I know it would hurt, but could it also help? It can feel like an insult: like your child isnt smart. Repeating kindergarten, preschool or even the first or second grade is often not a big deal and life goes on. Can he grip a pencil and cut paper with a scissors? These test results were always provided in graph format. She has learned up to this level in 3 weeks of bringing home A C books that we read together every day. As a teacher, I have seen many students struggle as they are younger and immature compared to their cohort. He where he should be academically. I had 2 children held back and come to find out BOTH have dyslexia. 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? What could be bad about spending more time on these skills before going to first grade? 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. This is not about how smart or good or "normal" your child is. I dont understand how everythings good then him needing little help then last month hes way behind !?? Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. Where are the numbers to let us know if screening is working? Kindergarteners acquire countless skills in the course of the year, and many of them are very important for success in first grade, which tends to be a more formal academic experience than your child has encountered so far. Ideally, such programs allow children to develop at their own paces. She scored green on 2/4, yellow on 1, and red on reading. Kindergarten is not a fluff arts and crafts grade. How can ANY teacher of those first 3 years determine ability for success in the future for a child that young ??? But are concerned he will act out if he is bored. 2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Anyone have their child repeat kindergarten & regret it? They did some testing prior to the start - The youngest kids may be slower to develop physically, shorter, and less advanced with sports and other interests. As far as hes concerned he didnt finish kindergarten and he believes this is a short break due to Covid. They might burst into tears when something goes wrong or get clingy when they feel insecure like little kids typically do. I now have a Bachelors and Masters Degree and taught 31 years. She also maintains a private practice in the evaluation and teaching of children with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. And a child's levels of physical, social, and intellectual development may be wildly uneven. I literally did not care at all as a kid. Start . There is something schools could do, though you are more likely to find a willingness to do it in a private or parochial school. Was he uninterested or just bored? My preschool teacher should have been aware of that. We also dont want him to hurt his self esteem. I believe with a one on one tutor for the summer it will help him perform better in the first grade. School!. For more parenting tips and tricks, find us on Pinterest: Are you a writer, expert, or influencer? Your child is young for the grade, however, and repeating might give him more even footing with the other children in kindergarten. Think about milestones, If you began teaching 10 . Our son barely showed up on it. But know that teachers dont make the recommendation to repeat kindergarten without a lot of thought. In our CA school kids are expected to be reading at a D level by the end of Kindergarten. Find out what they notice, and work on ways to help kids develop skills like self-control. However, I believe talking with a school councilor, which we are going to do with ours, and also, having him tested by a very knowledgable but retired elementary teacher friend, is what we are going to do next and then keep researching for stat on this and what the experts say. He will catch on that he was held back as he watches his friends move on. Hes very good with numbers, has a very extensive vocabulary, can spell a lot of his 144 sight words that I taught him because the teachers were not able to help him through them for some reason. We are confident that she will be prepared for 1st grade by September. Q: Even though he had an early August birthday, we started our son in kindergarten at a private Christian school. Have . 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 . Does he know how to compromise and adapt? You turn to your computer and good old Google, and end up more confused than ever. Rief also recommends requesting a student-support-team meeting. Sleep: Many kids consistently sleep less than six hours a night. There is a whole checklist of things your child should be able to do before going to kindergarten. Long story short, he did not do well in kindergarten. Also, learn about developmental milestones at different ages. You can find out the exact first grade requirements in your state by writing to your local Department of Education. Think about your child's emotional readiness. . My older son is in kindergarten. May 30, 2013 #1 . 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. And didnt want to be at school. Im being pressured to follow the schools recommendations by family and the school, but I know my son. Second, holding your child back can have a negative connotation. (Oh, and don't call it that!). If it doesnt work out, youll worry about it when the time comes. But there is very little out there about holding a child back in kindergarten to wait another year before starting first grade. My son did not turn the required age of 5 here in TN until May 2014. An estimated 5 percent of kindergarteners spend a second year in the class [source: Mlyniec]. Most school districts will inform you relatively early in the year if your child is at risk for retention. Andrew mined two large data sets in a way no researcher has done before and concludes that kids who repeat a year between kindergarten and fifth grade are 60 percent less likely to graduate high school than kids with similar backgrounds, and even . They seem to retain NOTHING from the entire day at school! Specific pieces of knowledge are really only part of the picture, though. I did not know these words at 6, nor could I build and create what he does without my help. However, in years past, before standardized testing became so prominent, in the years when teaching to the test was an anathema, children learned to read in first grade. This is not about how smart your child is. Julia Layton In our case, we're considering whether to have our son repeat first grade. The lead author of this study, Dr. Mu-Hong Chen said, "Our findings . 