Have you thought about holding your child back from first grade? Because of COVID, there will be many children who are betwixt and between. As a result, the repeating-kindergarten phenomenon has become relatively commonplace. He was immature socially and emotionally but was sight reading at 4. Rose. I believe with a one on one tutor for the summer it will help him perform better in the first grade. There is a whole checklist of things your child should be able to do before going to kindergarten. The teacher has let him build legos, blocks pretty much all year. He puts together over 50 pieces puzzles by himself. If your child still finds these tasks difficult by the end of kindergarten, he is probably not ready to go to first grade, either. A fantastic memory, the main reason they want to possibly repeat kindergarten is due Was my bright little boy going to flunk kindergarten, I wondered, because he didn't care about arts and crafts? These are only a handful of the academic skills that most graduating kindergartners have acquired, and if your child is lacking in several of them, he or she may be starting first grade with a deficit that can affect the entire year -- and the ones that follow. Varda Meyers Epstein serves as editor in chief of Kars4Kids Parenting. Why had his teacher not told us earlier that he was having issues so we could have worked more with him on blending or got him more help? By the time children are of school-age, their rate of infection is usually the same as the rate for . For some children, a bridge class between kindergarten and first grade offers time to grow. The reason? Read my reply above. 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. Insecurity concerning her classroom authority will certainly compound any immaturity problems, especially with highly active boys.I would lean toward accepting the school's recommendation. It's about whether he or she is ready to make the jump to first grade. But there is very little out there about holding a child back in kindergarten to wait another year before starting first grade. Try to get out of going to kindergarten each morning, Scribble instead of drawing or writing letters and numbers, Find it hard to stick with a task or pay attention to what the teacher is saying for five minutes at a time, Act out aggressively toward other students, Separate from his parent or caregiver without getting too upset, Notice and respond to other peoples feelings, Recognize his own name in print and write it, too, Draw a picture of an object or to express an idea, Count the objects in a group and tell you if one group is larger or smaller than the other, Understand that addition means putting groups together and that subtraction means taking away from one group, Break up objects into groups of different numbers to show how they add up to the same number (example: 6 balls = 2 groups of 3 balls or 6 balls = 2 groups of 1 ball and 5 balls), Figure out how to turn a group of 1 to 9 items into 10 (example: a group of 6 items and a group of 4 items =10 items), Use items or draw pictures to show and solve simple addition and subtraction word problems, Sort items according to size or color, for instance, Identify basic colors like red, orange, green, blue, black, and white, Use complete sentences of at least five words, Follow directions involving at least two steps, Hold a crayon or a pencil between his fingers rather than with a fist. 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. They want him to repeat kindergarten. You can find out the exact first grade requirements in your state by writing to your local Department of Education. Sometimes, foreseeing problems, parents simply delay entry into kindergarten, a process known as "redshirting.". In most areas, children must turn 5 by September 1st, in order to start kindergarten. Does he try to tell the story by looking at the pictures? But sometimes immature behavior is a sign that kids are struggling and need more support. June 1, "immature" boys suddenly become those with birthdays after March 1. I know thats tough to implement, but grade retention isnt the answer. Sensory issues: Some kids react strongly to sensory information and may get overwhelmed by things like bright lights. First graders typically start the year knowing how to count at least to 10 (and usually beyond), reciting the entire alphabet and knowing the sounds of most of the letters, reading and writing simple words, and using "creative spelling" to put their own thoughts on paper. They did some testing prior to the start Experts also point out that holding a child back due to developmental delays is, literally speaking, further delaying development. 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? Sometimes, a repeat with interventions is still the better option. Q: Even though he had an early August birthday, we started our son in kindergarten at a private Christian school. My preschool teacher should have been aware of that. Here are some of the skills that children are expected to demonstrate by the end of kindergarten, according to educator Rief: When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. I totally feel you. There may be individual cases in which a child benefits, such as if she's missed a lot of school because of illness or a move, or if she has significant delays in all areas of development. Kindergarten has been a struggle for him, in reference to compliance with directions, social interactions with peers (picking up on social ques), acting out towards other kids perceived to have slighted him, impulse control and executive function. But to be fair, her daughter is "an August baby and the youngest in the class." Julie Rawe is the special projects editor at Understood. Oh my goodness, yes! There are no easy answers when it comes to grade retention, and experts are divided on whether repeating kindergarten is more likely to lead to long-term benefit or deficit. They expect them to know all upper & lower case letters and sounds by November or they are considered behind. Social interactment, discipline, only basic skills as for letters and numbers, and becoming more mature are the only skills needed for first grade. 