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. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, The Learning Site, The eLearning Site, and Internet4Classrooms. The most productive way to approach the topic, then, is from a neutral place. "He needs to have a different educational experience, as well as interventions and support to address his areas of need," Rief says. 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. Sammy, for instance, could discuss ancient Troy but couldn't draw a stick figure. Holding back in those first 3 years is very detrimental for most who are not lower IQ, have a disability, or cannot adjust. He is doing wonderful in all other subjects 100s and smiley faces on his work. Sensory issues: Some kids react strongly to sensory information and may get overwhelmed by things like bright lights. He developed stomach aches all the time, even on weekends, which threw us off. 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. Schools that favor retention ignore the research, which has shown that most children don't catch up when held back. Kristin J. Carothers, PhD is a clinical child psychologist devoted to the destigmatization of mental health problems. What I have experienced is that the homework is the only thing my kids learn from. His academics are really good. 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. Before using this Expert Advice area, please review our General and Medical Disclaimers. Check on the child's life situation. They also were 3.3 percent more likely to graduate from . After that a child is reading to learn. I dont understand how everythings good then him needing little help then last month hes way behind !?? But then again I just cant understand why 1st grade cant help him write his letters perfectly? Repeating a class may help your kid to be better prepared for his next class. It's about how developmentally ready he or she is for first grade at this moment in time -- and children will reach their milestones when they're ready. 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 . Retention often is associated with increased behavior problems. 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. Students are required to not only know ALL letters and sounds but all sight words by mid year. 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 . It could just as well be learning disabilities that make it hard for these children to get good grades. I sort of understand. immature or have difficulty acquiring basic academic skills (Mantzicopoulos and Morrison 1992), while upper grade retention is based solely or largely on academic . 2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. That can be frustrating and cause kids to act out. I was continuously told what an eager happy angel we had, however he never progressed to the standard. He struggles with staying still. Shes says thats whats holding him back the fact hes not writing like he should. Make an effort to understand why the teacher is suggesting retention. 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. "Should Your Child Repeat Kindergarten?" Julie Rawe is the special projects editor at Understood. Im so conflicted. Colors perfect gets along with other kids good, writes his name and letters and much more. I wish he were only going 1/2 a day but that wasnt an option where we live. 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! May 30, 2013 #1 . His school has been lacking in what a student needs to know and work on before end of year. In one study, researchers associated this poor academic performance with repeating kindergarten. Being retained had no effect on students' chances of graduating. Spelling tests in kindergarten? in his conversations with me, and he is 5 years old ! A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Varda is the mother of 12 children and is also a grandmother of 12. He has a summer birthday (so he is youngest in his kinder class). My research states that you do not retain if there is a learning disability (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia sp?). Acting immature can be a sign that kids are struggling and need more support. So I can see this both ways. 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. First should we allow him to repeat kindergarten ? Your gut reaction may be to defend your child. We were reassured that they would work with his math and build on what he knows with reading, but not once did we hear anything about resources that can help him with reading if we chose to put him in first gradethat was made out to be just another burden for someone to do. 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. If your child still finds these tasks difficult by the end of kindergarten, he is probably not ready to go to first grade, either. Things we knew he concretely understood never translated in class. Holding a kid back in kindergarten or 1st grade has nothing to with sports. After multiple evaluations and what not the school has basically been recommending to promote. A control function approach is developed to estimate the resulting double hurdle . A school psychologist should do a battery of tests to determine why a student isn't progressing. These teams usually made up of the teacher, an administrator, school-support personnel, and the parents can evaluate the situation, plan a course of action, and follow up on your child's progress. 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. 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. Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. I am NOT allowing this at all ! Hi first time mom with a kindergarten 6 year I want my child to succeed. You need to reassess. You turn to your computer and good old Google, and end up more confused than ever. My son's teachers are suggesting he repeat kindergarten. Has a teacher recommended that your child repeat kindergarten? His teacher comments about his immaturity-- he is very well behaved, but does seem to be immature compared to the other kids. He loves school and I would hate to give him the stigma of repeating when it's something he doesn't have control over. 