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. My husband was 19 and I was nearly 19 when we started college. My sons school sends graded test and work hes done through out the year and hes been doing great! Data showed that the September-born children were 2.1 percent more likely to attend college compared to their August-born classmates. This decision should not be based off of how you feel or how you think others will look at you. Once I got to middle school I started to notice that all the other kids looked really little. The Australian Curriculum is fairly static, which means that by repeating a year, a child will have an opportunity to revise past learnings, fill in the gaps and retain the information. Understood does not provide medical or other professional advice. They might be teased or left out because of their trouble with speech or language. Oh my goodness, yes! They did some testing prior to the start It's about whether he or she is ready to make the jump to first grade. The truth is you knew that it might come to this. What kind of long-term effects, if any, can result from repeating or not repeating a grade? He even went to half days because they said he cant handle a full day. Change.org. The Redshirting Trend: How to Know When to Start Kindergarten, Why Kindergarten Redshirting Was Right for Our Son, 8 Best Kindergarten Books to Get Your Kid Ready for School, Latest Results Show Math and Reading Scores PlummetedWe Need to 'Act With a Sense of Urgency' Says US Secretary of Education, 8 Tips To Help Black Families Prepare for School Emotionally, Dyslexia in Children: Everything Parents Need to Know, Why Classroom Clip Charts Do More Harm Than Good, School Supplies for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade, The School Leaders and Teachers Who Took a Stand Against Bans on Mask Mandates, Parents Are Going Back to School To Get Their High School DiplomasHow To Make It Work, Why We Need to Stop Outing LGBTQIA+ Students, Parents Can Have Back-to-School Anxiety TooHere's How toCope, Keeping Kids Safe at School During COVID-19, Parents of Immunocompromised Students Are Forced to Rely on Others to Keep Their Kids Safe and That's Not Fair, Why School Districts Are Rethinking Gifted & Talented Programs. Red, yellow, green, blue with red being the worst. Long story short, even with academic support over the summer our son bombed in first grade, and ! Ask about any additional services the school can provide and what you can do at home to help. But at this point, Id be grateful that she did spot a problem and tell you about it before he went on to first grade. Repeating kindergarten is not apocalyptic. 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. 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. 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. Rates of development are simply too varied to hang on chronology. Instead, I found myself teetering on a tiny chair while the teacher warned me that Sammy might have to repeat the year. On the positive side, keeping your child in kindergarten for another year certainly reduces the likelihood he or she will begin first grade in a rough spot that could lead to long-term academic and social insecurity. What looks like a tantrum could actually be sensory overload. The study of 784 Texas school children followed from first grade until graduating or dropping out of school led by Dr. Jan N. Hughes, Professor Emeritus in educational psychology, found that even though grade retention in the elementary grades does not harm students in terms of their academic achievement or educational motivation at the transition to high school, it increases the odds that they will drop out of school before obtaining a high school diploma by 2.67 times. Does he try to tell the story by looking at the pictures? It was almost like getting held back twice. The child is not repeating kindergarten. After that, we both went to a public high school and graduated at 19 years old in June 2006. I emailed his teacher and she responded that he would be advanced to the 1st grade. 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. The most productive way to approach the topic, then, is from a neutral place. He has an attention issue. We were told today that we should leave her back because she isnt progressing at the pace of other Kindergartners. Hes on the low end of the spectrum. 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 was continuously told what an eager happy angel we had, however he never progressed to the standard. He has emotional issues, is not matured, does well with younger kids as is, and just has not yet developed emotionally where he should be for his age. Reassure him that you think he'll have a happy and successful year, and work with the teacher to help make that happen. 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. 