What if one of the most loving decisions we can make for a child… is giving them more time?
In this episode, Jenny and Kristine — with more than 50 years of combined classroom experience — explore how to thoughtfully consider whether a child might benefit from an extra year in Pre-K, Kindergarten, or First Grade.
Using a whole-child lens, they discuss academic readiness, social-emotional development, physical stamina, and when families may want to look deeper before making a decision.
This conversation is grounded in both classroom experience and research — and most of all, compassion for families navigating this tender choice.
Research:
Hughes et al. (2017): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6377178/
Jacob & Lefgren (2004): https://doi.org/10.1162/003465304323023778
Schwerdt et al. (2017): https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w21509/w21509.pdf
Winters & Greene (2024): https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w33764/w33764.pdf
We welcome your feedback. Please email us at teachbiglittlelessons@gmail.com
Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.
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