Mention redshirting and you think about a college football player who sits out a year. Sometimes redshirting involves a young child. Is he or she prepared and mature enough to start kindergarten at age five?

Emily Lamoureux of Omaha has a September birthday. Her parents first wondered about when to start their oldest in preschool. "Everyone we talked to was you should wait, no she's fine, you should wait,” said Jessica Lamoureux, mother.

After two years in preschool came the kindergarten decision.

"She was quiet," Lamoureux said. "She had been with the same teachers for two years and still didn't come to school and chat their ear off like she does with us, so she wasn't as comfortable and they thought another year would make a difference."

It's known as redshirting, giving children another year to gain maturity and skills. Occupational therapist Michelle Westengaard at Children’s Hospital said the tools needed go beyond letters, numbers and shapes.

"Hand strength, are they able to snap their pants, are they able to zip up their coat when it's time to go outside, are they able to wash their hands, follow directions and stand in line with the class?" Westengaard said.

One thing that certainly factors into a parent's decision is how different things are in a kindergarten classroom. Once it was three hours a day with a nap thrown in. Now it's 6.5 hour days and sometimes there's even homework.

With early testing and tougher curriculum, the stakes seem higher in kindergarten classrooms. Omaha Public Schools Director of Elementary Education Nancy Oberst said kindergarten is really about learning how to get along.

"We sometimes look at a 5-year-old and at the end of kindergarten say, 'well, they're not reading as many words as someone else' and we judge that. The reality is they've learned some words and they will learn more. We need to continue to encourage that learning and not expect everyone to be at the same point in time," Oberst said.

For the Lamoureuxs, the extra year isn't about giving Emily a leg up, but about making sure she's comfortable.

"To see her develop that confidence, she knows that she can go in and face anything that's thrown at her," said Dave Lamoureux, father.

Despite all the talk of redshirting, most metro kindergartners still start at age five. Only five percent of Millard students wait until age six, eight percent for OPS. The early childhood administrator for the state of Nebraska said both are below the national average of nine percent.

It’s a tough decision for some parents. You should get input from a preschool teacher and pediatrician and don't hesitate to contact the school, meet with principal and discuss expectations.

To learn more about kindergarten readiness, click here.