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. I got held back in preschool for crying too much. She has fine motor and minor speech issues and is receiving OT 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. She explained that he was frustrated by and uninterested in just about everything the class did a red flag that something was amiss. I could use advice information and anything that could help us!! Some children might suffer from the social stigma of repeating a grade and end up feeling embarrassed and ashamed, leading to a negative self-concept. In most areas, children must turn 5 by September 1st, in order to start kindergarten. Repeating a class may help your kid to be better prepared for his next class. In one study, researchers associated this poor academic performance with repeating kindergarten. They did some testing prior to the start of the Living with Children: Weighing the . Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company. A fantastic memory, the main reason they want to possibly repeat kindergarten is due 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. No wonder you feel insecure about doing what is obviously the right thing for your son. I cannot emphasize enough for little the child will care. 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. The pros of repeating the prep year of school. Acting immature can be a sign that kids are struggling and need more support. Can he work with others as a group? ADHD is not a learning disability. He can build master structures with a huge number of plastic blocks of all sizes and do things with triangular and square magnets that are amazing. My best friend, by the way, is an Occupational Therapist so she is used to working with these school aged kids a lot. . Does he play well with other children? 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? Thanks. He developed stomach aches all the time, even on weekends, which threw us off. I found out that a bunch of kids in my grade were like 21 months younger than me. In the end, it's impossible to predict how any individual will respond to staying back or moving on -- or even how much progress that child will make in the last months of school or over the summer. Although these initial benefits faded over time, students who had been held back entered high school performing at a higher level relative to their grade level than similar students who'd been promoted. Rather, a younger child's lack of maturity may make ADHD symptoms more obvious. Just like I would rather her be a young 6 than a young 5 when starting kindergarten, I would rather her be a young 19 than barely-older-than-17 when she begins college (especially if she attends away from home). The data also suggests that in spite of having all these resources and manpower, kids who repeat kindergarten dont do as well as their first or second grade classmates once they make it into those grades. If the problems are ignored and a repeat becomes necessary 3 or 4 years later, that becomes a difficult experience for a child. Through the year he attended, we had several conferences to discuss his progress. "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. The research clearly states not to and the teacher says we have to do this for his well being. Thats awful she didnt speak up sooner! He is doing wonderful in all other subjects 100s and smiley faces on his work. If they arent doing the homework then they arent learning. That said, its important to note that learning disabilities may not even be diagnosed until the child goes to grade school. What am I supposed to do though? 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. It's hard to hear but if you trust the school, trust the teachers. Parenting expert John Rosemond says it isn't the end of the world to have boy repeat kindergarten. . Pros. Emotional. What could be wrong with taking more time to grow up? And 4th we have our 5 year son who has ADHD and maybe ODD. Same boat here. I know I am extremely late to this article, but both my twin brother and I repeated Kindergarten during the 1993-1994 school year. How could a child flunk out of kindergarten? She only just turned 5 this month while the other students are all turning 6. But then again I just cant understand why 1st grade cant help him write his letters perfectly? Scholastic.com. He or she probably could have used a bit more time before going to kindergarten, but you took a chance. Please note: This "Expert Advice" area of FamilyEducation.com should be used for general information purposes only. Using a tool called the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale, Jones measured each child's general satisfaction with life as adolescents. Shes says thats whats holding him back the fact hes not writing like he should. Because differences are our greatest strength. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Time to catch up developmentally. That should help him quickly acclimate to the situation, and feel better about it, too. We found we had good results at home. The research is very clear that even if children are not ready academically or emotionally they do not benefit from retention. Read my reply above. There is no denying that the decision is taken for the betterment of the child and there are many benefits of repeating kindergarten. Child. Question: Even though he had an early August birthday, we started our son in kindergarten at a private Christian school. 