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. Hes great with a scissors, but doesnt really get along well with other children. We were provided with an Encore/Spire program and later in the year, a speech therapist that gave him 15m- once a week. Instead, we got him the occupational therapy that was recommended, and he went on to have a great year in first grade. Acting immature can be a sign that kids are struggling and need more support. Not sure what to do, you speak to a few experts, do your research, and decide to chance it and send your child on to kindergarten. Free single copies of "The Elementary School Performance and Adjustment of Children Who Enter Kindergarten Late or Repeat Kindergarten," are available from the National Library of Education at . For more information on grade school, child development and related topics, check out the links on the next page. When my son Sammy started kindergarten, I looked forward to our first parent-teacher conference, imagining all the wonderful things the teacher would say about his interest in history and his precocious verbal skills. For a child who is behind his or her peers, these potential positives are real and significant. Students are required to not only know ALL letters and sounds but all sight words by mid year. My son did not turn the required age of 5 here in TN until May 2014. I am not sending him to first grade. Colors perfect gets along with other kids good, writes his name and letters and much more. Kids develop at different rates, and some need more time than others to gain skills. Im having the opposite problem. He struggles with staying still. 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! Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Blend Images/Ariel Skelley/the Agency Collection/. You just couldnt see or analyze yourself ! Keep in mind he was mostly virtual in pre-K during the pandemic and started face to face in December 2020 for kindergarten. My son is in what they call the foundation year, kindergarten. Reassure him that you think he'll have a happy and successful year, and work with the teacher to help make that happen. Hes on the low end of the spectrum. . Repeating Kindergarten. Another factor to consider is whether your child is as emotionally developed as his or her peers. It could be he will find it comforting and safe to stay with his kindergarten teacher for one more year. In spite of how often this happens, it can come to a shock when the kindergarten teacher asks to speak with you suggesting your child repeat kindergarten. A school psychologist should do a battery of tests to determine why a student isn't progressing. There are lots of reasons kids might seem immature for their grade. If the speech therapist agrees with the teacher, youll know what to do. He is the youngest in his class according to his teacher, end May Birthday. When faced with the decision, the first step is to meet with your child's teacher (and principal and school psychologist, if possible) to find out exactly why the experts think another year would be productive. Language: Does the child have trouble pronouncing words or expressing ideas? I believe in trusting maternal instincts! We found we had good results at home. She has fine motor and minor speech issues and is receiving OT help. In our case, we're considering whether to have our son repeat first grade. They might be teased or left out because of their trouble with speech or language. 7. Holding your child back a year in the beginning of their school . As far as seeing friends go on, he had very few and I know my son has forgotten about school. Second do you have any suggestions on how to teach him to blend sounds into words? And should my husband and I agree to have him held back or "retained" if that's what his teacher ultimately advised? What's more, kindergartners can range in age from 4 to 6 because about 5 percent of kids repeat the year and another 7 percent wait a year before starting, according to the latest figures from the National Center for Educational Statistics. You're right that normally repeating the grade is not helpful. But then again I just cant understand why 1st grade cant help him write his letters perfectly? Rather, it's about an overall picture of a child who may be too "young" -- physically, cognitively, socially or some combination thereof -- to thrive in first grade. She is the one who pointed me to the research that says retention is not a good choice. There are certain basic skills that all children should have going into first grade, no matter where they live. Our little guy is very social and very much aware of his surroundings even figuring out adult things out. He is very smart in my opinion, when he was 3 he could recite the pledge of allegiance and pledge to the Bible and much more. Understood does not provide