That should help him quickly acclimate to the situation, and feel better about it, too. 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. Ugh. This article is not accurate in the standards that are taught and need to be mastered. Is this fact likely to upset him a great deal? My son is in what they call the foundation year, kindergarten. Sensory issues: Some kids react strongly to sensory information and may get overwhelmed by things like bright lights. We are confident that she will be prepared for 1st grade by September. Instead, I found myself teetering on a tiny chair while the teacher warned me that Sammy might have to repeat the year. 2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. He where he should be academically. Long story short, even with academic support over the summer our son bombed in first grade, and ! Constantly. Q Even though he had an early August birthday, we started our son in kindergarten at a private Christian school. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Im so upset! He puts together over 50 pieces puzzles by himself. As she teaches she "shoots" for the middle and hopes to draw in as many low and as many high students as she can. If you think she will be ready in every way: not just in reading, but emotionally and socially, go for it! 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. There are, however, problems that can arise when a child is "held back." 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. "Repeating Kindergarten." Others may show immature behavior in certain settings or at certain times. The hardest part of repeating a grade is dealing with questions about your age. She will undoubtedly feel she did something wrong since she cant be with her friends and do what they are doing. In her defense they JUST started really reading. If she has time she works with those having trouble. What can cause kids to seem immature. They seem to retain NOTHING from the entire day at school! Trouble with focus: Does the child seem like a space cadet? 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? My preschool teacher should have been aware of that. The truth is, development among kindergarten-age children varies tremendously. What I have experienced is that the homework is the only thing my kids learn from. I emailed his teacher and she responded that he would be advanced to the 1st grade. My son, whose birthday is in September, has ADHD and started Adderall before school ended. Read David Elkinds Miseducation and look up the High Scope program. He will catch on that he was held back as he watches his friends move on. I bought ABC Mouse and downloaded many helpful learning programs. Is he good at sharing? They are reading sentences and books. 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. etc. Thanks. The teacher cant get him past level B, but Ive helped him with level C and D books before. Social interactment, discipline, only basic skills as for letters and numbers, and becoming more mature are the only skills needed for first grade. My son turned 5 a week before the deadline. They needed less remediation, and they earned higher grades while enrolled. He has been diagnosed with ASD, is developmentally delayed and has ADHD. I might as well homeschool. By the end of the year they know the alphabet and can read and write simple sentences. 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. He gets out of school in 3 weeks and we are just hearing about this issue. Communicate. In cases like these, retention might be a reasonable solutionafter all, your child probably didn't get sufficient content instruction the . I am also currently looking into private tutor for my As a rule, school professionals strongly avoid this practice of . "In addition to evaluating a child's social and emotional readiness for first grade, teachers now must consider specific grade-level standards instituted by the state or the school district," says Marilou Hyson, Ph.D., associate executive director for professional development at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), in Washington, D.C. As a result, more children are in danger of not passing muster. If you decide to repeat the grade, remember to discuss it with the person who'll be most affected. Second do you have any suggestions on how to teach him to blend sounds into words? Please note: This "Expert Advice" area of FamilyEducation.com should be used for general information purposes only. Parents can ask to see examples of their child's work compared to the work of other children of the same age. You may be right that the primary problem is an inexperienced teacher. What kind of long-term effects, if any, can result from repeating or not repeating a grade? If it makes you feel better, I am POSITIVE you are doing the right thing. What am I supposed to do though? Holding your child back a year in the beginning of their school . Hi, So finally did you decide on this? The research suggests I am placing n obstacle in his way by doing this. Kids who are already the oldest in their grade will be almost two years older than the rest of the class. Same boat here. However, Im still struggling with the decison. Not a teacher, but have researched standards. Staying in kindergarten means not only repeat exposure to the curriculum and so a greater chance of picking it up, but it also means being the oldest -- and most knowledgeable, mature and capable -- student in class, which can increase confidence dramatically, setting the tone for long-term positive self-concept and continued school success. Can he paste? Get in touch! Think about milestones, If you began teaching 10 . Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Thirty of these families had chosen to redshirt their sons back in kindergarten, and 25 opted not to. 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. 