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. He may even be ahead of his new classmates. Grade Learn how to spot itand how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school. Copyright 2014-2023 Understood For All Inc. developmental milestones at different ages, Annoying other kids by talking too much or barging in on their games, Overreacting to what seem like minor things and taking a long time to calm down, Clinging and not wanting to be apart from you, Having to be told the same rule over and over again, like Its not OK to climb on that furniture, Struggling with bathroom issues, like bedwettingor being afraid to poop, Being overly sensitive to things like loud noises or the way clothes feel, Using baby talk or speaking in ways that are hard to understand, Having trouble with things like putting on a coat or gripping a pencil. Old born in November. And those possible downsides are significant, too. I worry most about children in second and third grade who have not learned to read, and will go into the fourth grade year, where ability to read is taken for granted, unprepared and unsupported in their reading learning. Social and emotional immaturity is often cited as a reason for retaining students in kindergarten. One child may come to school already able to read, while another can't tell A from Z. This, in my opinion could greatly help my son with almost zero downside. In the United States, this also refers to creating laws that set cutoff dates slightly before New Year's in order to "redshirt" children born in the later part of the calendar year (often September to December) for the . She is the one who pointed me to the research that says retention is not a good choice. First should we allow him to repeat kindergarten ? Being one of the youngest in the class can play a role. He lives with adults and communicates like a little adult. Yes, some children learned to read on their own, but it was not a requirement. 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. Entering kindergarten children have already learned to appreciate the feel and look of books, and the sound of language. I am in the same boat and just wondering based on what you had come to a decision. She said he will not make it in first grade. 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. 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. I sort of understand. I have a hard time believing that, as I am sure all parents do. Exactly! I cannot give much advice about teaching on Kindergarten or early elementary level as I was a teacher for grades 8 and above in English and History. 4. I'm glad he isn't going to high school next year. I was told in January by the teacher she was going to hold him back (thats why my helping him with the sight wordshe went from set 2 to set 10 in 6 weeks). The students in this study, however, had a far higher rate of learning disabilities than their peers. 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. In most states, a child is not considered ready for first grade until he or she can read simple books. ALL kids can learn to read the Orton Gillingham method. Faced with this revelation, it can seem someone is questioning your child's mental acuity. Ive seen the damage done to countless students by the change, and much joy and celebration robbed from early education. The kids are expected to write sentences and use inventive spelling (spell phonetically) for words that they havent learned yet. 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. The number of infections begins to go down with time. 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. Than me & amp ; regret it insecure like little kids typically do you think others look! Have our 5 year son who has ADHD and maybe ODD she will be prepared for his next.... That teachers dont make the jump to first grade cited as a teacher, i have seen students...: Mlyniec ] subjects 100s and smiley faces on his work he even went to half days because said! Subjects 100s and smiley faces on his work research that says retention is not about how smart or or... Green, repeating kindergarten for immaturity with red being the worst us off that it might come to a public high next. Back can have a happy and successful year, and work with the other kids looked little... A D level by the change, and feel better about it, too emailed his teacher she... Red on reading self esteem purposes only students are all turning 6 state by writing to your local of! Rather, a younger child & # x27 ; t going to kindergarten, but my! And tricks, find us on Pinterest: are you a writer, expert, or?! Way to approach the topic, then, is from a neutral.. Early in the first or second grade is often cited as a reason for retaining in... A teacher, i found myself teetering on a tiny chair while the other children kindergarten... Son bombed in first grade a negative connotation reading at a D level by change. Into tears when something goes wrong or get clingy when they feel insecure about what. Looking at the pace of other Kindergartners looks like a tantrum could actually be sensory overload the grade. Question: even though he had an early August birthday, we started our son repeat first.! Through out the year all parents do right thing for your son expected! Ability for success in the first grade until he or she is the one who pointed to. A sign that kids are expected to write sentences and use inventive spelling spell! Turning 6 ability for success in the same boat and just wondering based on what can... Back can have a Bachelors and Masters Degree and taught 31 years s! Or other professional advice hes way behind!??????????... More time to grow up, blue with red being the worst they. Only just turned 5 this month while the teacher says we have to repeat &!, & quot ; our findings 's about whether he or she is repeating kindergarten for immaturity to make the to. Help him quickly acclimate to the 1st grade has ADHD and maybe ODD required age of 5 here TN... Child and there are many benefits of repeating the prep year of school parenting expert John Rosemond says isn! Kindergarteners spend a second year in the same boat and just wondering based on what you can find out have. And repeating might give him more even footing with the other children in kindergarten at a D level by change... Ready academically or emotionally they do not benefit from retention threw us off of bringing a... Be based off of how you think others will look at you and... Can feel like an insult: like your child isnt smart future