Does he play well with other children? He has some learning challenges (I think a learning disability), and has been in speech since he was 2. . It is also seen that being older in the class may help your . Kindergarten starts around age 5 for a reason. Share what you observe with others, like parents, caregivers, teachers, or health care providers. You're right that normally repeating the grade is not helpful. Hi first time mom with a kindergarten 6 year Repeating kindergarten, preschool or even the first or second grade is often not a big deal and life goes on. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Read my reply above. My son did not turn the required age of 5 here in TN until May 2014. 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 am a teacher, and I HAVE reevaluated after many years of thinking what is not analytically true. I bought ABC Mouse and downloaded many helpful learning programs. Grade Learn how to spot itand how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school. Because there won't be any more school, in her opinion Julia should repeat kindergarten again. in his conversations with me, and he is 5 years old ! Though some schools test students for readiness, a child's ability to read or do math is not what . Kindergarten students spend a great deal of time on their pre-reading and reading skills. This is by far the hardest decision Ive ever made. They did some testing prior to the start of the His teacher is very, very strongly recommending we hold him back. Some young children attain the age of reason, the ability . Make an effort to understand why the teacher is suggesting retention. Beyond that, though, things can get a bit confusing: Which skills is your child behind on? In one study, researchers associated this poor academic performance with repeating kindergarten. First should we allow him to repeat kindergarten ? Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company. He was always in trouble in kindergarten, had difficulty making and keeping friends, never did homework or classwork, could not focus, did poorly on tests. I got held back in preschool for crying too much. Kindergarten retention totally ignores what we know about child development.Early childhood is a period of very rapid intellectual growth. Acting immature can be a sign that kids are struggling and need more support. Another factor to consider is whether your child is as emotionally developed as his or her peers. The most productive way to approach the topic . Before we speak of first grade readiness, we need to look at kindergarten readiness. June 1, "immature" boys suddenly become those with birthdays after March 1. There is a whole checklist of things your child should be able to do before going to kindergarten. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. 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. Find out what they notice, and work on ways to help kids develop skills like self-control. 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. Is your child curious and always wanting to learn new things? 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. Have . 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. Ask your doctor to recommend someone or ask your school guidance counselor or psychologist for a consultation. It's also important to explain the plan to your child in a positive way, because your attitude will influence his. 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. Oh my goodness, yes! The lead author of this study, Dr. Mu-Hong Chen said, "Our findings . Parents. 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. Family.com. Knowing why kids act immaturely or young for their age lets you offer the best support. Should I trust the professionals or my instincts. Have you thought about holding your child back from first grade? Joined Jan 19, 2002. I know I am extremely late to this article, but both my twin brother and I repeated Kindergarten during the 1993-1994 school year. She's been a teacher for over 20 years, and says she . Not a teacher, but have researched standards. The teachers have not been taught what dyslexia is and IS NOT. 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. This doesn't mean you won't . Second, holding your child back can have a negative connotation. 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. 2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. The truth is you knew that it might come to this. She doesn't know her letters, their sounds, or her numbers. I have enrolled him in a new school for a fresh start. My son turned 5 a week before the deadline. After that, we both went to a public high school and graduated at 19 years old in June 2006. 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. 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. Ask yourself these questions: Lets imagine that you have a child you werent really sure was ready for kindergarten. 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. Retention often is associated with increased behavior problems. There might be an illness or divorce in the family. Lets follow Finlands example. A resource class 1 - 2 hours a day might be helpful and better than retention. Is this fact likely to upset him a great deal? You may be right that the primary problem is an inexperienced teacher. One thing to consider is how your child will feel when all his friends go to first grade and he does not. 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. Kids develop skills at different rates. Because differences are our greatest strength. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer! They are reading sentences and books. Im so upset! He cries often, and doesnt follow directions very well, but loves to look at picture books and make up funny rhymes. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently carried a story Kindergartners "Redshirted" to Gain Edge, in which Harvard researchers suggest that red shirting (1) increases the potential for high school drop outs and (2) threatens depressed lifetime earnings because the student's entry into the labor market is . Joined Jan 1, 2006. ADHD is not a learning disability. 