What does "delayed entry" mean ?
   Delayed entry refers to the practice of keeping a child out of kindergarten, even though they are the age-eligible to enter school. This practice is also known as "academic redshirting" or "holding out".

How is delayed entry different than retention?
   Retention means adding a year of schooling by repeating a grade. Kindergarten retention may be recommended for a child who seems immature or unable to meet the demands of a first grade classroom. Delayed entry students do not repeat the grade, but rather attend an extra year of preschool prior to enrolling in kindergarten.

Is delayed entry common?
    Over the past twenty years delayed entry has become more common. In a study by Brent, May and Kundert (1996) it was found that over a twelve year period in a middle class, suburban, upstate New York school district the proportion of delayed entry students increased from 5% to 16% of the children. Studies have also shown that delayed entry tends to be more common in school districts with high percentages of middle class, Caucasian students.

Why would I want to delay my child's kindergarten entry?
    Parents are motivated to delay their child's kindergarten entrance for a number of reasons. Some parents fear that their child is not ready for the academic demands of kindergarten, and the extra year will provide the child with confidence. Other reasons include wanting to give the child an academic advantage, as well as an advantage in sports and social skills during the high school years.

Does delayed entry work? Will my child do better in school if they enter kindergarten at age 6 instead of age 5?
    Unfortunately, this is a difficult question to answer. Many studies have been conducted to determine the effects of age on academic achievement. Results of these studies have varied, with some finding differences between the academic achievement of younger and older students, and others finding no differences at all. However, several studies have shown that while children who are old for the grade may have an academic advantage in the early grades (Kindergarten-Third) this advantage tends to disappear as students enter the later grades.

Is delayed entry better for boys than girls?
    It is a common belief that girls mature more quickly than boys. Therefore, many preschool and kindergarten teachers tend to believe that girls will be more ready for kindergarten than boys. As a result of this belief teachers may recommend that parents delay the entry of boys more than girls. Remember, each child has individual differences, and gender alone does predict readiness for kindergarten.

If my child spends extra time in preschool will he or she be bored the next year in kindergarten?
    This depends on your child. According to a study by Graue (1993), some parents expressed negative feelings about their child's kindergarten experience after they had chosen to delay entry. These parents felt that their children were ready for a harder curriculum than what was offered in kindergarten. Sometimes the social advantages of being a year older, do not outweigh the fact that the child was academically ready for kindergarten the year before.

Are there risks in delaying my child's kindergarten entry?
    Research has shown that sometimes what parents perceive as a child not being ready for kindergarten may actually be a need for early special education services. For example, a child who may seem to have immature speech, may actually need speech and language services, rather than an extra year of preschool. In a study by May, Kundert and Brent (1995), it was found that of the 279 delayed entry students in a middle-class, New York school district , 49 (17.5%) eventually needed special education services.

Are there risks associated with being older than your peers in high school?
    A study by Byrd, Weitzman & Doniger (1996) found that high school students who were old for the grade tended to report being more involved in smoking, chewing tobacco, drugs, alcohol consumption, drunk driving, sexual relations than their appropriate age for the grade peers.

I'm still unsure if I should delay my child's kindergarten entry? What should I do?
    It is important that you consider your child's individual differences. What might be right for one child, may not be the answer for another. The readiness and parent resource pages on this website have ideas and links for determining if your child is ready for kindergarten. Talk to your child's preschool teacher and incoming kindergarten teacher. Try to understand the different types of kindergarten programs. Be realistic about your child's abilities, and be honest with yourself about the reasons for your choice.