medical or other professional advice. Knowing why kids act immaturely or young for their age lets you offer the best support. He gets out of school in 3 weeks and we are just hearing about this issue. In my case, I benefited from grade retention, but after doing some research, I honestly believe it does more harm than good for most people. . Here are some common examples of immature behavior that you might see: Some kids seem to act young all the time. Do you often have to repeat the instructions for even a simple one-step task? Emily you are 100% percent correct! He ended up repeating Kindergarten and is doing great, having just finished 7th grade. In any event, why not have him evaluated? Your child may not mind this as much as you think. Sleep: Many kids consistently sleep less than six hours a night. We did not have the money to send him to daycare and it was just to short of a notice. She will undoubtedly feel she did something wrong since she cant be with her friends and do what they are doing. Get that out of your head immediately. Should I trust the professionals or my instincts. At first he loved reading our books and felt very important that he could read, but since January that has become a fight to get him to read. Even the screening laws are failing these kids. According to his teacher they wont hold them back until 3d grade! Children who are behind in these areas late into kindergarten may: In deciding whether your child should repeat kindergarten, it is important to consider whether he has all the skills he needs to go on to first grade. I got held back in preschool for crying too much. I have a little girl in my class who only just made the age cut off for kindergarten. Ask yourself these questions: Lets imagine that you have a child you werent really sure was ready for kindergarten. Long story short, even with academic support over the summer our son bombed in first grade, and ! Thread starter katie111; Start date May 30, 2013; K. katie111 DIS Veteran. We feel like there is no support whatsoever from them in trying to retain. Please help! 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. I kept saying I feel like it was dyslexia and they gave all the excuses why it was not.well they were wrong and my children paid a very high price in self esteem, a year behind their friends, and still not being serviced. That way youll know for sure, from an expert, if your child has a learning disability of some sort, such as ADHD, which could make it hard to sit still, or dysgraphia, which can make it difficult to write. 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. Here is what a teacher does in most classrooms. As the kindergarten year draws to a close, many parents are left worried their child isn't fully prepared to take on 1st grade. I have an almost 6 year old. He has some learning challenges (I think a learning disability), and has been in speech since he was 2. . "It is up to each district," said Gennie Gorback, president of the California Kindergarten Association, "but I have not heard of any district that is flexible about age requirements for enrollment. To repeat kindergarten and that i was not smart enough to continue and my Parents disagreed, now i am 28 years old working with my respiratory therapist license saving lives. Share what you observe with others, like parents, caregivers, teachers, or health care providers. Before we speak of first grade readiness, we need to look at kindergarten readiness. My 5 year old has math, reading, and spelling homework now. Youd think given all the evaluations and so forth, that the school would back you. . Suddenly, scores on those tests were the only thing that mattered. 7y. This, in my opinion could greatly help my son with almost zero downside. Sammy, for instance, could discuss ancient Troy but couldn't draw a stick figure. Given average per pupil spending of roughly $10,700 (the most recent national estimate), the direct cost to society of retaining 2.3 percent of the 50 million students enrolled in American schools . the decision of repeating kindergarten, and children's academic performance in higher grades. Hes also on an IEP since the beginning of the year. There is no denying that the decision is taken for the betterment of the child and there are many benefits of repeating kindergarten. I'm a Mom and a Music Teacher: Here's How I Nurture My Children's Love for Music, Bullying Is Harmful to Kids' Mental HealthSchool Solutions to the Problem Often Fail Black Children, Takes care of personal needs (going to the bathroom, zipping jacket), Understands common directional words (below, between, above), Knows alphabet and capital and lowercase letters, Understands story concepts of beginning, middle, and end, Can write a simple sentence with invented spelling. Ive asked multiple times to please send books home so I could help him with reading to give him the confidence he once had back, up Ive been denied every time with the excuse that he first needed to demonstrate his reading at schoolI even know their strategy that was confirmed by the teacher and still only a very few books sent home. - The youngest kids may be slower to develop physically, shorter, and less advanced with sports and other interests. Q. . Perhaps students with learning disabilities who repeat kindergarten do better in school than they would have had they not repeated kindergarten. Many kids have moments when they dont act their age. Same boat here. Entering kindergarten children have already learned to appreciate the feel and look of books, and the sound of language. But when a child often acts immaturely compared to other kids the same age, you may wonder whats going on. All these things combined he has had a pretty tough Kindergarten. 