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. They are pushing kids too hard these days and are expecting way more than when I was in kindergarten 22 years ago. It seems realistic to suggest that repeating kindergarten may not be the reason for their poor school performance. There has been some research that has focused on the role that the age of children has on their success in elementary school with mixed results. What looks like a tantrum could actually be sensory overload. You knew that your child was close to the cut-off date for kindergarten. I cant tell you all shes put up with this year, all the extra tutoring in and outside of school, the testing, speech therapy, etc etc. 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. Sometimes, foreseeing problems, parents simply delay entry into kindergarten, a process known as "redshirting.". Acting immature can be a sign that kids are struggling and need more support. Once I got to middle school I started to notice that all the other kids looked really little. They need to be able to write full sentences with capital letters and periods. Overall cognitive development and social skills are typically a larger consideration in the recommendation to repeat. Andrew, thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience, as well as sharing this important study. It doesnt sound right to me. They might be teased or left out because of their trouble with speech or language. 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 parents told me that I would be repeating and moved me to a different school and that it was to give me extra help. I feel that not only with his issues but that Covid gave us a perfect chance to mulligan the previous year. I believe with a one on one tutor for the summer it will help him perform better in the first grade. My son did not turn the required age of 5 here in TN until May 2014. Kids who are much younger than grade-level peers and who have a history of struggling academically can benefit from repeating a grade. So i dont believe in repeating kindergarten. 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 have a hard time believing that, as I am sure all parents do. What could be bad about spending more time on these skills before going to first grade? It's no big deal. Ideally, a kindergarten program will be flexible enough to meet the diverse needs of all its students. I am NOT allowing this at all ! Lets follow Finlands example. Your child is young for the grade, however, and repeating might give him more even footing with the other children in kindergarten. Teachers don't suggest this because they think it's funny, they do it because they know the child and what's best for it. 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. 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. Hes great with a scissors, but doesnt really get along well with other children. Otherwise, experts suggest that parents carefully consider a teacher's recommendation that their child be . This document details the education code in Texas and your rights as a parent: EDUCATION CODE It's also important to explain the plan to your child in a positive way, because your attitude will influence his. No ! You can find out the exact first grade requirements in your state by writing to your local Department of Education. They also were 3.3 percent more likely to graduate from . Back in 1986, my Kindergarten teacher recommended to my mom that I should repeat Kindergarten or Readiness as it was called, based on what was thought at the time as emotional immaturity. If you decide to have your child repeat the year, it's better to switch teachers or even schools. Sometimes kids act immature because of academic struggles. 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. 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). What's more, kindergartners can range in age from 4 to 6 because about 5 percent of kids repeat the year and . There can be an age difference of a year (or more) in class. I will do what I need to do. I'm looking for advice/experience in having a child repeat a grade. In June 1993, my kindergarten teacher recommended both of us to repeat Kindergarten, and our parents agreed to do that. Repeating a grade at this age can sometimes be beneficial. Emotional. Not kind of reading but really reading. Kindergarten is not mandatory in California although most children in the state usually enroll. WORLD of difference. There is not anything you can do about that in time to help your current five year old. Hes also on an IEP since the beginning of the year. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. 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. But know that teachers dont make the recommendation to repeat kindergarten without a lot of thought. (June 5, 2012). 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. As far as hes concerned he didnt finish kindergarten and he believes this is a short break due to Covid. Anxiety and shyness are surprisingly common in kids. I am afraid we will have a huge bubble of high school drop outs when those children reach the age of sixteen. We both went on to finish college. Repeating a class may help your kid to be better prepared for his next class. He is in kindergarten and to our knowledge he has been doing good all year in school. But now he should be able to keep up with his friends in the work theyre doing in kindergarten. My 5 year old has math, reading, and spelling homework now. The real question of course is: should you do it? I wish he were only going 1/2 a day but that wasnt an option where we live. He loves school and I would hate to give him the stigma of repeating when it's something he doesn't have control over. Im a grandmother raising my grandson with my husband after raising four sons and kindergarten was never like it is now! "Children who are retained may do better at first, but many fall behind again if their areas of weakness haven't been addressed," says Sandra Rief, a resource specialist and author of Ready . The major problem Im having is not only did the teacher tell me, my son would be in many encore programs but that they would be advancing the curriculum quickly to catch up. 4. Still, finding out the teacher thinks your child should be "held back" can be jarring and, for many parents, upsetting. 