Second do you have any suggestions on how to teach him to blend sounds into words? The teacher say I am setting him up for failure if I dont. This used to be Kinder requirements, now they are prek requirements. Moms know their children better than anyone. I emailed his teacher and she responded that he would be advanced to the 1st grade. Students are required to not only know ALL letters and sounds but all sight words by mid year. His teacher comments about his immaturity-- he is very well behaved, but does seem to be immature compared to the other kids. I know I am extremely late to this article, but both my twin brother and I repeated Kindergarten during the 1993-1994 school year. I've done a lot of research and it's the general consensus that grade . If it makes you feel better, I am POSITIVE you are doing the right thing. First, identify the reasons. . If you decide to have your kid repeat kindergarten, be sure to look at this k-8 public charter school option. WORLD of difference. Is this fact likely to upset him a great deal? Rates of development are simply too varied to hang on chronology. As a rule, school professionals strongly avoid this practice of . Every answer seems wrong! However his fine motor skills need work. I think it will scar him to be kept back. This doesn't mean you won't . 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. 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. What if I want my child to repeat kindergarten but the school wont allow it because of the mo child left behind? How Ethical Is It To Move to A Neighborhood for Its School Rating? The average minutes a day your child gets direct attention from her teacher is 7 minutes. The exception to these concerns is if a student repeats kindergarten, when immaturity may be a concern. Find out what they notice, and work on ways to help kids develop skills like self-control. Now school is over and although his teacher told me throughout the semester that he will most likely be repeating kindergarten, the school promoted him to fist grade. My husband and I knew she wasnt doing well with reading so we recently enrolled her into the Sylvan Learning center. Sometimes kids act immature because of academic struggles. One consideration in having your child repeat kindergarten is social and emotional development. Some kids act younger than their peers because they are younger than most kids in the grade. He gets out of school in 3 weeks and we are just hearing about this issue. The skills learned in kindergarten laid a vital foundation for later learning. Holding back in those first 3 years is very detrimental for most who are not lower IQ, have a disability, or cannot adjust. My daughter started Kindergarten this year, and the principal told us in the orientation, that children are expected to read at the the end of K. We are facing the same thing with my grandson the teachers recommended to keep him back but I think he should move to the first grade . Being retained had no effect on students' chances of graduating. Every child is different. Schools are going to have to find ways to adapt to the children who have been away from school because of COVID. . The study found that delayed entry was most common for . This makes it difficult to get a sample group of very young students with diagnosed learning disabilities we can study. Not a teacher, but have researched standards. I am a retired teacher, having taught 43 years, at the primary level and the middle school level. Ideally, a kindergarten program will be flexible enough to meet the diverse needs of all its students. 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. It has been a nightmare to get help for them. 5 Incredible Things You'll Learn in First Grade, 5 Incredible Things You'll Learn in Kindergarten, a complete disinterest in the kindergarten curriculum, significantly smaller physical size than his or her peers, difficulty handling even slight frustration, Church, Ellen Booth. Child. I was keep back in school and I hate it to this day. Another factor to consider is whether your child is as emotionally developed as his or her peers. Age range. I have never had such a tough time with something. Shes says thats whats holding him back the fact hes not writing like he should. Im ver sure I could have helped him read the schools books that they test him with that would have helped him with retention of sight words ( we continue to read ours), I am continuing to go over the sight words and he can put them into sentences and makes up stories as well. This, in my opinion could greatly help my son with almost zero downside. He is the youngest in his class according to his teacher, end May Birthday. He ended up repeating Kindergarten and is doing great, having just finished 7th grade. The reason? Faced with this revelation, it can seem someone is questioning your child's mental acuity. Free single copies of "The Elementary School Performance and Adjustment of Children Who Enter Kindergarten Late or Repeat Kindergarten," are available from the National Library of Education at . Where are they? Kindergarten students spend a great deal of time on their pre-reading and reading skills. Anxietyor shyness: Does it take a long time for the child to warm up to other kids? We were provided with an Encore/Spire program and later in the year, a speech therapist that gave him 15m- once a week. Red, yellow, green, blue with red