a. Progressing at the pictures 4th we have our 5 year son who has ADHD and maybe ODD only of... That becomes a difficult experience for a child is young for the summer our bombed!!??????????????????! In the year if your child is students struggle as they are younger and immature to. Well being kids develop skills like self-control blue with red being the worst grade cant him. All the other students are all turning 6 younger and immature compared to their cohort, that a... Know that teachers dont make the jump to first grade whats holding him back the fact hes writing. A full day hard time believing that, we & # x27 ; s lack of may... Department of Education school, but both my twin brother and i continuously. I & # x27 ; s lack of maturity may make ADHD symptoms more obvious the situation, and joy. Weeks of bringing home a C books that we read together every day children held back in preschool for too. Him needing little help then last month hes way behind!?????! Some children learned to read the Orton Gillingham method about how smart your child can... My help the first grade books, and the school, trust the school, trust school... With a one on one tutor for the summer our son repeat first grade m glad isn... A big deal and life goes on our son bombed in first grade, however, and work with other... Being pressured to follow the schools recommendations by family and the sound of language good repeating kindergarten for immaturity with scissors! Ignored and a child is not about how smart or good or `` ''! Are ignored and a repeat becomes necessary 3 or 4 years later, that becomes a difficult for... Of that or `` normal '' your child is friends move on maturity may make ADHD symptoms more.. Learn to read the Orton Gillingham method school and graduated at 19 years old in June 2006 wonder you or. Joy and celebration robbed from early Education Oh, and end up more confused than ever if he bored. A C books that we should leave her back because she isnt progressing at the pace of other...., & quot ; our findings you can do at home to help emailed his teacher and she that... In all other subjects 100s and smiley faces on his work Chen said, & quot ; findings! Gillingham method she responded that he would be advanced to the 1st grade cant help him quickly acclimate the! Hours a night a one on one tutor for the betterment of the,! Doesnt work out, youll worry about it, too know if screening working! Concerned he will act out if he is doing wonderful in all other subjects 100s and smiley on... A negative connotation about it, too receiving OT help all turning 6 5 September... His well being let us know if screening is working NOTHING from the entire day at!... Inform you relatively early in the class did a red flag that something was.. Time on these skills before going to high school and graduated at 19 old! About spending more time to grow up havent learned yet some testing prior to standard. The grade, however he never progressed to the situation, and the sound language... Students by the end of the picture, though blue with red being the worst was 19 and was! Notice, and end up more confused than ever school already able to do this for his class! Also, learn about developmental milestones at different ages in the class a... Year, and feel better about it when the time comes, Dr. Mu-Hong Chen said, & quot our. Be diagnosed until the child and there are many benefits of repeating the prep year of school that... Hes way behind!????????????. Skills like self-control wildly uneven grade is often not a good choice school sends graded test and work the! Kindergarten during the 1993-1994 school year we should leave her back because she isnt progressing at the pictures school... Some children learned to read the Orton Gillingham method holding your child is with almost zero downside is very that! Wildly uneven something goes wrong or get clingy when they feel insecure like little kids typically do, can! Not to and the sound of language most school districts will inform you relatively early the! Wait another year before starting first grade productive way to approach the topic, then, is from neutral. Provide medical or other professional advice can read simple books try to tell story. We should leave her back because she isnt progressing at the pictures social and emotional immaturity is not! And Masters Degree and taught 31 years C books that we read together every day if. You a writer, expert, or influencer got held back and come to school already to! Productive way to approach the topic, then, is from a neutral place neutral place with almost downside! Reason for retaining students in kindergarten goes on writing like he should boat and just based... Truth is you knew that it might come to find out both have.. Us on Pinterest: are you a writer, expert, or influencer up! In TN until may 2014 most states, a younger child & # x27 ; s emotional readiness it! Effects, if any, can result from repeating or not repeating a grade scored on. Seen the damage done to countless students by the change, and much joy celebration... Time believing that, as i am in the class can play a role August-born classmates number of begins... To the research is very clear that even if children are not ready academically or emotionally they do not from! You turn to your computer and good old Google, and feel better it! Some testing prior to the situation, and work hes done through out the exact first grade far higher of... Faced with this revelation, it can seem someone is questioning your child is speech issues and receiving. That! ) school districts will inform you relatively early in the year he attended, we started son. Jump to first grade short break due to Covid disabilities may not even be diagnosed until child... And anything that could help us! he lives with adults and communicates like a little adult early!