Professionals
Welcome to the Professional Page!
This is an area where you can come to keep up to date on information regarding current practices and issues in our field today! Enjoy!
HOT TOPIC: What is Redshirting?
Do you ever have parents ask you questions such as, “Is my child ready for Kindergarten?” or “Should I send my child to Kindergarten?” This can be a very loaded and difficult question to answer. However, when considering having discussions like these with parents, we must stay true to what we know is fair and appropriate practice.
The term redshirting originally refers to the practice of keeping students off of athletic teams on the assumption that in the following year their more mature bodies and skills will enable them to be better athletes.
One can see how this could be translated to the transition from Preschool to Kindergarten. With standards so high, pressure from administrators for test scores and stress on parents to have above average students, this can be an overwhelming decision. As professionals in the field of early childhood, what can we do? It is our responsibility to know our options, have appropriate screening procedures when concerns are raised, ensure environments foster social and emotional readiness skills and model appropriate practices for parents to follow and gain ideas from.
For more information related to redshirting, please visit the following links:
Young Children, 2003 article: Opportunity Deferred or Opportunity Taken? An Updated Look at Delaying Kindergarten Entry
NAEYC Position Statement: Still Unacceptable Trends in Kindergarten Entry and Placement
If you are an accredited NAEYC center, and GOAEYC member, and would like to submit a thematic unit for this page, please contact Denise Tenyer.
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The Illinois Early Learning Calendar
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