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. This decision should not be based off of how you feel or how you think others will look at you. His kindergarten teacher wants to keep him back next year. Rather than be upset, it pays to remember that the only thing to think about here is the well-being of your child. The exception to these concerns is if a student repeats kindergarten, when immaturity may be a concern. If they arent reading, it isnt even a question that they remain in kindergarten. Hyperactivity, trouble with focus, and not getting enough sleep can be factors. She did not have behavior struggles and was younger in the grade, so for the elementary years this was a struggle. I would love to get your opinion concerning my 5 year old grandson. In the past, repeating a grade was more popular and was typically suggested if a child was viewed as underachieving or unable to cope due to various factors such as social immaturity, long-term absences, long-term illnesses, behavioural or emotional challenges. It does look as though you can argue against a decision to hold your child back. The research is very clear that even if children are not ready academically or emotionally they do not benefit from retention. I served in the Army from 2006 to 2011 and deployed to Iraq twice, and then I graduated from Texas A&M University in May 2017. There should be 20% of the kids identified. They also were 3.3 percent more likely to graduate from . His teacher is very, very strongly recommending we hold him back. Some children would benefit from repeating kindergarten. No ! I think she meant years old not month old., my son is 6 year old the teacher told me he has to repeat kindergarten because he dont want to do his classwork and he does not follow directions what should i do plz help me. In one study, researchers associated this poor academic performance with repeating kindergarten. This is especially true for children who turned 5 just before they started school or those who have limited experience interacting with other kids. Rather, a younger child's lack of maturity may make ADHD symptoms more obvious. These policies typically focus on a student's chronological age when entering kindergarten. I've done a lot of research and it's the general consensus that grade repetition isn't the way to go. Lets follow Finlands example. Others may show immature behavior in certain settings or at certain times. Although this article is well written and touches on plenty of other skills students need to go into first grade, it fails to mention they need to be reading, fluently adding and subtracting, and do more than just hold their pencil correctly. Like many parents, I hadn't realized that success in kindergarten depends on many factors, not just intellectual ability. These teachers, trying to put all kids in a peg as either Got it or Did not get it, are unconscionable ! Age range. Not anymore. I did not know HALF of what my grandson at 5 now knows when I was his age, but I went on to get 3 college degrees and was asked to work with the state educational committees for years on curriculum. My best friend has a child who is 6 months old, a girl, and said to be 100% ready for 1st grade by her teacher. "He needs to have a different educational experience, as well as interventions and support to address his areas of need," Rief says. Think about your child's emotional readiness. We are confident that she will be prepared for 1st grade by September. However, because kids often make sudden leaps in development later in the year, it can be hard to predict their performance in first grade. He's doing so much better. And while its bad, no point crying over spilled milk. Should you hold your child back from first grade and let her repeat kindergarten? Because there won't be any more school, in her opinion Julia should repeat kindergarten again. The number of infections begins to go down with time. He may grow physically and may feel comfortable amongst his peers. 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. Kristin J. Carothers, PhD is a clinical child psychologist devoted to the destigmatization of mental health problems. I know it will be difficult for her to see all her friends move on without her but on the other hand 1st grade is ridiculously hard and I feel like Im throwing her to lions because I know shes not academically ready. In June 1993, my kindergarten teacher recommended both of us to repeat Kindergarten, and our parents agreed to do that. Every week! My son's teachers are suggesting he repeat kindergarten. Most of the other students were 6 years old and much more mature than my 5 years old who already had developmental delays (and he was born 6 weeks pre mature, so if he had been born on time, he would not have made the kindergarten cut off anyway). She is such an amazing little person. The skills learned in kindergarten laid a vital foundation for later learning. And if the issue is counting and numbers, or poor early reading skills, perhaps giving a child more time to learn numbers and letters; to hear stories read; and play with making rhymes, is indicated. We both went on to finish college. After that, we both went to a public high school and graduated at 19 years old in June 2006. I have enrolled him in a new school for a fresh start. For more than 20 years, Eileen Marzola has worked with children and adults with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders, and with their parents and teachers. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Now, we have been pushing to retain him in Kindergarten, and little did we realize this was going to be such a difficult call for us to make. I had 2 children held back and come to find out BOTH have dyslexia. Exactly! Check on the child's life situation. What many parents have trouble with is whether their student will be better off repeating the year. He or she probably could have used a bit more time before going to kindergarten, but you took a chance. You can point out how their words or actions made you feel and ask them to be more sensitive in the future . So now what should you do? This doesn't mean you won't . ??? There is typically little-to-no social stigma with repeating kindergarten; kids are often all too happy to get to do so. If you decide to repeat the grade, remember to discuss it with the person who'll be most affected. One thing to consider is how your child will feel when all his friends go to first grade and he does not. . While this justification has some merit, retention could actually be detrimental. Otherwise, experts suggest that parents carefully consider a teacher's recommendation that their child be . First grade is where kids must apply themselves to the act of learning to read and do simple math. Also, learn about developmental milestones at different ages. Parents can ask to see examples of their child's work compared to the work of other children of the same age. They might burst into tears when something goes wrong or get clingy when they feel insecure like little kids typically do. . Babies' immune systems begin to mature soon after birth. Some kids just do not progress as quickly that young, but in no time, I have read, take off and catch up the majority of the time. While lots of schools still have a primarily play-based curriculum and relaxed standards, more and more have implemented a more academic approach to kindergarten, not only to get young children better prepared for first grade, when reading and math really take off, but also in an effort to meet increasingly objective and consequential government standards. Is this a public or private school? In what state do you teach, Emily? As a speech language pathologist, I . 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. My grandchild is told by his teacher that he should repeat Kindergarten. However his fine motor skills need work. ended up repeating first grade. 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. oh and for the record Ive taught in Florida and Michigan. According to 1st grade standards. My mom refused to have me held back, as there was nothing wrong with my intellect; in fact, I surpassed my peers in reading skills, as I began reading simple words at age 2 1/2- 3 years old and read story books aloud to my Kindergarten class. Talk to your child's teacher about whether repeating a grade would be helpful or hurtful at your child's age. She scored green on 2/4, yellow on 1, and red on reading. As far as hes concerned he didnt finish kindergarten and he believes this is a short break due to Covid. I cannot emphasize enough for little the child will care. In our CA school kids are expected to be reading at a D level by the end of Kindergarten. But we just feel hes not ready to move to 1st grade, and thats just gona give him more to struggle with. Fast forward to high school and they STILL seemed little. A positive and open talk about the plan can do a lot to help alleviate the stress of being "held back." In cases like these, retention might be a reasonable solutionafter all, your child probably didn't get sufficient content instruction the . etc. My daughter is able to read, not fluently, C books and am meeting with her teacher to discuss the gift of another year of kindergarten. I will do what I need to do. I have never had such a tough time with something. I found out that a bunch of kids in my grade were like 21 months younger than me. There is absolutely no way your best friend with a 6 month old girl has been told her 6 month old is ready for the first grade most babies dont even start walking until 9 months let alone every other thing a child needs to be able to do in 1st grade! Family.com. You may want to seek help from the school in having your child assessed for school readiness. Redshirting is the practice of postponing entrance into kindergarten of age-eligible children in order to allow extra time for socioemotional, intellectual, or physical growth. I am also currently looking into private tutor for my Has a teacher recommended that your child repeat kindergarten? Have . You can hire an education lawyer. 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. More academic focus. I suggest you have him evaluated by a speech therapist and see what the speech therapist thinks. A child who is ready for first grade can: While your childs teacher may make the suggestion that your child repeat kindergarten, its up to you, the parent, to make the final decision. This document details the education code in Texas and your rights as a parent: EDUCATION CODE Ugh. They did some testing prior to the start Helped build confidence. School!. I would like to know what specific research you have found that states that retaining is not beneficial.
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