After administering the scale, Jones interviewed 20 of the families to collect more in . And those possible downsides are significant, too. The average minutes a day your child gets direct attention from her teacher is 7 minutes. Your grandson sounds like mine : very smart, maybe just a bit slower in maturity, but just waiting to really take off a bit later but not lagging because of IQ or skill performance probability in a very short while. He's well above average academically and he gets along great with the kids, but his teacher wants him to repeat kindergarten because he's socially immature. Holding back in those first 3 years is very detrimental for most who are not lower IQ, have a disability, or cannot adjust. "Repeating Kindergarten." What can cause kids to seem immature. So we entered him into kindergarten in August 2014. I will do what I need to do. This may or may not be related to your child's actual age. Kindergarten starts around age 5 for a reason. During first year, was one of the youngest in the class. From old progress reports, it appears the emotional immaturity stemmed from not consistently staying on task and randomly talking out of turn. They are reading sentences and books. So i dont believe in repeating kindergarten. For some children, a bridge class between kindergarten and first grade offers time to grow. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Blend Images/Ariel Skelley/the Agency Collection/. Students who are retained are more likely to drop out of school compared . That should help him quickly acclimate to the situation, and feel better about it, too. All these things combined he has had a pretty tough Kindergarten. My son's teachers are suggesting he repeat kindergarten. Exactly Emily, these kids with dyslexia are NOT going to magically learn to read. Besides the pandemic delays he does good in my opinion and has This makes it difficult to get a sample group of very young students with diagnosed learning disabilities we can study. (June 5, 2012) http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=987, Help Children Succeed: Make Kindergarten Mandatory in All 50 States. Julie Rawe is the special projects editor at Understood. Spelling tests in kindergarten? I believe struggling kids should be promoted, but receive other intervention methods, such as intensified learning, supplementing classroom instruction, and providing one-on-one tutoring with a teacher or cross-age tutoring with an older student . Because children develop at such different rates and the kindergarten age span can run from 4 to 6, there is a tremendous range in social, physical and cognitive development. The truth is you knew that it might come to this. Repeating Kindergarten. He cries often, and doesnt follow directions very well, but loves to look at picture books and make up funny rhymes. She did not have behavior struggles and was younger in the grade, so for the elementary years this was a struggle. Connecticut, one of the last states to allow 4-year-olds to enter kindergarten, is considering changing its rules so that children would have to be 5 by Oct. 1, not Jan. 1, prompting a fight over . http://family.go.com/parenting/article-sk-773400-should-your-child-repeat-kindergarten--t/, Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security, 5 Things to Know on the First Day of Kindergarten, Family.com: Learning Disabilities in Your School Age Child. He has been staying after school to work on blending. Im ver sure I could have helped him read the schools books that they test him with that would have helped him with retention of sight words ( we continue to read ours), I am continuing to go over the sight words and he can put them into sentences and makes up stories as well. He is doing pretty well academically, but he's on the young side and is rather immature: difficulty focusing/paying attention in class and acting silly in class or on the playground. He will be turning 6 in a week here. Like many parents, I hadn't realized that success in kindergarten depends on many factors, not just intellectual ability. Grade retention has a negative impact on all areas of a child's achievement (reading, math, and language) and socio-emotional adjustment (peer relationships, self-esteem, problem behaviors and attendance). In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was a great deal of progress made in converting teachers and schools into providers of developmentally appropriate curriculum, and allowing children to grow at their own paces. I would ask for an outside opinion from someone who knows your son and the school. In cases like these, retention might be a reasonable solutionafter all, your child probably didn't get sufficient content instruction the . As others have written these standards are not whats currently expected of Kindergarteners anymore. Was my bright little boy going to flunk kindergarten, I wondered, because he didn't care about arts and crafts? Circumstances sometimes dictate that a student should repeat a grade: frequent relocation, excessive absences or long-term illness, for example, may have kept your kindergartener out of the instructional loop for a year. So now what should you do? My research states that you do not retain if there is a learning disability (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia sp?). Kids develop skills at different rates. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. (June 5, 2012). ALL kids can learn to read the Orton Gillingham method. I might as well homeschool. It's about whether he or she is ready to make the jump to first grade. Through the year he attended, we had several conferences to discuss his progress. Was a stronger speaker, reader, simple math, etc. It doesnt sound right to me. We were provided with an Encore/Spire program and later in the year, a speech therapist that gave him 15m- once a week. When I returned to a regular classroom, teachers were supposed to teach to the test, and the whole year was focused on preparing children for standardized tests. We just met with the teacher, her aid, the principal and counselor and were told by the teacher she still couldnt recommend him for first grade because of his poor reading skills and comprehension which surprised me because of how he can tell us all about the stories we read! My frustration is with the teacher and her seeming intent in holding my little guy back for whatever reason by not supplying the tools necessary to help him be successful in kindergarten. Varda Meyers Epstein serves as editor in chief of Kars4Kids Parenting. I cannot emphasize enough for little the child will care. Have you thought about holding your child back from first grade? Get that out of your head immediately. He cannot add and subtract past 30 or write any sentence, but he uses words like complicated, magnificent, epic, future, liquid, total, fantasy, responsible, etc. Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. Sammy, for instance, could discuss ancient Troy but couldn't draw a stick figure. A 14-year study conducted by the Texas A&M University College of Education and Human Development has determined that Texas students who are held back during elementary school are almost three times more likely than their peers to drop out of high school. On the other hand there is very little research on the long-term impact of starting kindergarten at different . I was relating to your comments here as well as from other parents with the same concerns. And 4th we have our 5 year son who has ADHD and maybe ODD. The data showed that 9 percent of first- and second-graders in 1997 had their entry into kindergarten delayed, up from 5 percent in 1995. His pediatrician suggested that I keep him in daycare and wait until the following year to send him to kindergarten, but she did not mention that until his 5 year well visit which was a week before school started. Use of this website is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Our son barely showed up on it. Rather than be upset, it pays to remember that the only thing to think about here is the well-being of your child. And didnt want to be at school. Before using this Expert Advice area, please review our General and Medical Disclaimers. Here are more reasons kids may seem younger than other kids their age: Hyperactivity: Does the child seem to be driven by a motor, like the Energizer Bunny? No matter what you decide to do, keep in mind your child is looking to you to set the tone. The research suggests I am placing n obstacle in his way by doing this. You just couldnt see or analyze yourself ! As a result, babies tend to get a high number of infections, usually 4 to 8 per year. My parents told me that I would be repeating and moved me to a different school and that it was to give me extra help. Im not a parent or teacher, just happened to stumble across this page while doing personal research and I would like to share my story. Rates of development are simply too varied to hang on chronology. A: In Colorado, children with summer birthdays are eligible to start kindergarten at age five since most district cut-off dates are October 1 or within a couple weeks of that date.That said, around 10 percent of parents, particularly those in middle- and upper-income brackets, are deciding to hold off sending their children, often boys, to school until they are six or nearly six. Because there won't be any more school, in her opinion Julia should repeat kindergarten again. Holding your child back a year in the beginning of their school . How can ANY teacher of those first 3 years determine ability for success in the future for a child that young ??? Reassure him that you think he'll have a happy and successful year, and work with the teacher to help make that happen. As a rule, school professionals strongly avoid this practice of . We found we had good results at home. After that a child is reading to learn. We showed up to a parent teacher conference yesterday and were told they needed the decision right then. If the teacher is concerned about the child's maturity or behavior, parents can ask for specific examples of behavior that cause concern. We also dont want him to hurt his self esteem. One thing to consider is how your child will feel when all his friends go to first grade and he does not. You can go higher up to members of the local school board and explain how you feel. What I have experienced is that the homework is the only thing my kids learn from. When a teacher or other education expert recommends repeating kindergarten, it's seldom (if ever) about a single skill your child is behind on. What many parents have trouble with is whether their student will be better off repeating the year. These teams usually made up of the teacher, an administrator, school-support personnel, and the parents can evaluate the situation, plan a course of action, and follow up on your child's progress. Q. . I am NOT allowing this at all ! Grade Learn how to spot itand how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school. This is not about how smart your child is. Weve read to him every day for long periods of time since he was 2 months old. They did some testing prior to the start The most important thing, in the end, is how you react to the situation. I may just decide to revisit the topic and include the study in my piece. . He is constantly talking about being in the first grade next. While your child's teacher may make the suggestion that your child repeat kindergarten, it's up to you, the parent, to make the final decision. So, if a child's birthday falls into dates . This used to be Kinder requirements, now they are prek requirements. What kind of long-term effects, if any, can result from repeating or not repeating a grade? I am also currently looking into private tutor for my Should I trust the professionals or my instincts. This is not about how smart or good or "normal" your child is. I guess that if enough parents are doing this, then society is going to be forced to supply more years of educational instruction before kids reach public schools. I do know a few who "red shirted" due to perceived immaturity who regretted it once the kids hit jr high & high school., jodifla WDW lover since 1972. Pros. You turn to your computer and good old Google, and end up more confused than ever. The truth is, development among kindergarten-age children varies tremendously. But according to organizations such as NAEYC, the National Education Association, and the National Association of School Psychologists, the best option in most cases is to provide specific support to help the student catch up during the remainder of kindergarten, over the summer, and in first grade. She doesn't know her letters, their sounds, or her numbers. For a child who is behind his or her peers, these potential positives are real and significant. Was it the finger painting that did her in, or was it story time? May 30, 2013 #1 . A control function approach is developed to estimate the resulting double hurdle . Faced with this revelation, it can seem someone is questioning your child's mental acuity. oh and for the record Ive taught in Florida and Michigan. I had a February birthday, so I didnt start Kindergarten until I was over six and a half years old. Kristin J. Carothers, PhD is a clinical child psychologist devoted to the destigmatization of mental health problems. According to his teacher they wont hold them back until 3d grade! We have 4 children 1 in college who was older in the class-breezed through school ranked #2 out 650, 2nd is Freshman (oldest in class) and doing well with social and academics, 3rd is a 6th grader (youngest in class) who has dyslexia/ADD and we did not retain her and she has come into her own finally with As and some Bs with much remediation for the reading. Other signs your child may benefit from another go-around include: If you're considering having your child repeat the year, he or she is most likely behind in more than one of these areas -- and there's little question that a student is better off starting first grade in step with the rest of the class. Every child is different. However his fine motor skills need work. The teacher cant get him past level B, but Ive helped him with level C and D books before. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Here are some common examples of immature behavior that you might see: Some kids seem to act young all the time. I want my child to succeed. These same problems are an issue when repeating any grade; but regarding such an early grade as kindergarten, some people question whether the potential benefits can outweigh the potential drawbacks. She said he is average but not ahead of the others. We would re-run tests he had failed and realized there was a social issue to the testing he must of struggled with. Some kids act younger than their peers because they are younger than most kids in the grade. Backing up . In some areas your child does well, and you hope that by the end of the year, his maturity level and social skills will catch up with the other kids. Birthday falls into dates written these standards are not going to magically learn to read the Gillingham... Hold them back until 3d grade his way by doing this back from first?... 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