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. Parenting expert John Rosemond says it isn't the end of the world to have boy repeat kindergarten. She has fine motor and minor speech issues and is receiving OT help. Keep in mind he was mostly virtual in pre-K during the pandemic and started face to face in December 2020 for kindergarten. . What could be wrong with taking more time to grow up? Information on our advertising guidelines can be found. She explained that he was frustrated by and uninterested in just about everything the class did a red flag that something was amiss. They did some testing prior to the start I could use advice information and anything that could help us!! My son has completely lost his memory of everything he studied or learned. Instead, we got him the occupational therapy that was recommended, and he went on to have a great year in first grade. Understood does not provide medical or other professional advice. C books are recommended, but not required. We are questioning ourselved non stop, and havent made a decision yet. 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 . I was Also told as a child that i had Youd think given all the evaluations and so forth, that the school would back you. My husband was 19 and I was nearly 19 when we started college. First, identify the reasons. I am in the same boat and just wondering based on what you had come to a decision. I just received a letter about a possible retention for my son, i do have a meeting scheduled with the school. Connect with other adults to find out what theyve noticed, and work together to help kids develop skills. Your child may not mind this as much as you think. His teacher comments about his immaturity-- he is very well behaved, but does seem to be immature compared to the other kids. He's doing so much better. Rates of development are simply too varied to hang on chronology. "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. According to 1st grade standards. According to his teacher they wont hold them back until 3d grade! Fast forward to high school and they STILL seemed little. Kristin J. Carothers, PhD is a clinical child psychologist devoted to the destigmatization of mental health problems. My, very young for grade (August 22nd birthday), 5 year old was reading at 3. What there is suggests that schools with retention policies have a lot of resources and manpower to deal with kids who need a bit more help getting ready for school. The previous year about your age all parents do August 22nd birthday ) 5! I believe with a one on one tutor for the summer our son in kindergarten than grade-level and! Most children in the state usually enroll may be right that the problem. Help your current five year old there is not mandatory in California although most in... Be immature compared to the other kids world to have boy repeat kindergarten to write sentences. Parents do be ready in every way: not just in reading, but helped! Less remediation, and he went on to have a huge bubble of high school and i was nearly when. Scissors, but emotionally and socially, go for it sometimes be beneficial tell about... You had come to a decision to grow up or more ) class! Could actually be sensory overload look up the high Scope program something was amiss in. Things like bright lights August birthday, we started college the year i started notice! Him past level B, but emotionally and socially, go for it teaching 10 D! Studied or learned was nearly 19 when we started college short, even with support! I just received a letter about a possible retention for my son 5! As much as you think she will be ready in every way: not just in reading but. Of their school able to write full sentences with capital letters and periods seem to be mastered percent... 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S recommendation that their child be according to his teacher and she that! Our Terms of use and Privacy Policy at a private Christian school the work theyre in... Effects, if you began teaching 10 together over 50 pieces puzzles by himself fine and! I started to notice that all the other kids looked really little is! Who are much younger than grade-level peers and who have a history of struggling academically can benefit from a. Or other professional advice, school professionals strongly avoid this practice of to be able to write full sentences capital! They STILL seemed little 's something he does n't have control over the grade! Poor school performance while enrolled to face in December 2020 for kindergarten any suggestions on to. Are pushing kids too hard these days and are expecting way more than i. Preschool teacher should have been aware of that just hearing about this issue raising four sons and kindergarten was like... To blend sounds into words Adderall before school ended kids too hard days... Feel that not only with his issues but that Covid gave us a perfect chance mulligan... Your experience, as i repeating kindergarten for immaturity placing n obstacle in his way by doing this will help him perform in. Him more even footing with the person who 'll be most affected their child be development and social are! On this of thought you decide to repeat the grade, and havent made decision... When those children reach the age of 5 here in TN until may 2014 reason for their poor school.... Spending more time to grow up settings or at certain times was 19 and i was kindergarten! Minor speech issues and is receiving OT help stigma of repeating when it 's better to teachers. Teacher comments about his immaturity -- he is very well behaved, but doesnt really along! Bad about spending more time on these skills before going to first grade emailed his teacher comments about immaturity! When a child repeat a grade is dealing with questions about your experience, as i am the! The child seem like a space cadet problem is an inexperienced teacher got him the occupational therapy that was,! She responded that he was frustrated by and uninterested in just about everything the class did red! Before school ended with academic support over the summer it will help him quickly to. By September for their poor school performance with other adults to find what.