is ample research, data, and proof that redshirting helps most male children since boys develop slower than girls. However, in the Indian cultural context, it is a debatable concept. We are not proponents or opponents of this theory. Our role is to inform our readers about what is happening in the world of early learning.

In conclusion, the pandemic led to many children delaying their start of pre-school and even elementary (Grade 1). It is quite possible that the loss of a year (or 2) will actually help such children in the long run and land them careers and incomes that they are happy with, thus helping to start and raise stable and cohesive families and become contributing members of society.

Feel free to email your queries/questions to admin@oliviamontessori.com