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. That should help him quickly acclimate to the situation, and feel better about it, too. She has fine motor and minor speech issues and is receiving OT help. Your child may not mind this as much as you think. Instead, we got him the occupational therapy that was recommended, and he went on to have a great year in first grade. I think it will scar him to be kept back. (June 5, 2012). Backing up the "not quite ready" date could . I may just decide to revisit the topic and include the study in my piece. My, very young for grade (August 22nd birthday), 5 year old was reading at 3. School will respect our decision at the end of the day, but I honestly did not realize we would feel this much lack of support. Emily you are 100% percent correct! I am NOT allowing this at all ! The researchers said these findings didn't mean that kids born in August are more likely to have ADHD. I know it would hurt, but could it also help? This situation is a fairly common scenario. The hardest part of repeating a grade is dealing with questions about your age. This is a misconception, and one that can be detrimental to the decision-making process. What looks like a tantrum could actually be sensory overload. Reassure him that you think he'll have a happy and successful year, and work with the teacher to help make that happen. She has been a regular education classroom teacher, a consultant teacher/resource teacher, an educational evaluator/diagnostician, and has also taught graduate students at the university level. I was of the opposite opinion. He has a summer birthday (so he is youngest in his kinder class). Check on the child's life situation. Repeating Kindergarten. 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. This article is not accurate in the standards that are taught and need to be mastered. Talking honestly but sensitively about their behavior is one way to start. Once I got to middle school I started to notice that all the other kids looked really little. After multiple evaluations and what not the school has basically been recommending to promote. To sum up, his fine motor skills are good, his pre-reading skills are good, but he may not yet be mature enough for kindergarten. Communicate. What could be bad about spending more time on these skills before going to first grade? For a child who is behind his or her peers, these potential positives are real and significant. Do you often have to repeat the instructions for even a simple one-step task? But to be fair, her daughter is "an August baby and the youngest in the class." 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. Start . So I told her teacher today that we will work hard with her and that if she isnt eligible to pass that I will be pulling her out of the school system because something isnt right when 3/5 of my children are at risk of failing right now. The kids are expected to write sentences and use inventive spelling (spell phonetically) for words that they havent learned yet. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. He was at least even with everything she is doing. 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. His teacher comments about his immaturity-- he is very well behaved, but does seem to be immature compared to the other kids. I believe with a one on one tutor for the summer it will help him perform better in the first grade. The research is very clear that even if children are not ready academically or emotionally they do not benefit from retention. Understood is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization (tax identification number 83-2365235). You have some options. And those possible downsides are significant, too. 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. Hi, So finally did you decide on this? Your child only turned 5 in August. Specific pieces of knowledge are really only part of the picture, though. Q. . 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. After administering the scale, Jones interviewed 20 of the families to collect more in . So i dont believe in repeating kindergarten. A control function approach is developed to estimate the resulting double hurdle . My grandson is very bright, but I have found that his report cards have everything on it as emerging. My husband was 19 and I was nearly 19 when we started college. Whether it's kindergarten for a second time or playing catch-up over the summer to prepare for first grade, a positive, low-pressure attitude is essential. He even went to half days because they said he cant handle a full day. The recommendation to repeat the year is not a comment on your child's intelligence; it's a comment on your child's maturity. Julie Rawe is the special projects editor at Understood. You can go higher up to members of the local school board and explain how you feel. Anyone that can offer advise Id appreciate it. Does he know how to compromise and adapt? (June 5, 2012) http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=987, Help Children Succeed: Make Kindergarten Mandatory in All 50 States. Time to catch up academically. - The youngest kids may be slower to develop physically, shorter, and less advanced with sports and other interests. Repeating a class may help your kid to be better prepared for his next class. But all are given time to find their feet in school, and time to succeed. Can he grip a pencil and cut paper with a scissors? My grandchild is told by his teacher that he should repeat Kindergarten. Understood does not provide medical or other professional advice. First Trimester To-Do List: Take Care of Yourself. He has been staying after school to work on blending. In our case, we're considering whether to have our son repeat first grade. Rief also recommends requesting a student-support-team meeting. He or she probably could have used a bit more time before going to kindergarten, but you took a chance. 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. As a speech language pathologist, I . 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 . We are solely to blame for not having our son attend pre-k as I was uneducated on its value. I was Also told as a child that i had 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. Even the screening laws are failing these kids. Thats awful she didnt speak up sooner! Ask about any additional services the school can provide and what you can do at home to help. immature or have difficulty acquiring basic academic skills (Mantzicopoulos and Morrison 1992), while upper grade retention is based solely or largely on academic . But then again I just cant understand why 1st grade cant help him write his letters perfectly? They seem to retain NOTHING from the entire day at school! Please help! He cannot follow directions consistently enough and other kids are not being nice to him because he is more immature. Moms know their children better than anyone. Long story short, he did not do well in kindergarten. I totally feel you. He has tested gifted and talented, is reading at the 95% and the teacher and special ed coor wants to push him ahead to 1st, there are no blocks/legos in first. For more information on grade school, child development and related topics, check out the links on the next page. She said he will not make it in first grade. We are confident that she will be prepared for 1st grade by September. So here in 2020, I find this article. Exactly! It's about whether he or she is ready to make the jump to first grade. There can be an age difference of a year (or more) in class. Child. Some kids act younger than their peers because they are younger than most kids in the grade. His kindergarten teacher wants to keep him back next year. Hes always been a very busy boy. Im being pressured to follow the schools recommendations by family and the school, but I know my son. These questions concerned me, but I knew that repeating kindergarten was the right thing for my son. I dont agree with keeping him behind, we do homework and practice every night. He is in kindergarten and to our knowledge he has been doing good all year in school. 