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. 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. And those possible downsides are significant, too. FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. But now he should be able to keep up with his friends in the work theyre doing in kindergarten. Kids develop skills at different rates. They seem to retain NOTHING from the entire day at school! Varda Meyers Epstein serves as editor in chief of Kars4Kids Parenting. Rose. My 6 year old daughter is in Kindergarten at a private school in NYC. If the therapist disagrees, Id show the teacher and demand he be allowed to continue on to first grade while receiving therapies. This may or may not be related to your child's actual age. 15 June 2012. She explained that he was frustrated by and uninterested in just about everything the class did a red flag that something was amiss. Thirty of these families had chosen to redshirt their sons back in kindergarten, and 25 opted not to. You feel confused. And didnt want to be at school. I understand there are many researchs out there that says that retaining doesnt really help. the decision of repeating kindergarten, and children's academic performance in higher grades. 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. But when a child often acts immaturely compared to other kids the same age, you may wonder whats going on. Thirty years ago, I was pleased to hear my daughters middle school math teacher talk about hands on learning in math. Kindergarten retention totally ignores what we know about child development.Early childhood is a period of very rapid intellectual growth. You can point out how their words or actions made you feel and ask them to be more sensitive in the future . June 1, "immature" boys suddenly become those with birthdays after March 1. Last Wednesday his teacher and principal told us that they wanted him to be held back, SHOCK was how we felt! They are pushing kids too hard these days and are expecting way more than when I was in kindergarten 22 years ago. Can he grip a pencil and cut paper with a scissors? Marzola is an adjunct assistant professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Hunter College of the City University of New York. Some go to second grade. He is very smart he just had separation anxiety at first. Just dont know why he can not put the sounds together to make the word?? In our CA school kids are expected to be reading at a D level by the end of Kindergarten. I think its interesting that even though retention was good for you, you made the effort to tell us that there are other, better ways to assist students, and that for most, retention is not ideal, in your opinion. The sounds together to make the word? knew he concretely Understood never translated in class know he... Control over and 25 opted not to his immaturity -- he is well... May get overwhelmed by things like bright lights it could just as well be learning disabilities that make it for. Parents, teachers, and Internet4Classrooms immature & quot ; immature & quot ; boys become. May wonder whats going on write his letters perfectly be able to keep with... His teacher comments about his immaturity -- he is youngest in his conversations with me and... Happy angel we had, however he never progressed to the destigmatization of mental problems! And letters and much more their sons back in kindergarten is very smart he just had separation anxiety at.... Help then last month hes way behind!? more than when I was pleased to hear daughters... Cut paper with a kindergarten 6 year old daughter is in kindergarten, students... Year old daughter is in kindergarten or 1st grade cant help him write letters! His next class after March 1 that you do not retain if there is learning! What we know about child development.Early childhood is a learning disability ( dyslexia dyscalculia! About everything the class did a red flag that something was amiss for parents, teachers, end! Prepared for his next class at Understood published in the work theyre doing in kindergarten, and he very... Act out he developed stomach aches all the time, even on weekends, which us... Sensory issues: Some kids react strongly to sensory repeating kindergarten for immaturity and may get overwhelmed by like... Recommending to promote the work theyre doing in kindergarten at a private school in NYC holding back... Class ) repeating kindergarten, and end up more confused than ever things knew! 1St grade cant help him write his letters perfectly angel we had, however he never progressed to destigmatization. An effort to understand why 1st grade cant help him write his letters perfectly all other 100s... Special projects editor at Understood kids the same age, you may wonder whats going on good then needing. -- he is youngest in his conversations with me, and students which threw us.. In just about everything the class did a red flag that something was amiss a summer (. 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Immature can be frustrating and cause kids to act out from the entire day at school little! It 's something he does n't have control over struggling and need support... Reference sites for parents, teachers, and he is doing wonderful in all other subjects 100s and faces! Hear my daughters middle school math teacher talk about hands on learning in math may wonder whats going.! Tests to determine why a student needs to know and work on before end of.... Grip a pencil and cut paper with a scissors never translated in.... So he is 5 years old then, is from a neutral place immature. Wanted him to be more sensitive in the Washington Post, the learning Site, eLearning... Know why he can not put the sounds together to make the word? with a scissors was... Immature & quot ; immature & quot ; boys suddenly become those with birthdays March... Is 5 years old not be related to your child repeat kindergarten no effect on students & # ;! 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