I have been kicking myself for the past few years for sending my son off to kindergarten only weeks after his 5th birthday. Media coverage of the practice called "redshirting," or delaying school entry to make him one of the oldest kids in his class, stressed that the advantages of being the oldest could be measured into high school and beyond. Though redshirting children has its roots in the culture of competative sports, it's become so common that a fifth of all 5-year-olds in the US are not yet enrolled in K'garten. But a new study based on a review of federal education data shows that by 8th grade, the oldest children no longer have an academic edge on the youngest. Maybe I didn't mess up after all!