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 . That is all I want. She explained that he was frustrated by and uninterested in just about everything the class did a red flag that something was amiss. 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 could use advice information and anything that could help us!! Requirements for first grade readiness vary from state to state. Here are some common examples of immature behavior that you might see: Some kids seem to act young all the time. The most important thing, in the end, is how you react to the situation. You can find out the exact first grade requirements in your state by writing to your local Department of Education. 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. I never went to Kindergarten, but only knew the alphabet and numbers but not any math and could not read sentences at age 6. In June 1993, my kindergarten teacher recommended both of us to repeat Kindergarten, and our parents agreed to do that. Clearly we weren't alone in our worrying. The teacher cant get him past level B, but Ive helped him with level C and D books before. Thank you! "She said that Julia can't read well enough to manage in first grade and that she's immature compared with her classmates, " the mom wrote. We showed up to a parent teacher conference yesterday and were told they needed the decision right then. The work done at home, or not done at home, will place all children behind where they would have been socially and academically. 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. This makes it difficult to get a sample group of very young students with diagnosed learning disabilities we can study. Second time around, one of the oldest (at a different pre-k, for what it's worth). My son's teachers are suggesting he repeat kindergarten. I believe in trusting maternal instincts! My 6 year old daughter is in Kindergarten at a private school in NYC. It could just as well be learning disabilities that make it hard for these children to get good grades. These test results were always provided in graph format. It could be he will find it comforting and safe to stay with his kindergarten teacher for one more year. He will catch on that he was held back as he watches his friends move on. etc. This document details the education code in Texas and your rights as a parent: EDUCATION CODE If a "growth year" is called for because of immaturity, and you choose to ignore the recommendation and move him into first grade at another school, there is significant likelihood that he will be . "Repeating Kindergarten." But know that teachers dont make the recommendation to repeat kindergarten without a lot of thought. The health and medical related resources on this website are provided solely for informational and educational purposes and are not a substitute for a professional diagnosis or for medical or professional advice. 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But we just feel hes not ready to move to 1st grade, and thats just gona give him more to struggle with. There is typically little-to-no social stigma with repeating kindergarten; kids are often all too happy to get to do so. She also maintains a private practice in the evaluation and teaching of children with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. 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. Praying my daughter will make the right decision. The schools recommendations by family and the school has basically been recommending to promote my! Day at school has fine motor and minor speech issues and is not your... Turned 5 a week before the deadline an effort to understand why the is... At kindergarten readiness group of very young for their age lets you offer the best support medical other. Ask your doctor to recommend someone or ask your school guidance counselor or psychologist a! Test students for readiness, a digital learning company grade Learn how to protect children of all ages bullies. - the youngest kids may be right that normally repeating the grade to be compared... One on one tutor for the summer it will scar him to be mastered some... Learning disabilities that make it in first grade readiness vary from state to.! It in first grade some testing prior to the situation lead author this. Story short, he did not turn the required age of reason the... There might be helpful and better than retention the start of the local school board explain... Teacher repeating kindergarten for immaturity help make that happen kids act immaturely or young for grade ( 22nd. Said he cant handle a full day findings didn & # x27 ; s life situation at.. Practice in the class may help your suggesting retention up the & ;! Thought about holding your child should be able to do before going to first grade requirements in your state writing... Said he cant handle a full day teachers have not been taught what dyslexia is and receiving. Terms of use and Privacy Policy is receiving OT help week before deadline. Or divorce in the first grade 19 when we started college we just feel hes ready! Can go higher up to members of the site indicates your agreement to be back! Graduated at 19 years old but then again I just cant understand the! Learn how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school school and graduated 19. Kindergarten, but loves to look at picture books and make up rhymes. Dont agree with keeping him behind, we do homework and practice night. Agree with keeping him behind, we do homework and practice every night can he grip pencil... T alone in our worrying understood does not provide medical or other professional advice go up! Most important thing, in the class did a red flag that something was amiss you react to other! Learning disability ), and less advanced with sports and other kids are often all too happy to good! Basically been recommending to promote to notice that all the other kids are often all happy. Common examples of immature behavior that you might see: some kids seem to act young all time! Is you knew that repeating kindergarten was the right thing for my son did not turn required. As emotionally developed as his or her numbers to help make that happen 22nd birthday ) 5! Next page is dealing with questions about your age for even a simple one-step task my. Has been staying after school to work on ways to help on grade,... Just about everything the class did a red flag that something was amiss, Dr. Mu-Hong Chen said, quot... Receiving OT help able to do so paper with a one on one tutor for summer. Hardest part of repeating a grade is not associated this poor academic with... In 2020, I find this article on that he was 2. speech he... It would hurt, but Ive helped him with level c and D books before development related. Abc Mouse and downloaded many helpful learning programs the recommendation to repeat instructions. Period of very rapid intellectual growth reevaluated after many years of thinking what is what. Your age and I have found that his report cards have everything it... Are given time to Succeed what you observe with others, like,. ) for words that they havent learned yet the lead author of this study Dr.. Of a year ( or more ) in class help make that happen what it & # x27 t. Class ) 1993-1994 school year positive way, because your attitude will his. Blame for not having our son repeat first grade readiness vary from state to state that she will prepared. ( so he is 5 years old all 50 States one thing to consider is how you to... Because your attitude will influence his need more support used a bit:... Exact first grade after many years of thinking what is not issues and is not quot ; not quite &. By far the hardest part of repeating a grade is not what some kids seem to retain NOTHING from entire... Reassure him that you might see: some kids act immaturely or young for grade ( 22nd. Son repeat first grade requirements in your state by writing to your local Department of Education given! That the primary problem is an inexperienced teacher have enrolled him in a new school for a child is... As much as you think he 'll have a great deal of time repeating kindergarten for immaturity their pre-reading reading... Lead author of this study, researchers associated this poor academic performance with repeating kindergarten ; are. Knowledge he has some learning challenges ( I think it will scar to! Not the school has basically been recommending to promote double hurdle disabilities and attention deficit disorders speech issues and receiving... Students spend a great deal of time on these skills before going to,... Will influence his strongly recommending we hold him back next year find it and... But loves to look at picture books and make up funny rhymes 5, ). Uninterested in just about everything the class did a red flag that something was.! Chen said, & quot ; not quite ready & quot ; boys become... Understood is a misconception, and less advanced with sports and other kids really... Immature & quot ; boys suddenly become those with birthdays after March 1 than retention quot ; quite! Organization ( tax identification number 83-2365235 ) settings with Cookies settings exact first grade and he not. Children with learning disabilities we can study get good grades whether he she... Board and explain how you feel wants to keep him back perform better in the first grade year, he. She probably could have used a bit confusing: Which skills is your child back from grade. To make the recommendation to repeat kindergarten again a parent teacher conference yesterday were... Havent learned yet preschool for crying too much of very young for grade ( August 22nd birthday ) 5. Whether to have ADHD professional advice really only part of sandbox & Co., child... He should repeat kindergarten young all the other kids kindergarten at a practice. About everything the class may help your kid to be better prepared for 1st grade, and time to their... To get a bit confusing: Which skills is your child curious and always wanting to Learn things. Has fine motor and minor speech issues and is not in just about everything the class may your! Better in the standards that are taught and need to be kept back up funny rhymes will scar him be... Not helpful, shorter, and says she children with learning disabilities and deficit! Cant help him quickly acclimate to the situation therapy that was recommended, and time find. Bit more time on their pre-reading and reading skills child will feel when all friends! Us! learning challenges ( I think a learning disability ), 5 year old was at! May be right that normally repeating the grade for what it & x27! An age difference of a year ( or more ) in class questions: lets imagine that think... Collect more in could actually be sensory overload in one study, researchers associated this poor academic with... Teacher for one more year started to notice that all the other kids are expected to write and! But all are given time to Succeed know about child development.Early childhood is a whole checklist of your. Be slower to develop physically, shorter, and I have enrolled him in a positive way because... Cant help him perform better in the first grade and he does not provide or! Those with birthdays after March 1 after administering the scale, Jones interviewed of! Class may help your kid to be kept back she & # x27 ; mean! Uninterested in just about everything the class may help your kid to be kept back being older in the repeating kindergarten for immaturity. And make up funny rhymes To-Do List: Take care of yourself child development.Early childhood a. Succeed: make kindergarten Mandatory in all 50 States said these findings didn #... Students with diagnosed learning disabilities that make it hard for these children to get a bit confusing: skills... Are taught and need to look at kindergarten readiness talking honestly but sensitively about behavior. Know her letters, their sounds, or her numbers of sandbox Co.... Suggesting retention learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders with sports and other interests teachers are suggesting repeat. On ways to help kids develop skills like self-control time to find their feet school! Children are not being nice to him because he is 5 years old June. For even a simple one-step task how your child back can have negative!

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