being the worst. Is he flexible? There may be individual cases in which a child benefits, such as if she's missed a lot of school because of illness or a move, or if she has significant delays in all areas of development. Then, for a few years, I taught in a school for behaviorally disordered children. And if the issue is counting and numbers, or poor early reading skills, perhaps giving a child more time to learn numbers and letters; to hear stories read; and play with making rhymes, is indicated. Hi first time mom with a kindergarten 6 year And a child's levels of physical, social, and intellectual development may be wildly uneven. Some go to second grade. Lets follow Finlands example. Marzola is an adjunct assistant professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Hunter College of the City University of New York. "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. "Should Your Child Repeat Kindergarten?" It should be criminal to do that to these kids. I totally feel you. Is your child ready for kindergarten? What's more, kindergartners can range in age from 4 to 6 because about 5 percent of kids repeat the year and . It can feel like an insult: like your child isnt smart. She is such an amazing little person. 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. Backing up the "not quite ready" date could . My son's teachers are suggesting he repeat kindergarten. I understand there are many researchs out there that says that retaining doesnt really help. For all anyone knows, your child could end up perfectly on track by the fall. I sort of understand. Holding your child back a year in the beginning of their school . 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. My son has completely lost his memory of everything he studied or learned. Long story short, even with academic support over the summer our son bombed in first grade, and ! Who wants to hear their child is average? Some children would benefit from repeating kindergarten. What I have experienced is that the homework is the only thing my kids learn from. 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. Emily you are 100% percent correct! A control function approach is developed to estimate the resulting double hurdle . Your child may not mind this as much as you think. He will be turning 6 in a week here. The researchers said these findings didn't mean that kids born in August are more likely to have ADHD. Im a grandmother raising my grandson with my husband after raising four sons and kindergarten was never like it is now! I would like to know what specific research you have found that states that retaining is not beneficial. We both went on to finish college. Colors perfect gets along with other kids good, writes his name and letters and much more. You may be right that the primary problem is an inexperienced teacher. Retention often is associated with increased behavior problems. Constantly. Backing up . These policies typically focus on a student's chronological age when entering kindergarten. I did not know HALF of what my grandson at 5 now knows when I was his age, but I went on to get 3 college degrees and was asked to work with the state educational committees for years on curriculum. Rose, my heart breaks for you and your grandson, as it does my grandson. He was at least even with everything she is doing. Learn about reasons for immature behavior and how to help. This decision should not be based off of how you feel or how you think others will look at you. Well email you our most helpful stories and resources. We reluctantly decided to hold him back but I stayed up half the night researching and sent an email to the principal this morning about our struggle. For more parenting tips and tricks, find us on Pinterest: Are you a writer, expert, or influencer? According to his teacher they wont hold them back until 3d grade! Media inquiries:media@understood.org(preferred) or646-757-3100. My sons school sends graded test and work hes done through out the year and hes been doing great! However, Im still struggling with the decison. Your child is young for the grade, however, and repeating might give him more even footing with the other children in kindergarten. My grandchild is told by his teacher that he should repeat Kindergarten. 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. We showed up to a parent teacher conference yesterday and were told they needed the decision right then. We missed the registration for pre-k by a week. The teacher has let him build legos, blocks pretty much all year. I have an almost 6 year old. Requirements for first grade readiness vary from state to state. That said, its important to note that learning disabilities may not even be diagnosed until the child goes to grade school. So i dont believe in repeating kindergarten. They went on to read and read and read, but at 5 and 6, could not write a single sentence or read those books I was reading to them that were the simple childhood stories. It's about whether he or she is ready to make the jump to first grade. 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. Communicate. Repeating a class may help your kid to be better prepared for his next class. 7y. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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 . There is absolutely no way your best friend with a 6 month old girl has been told her 6 month old is ready for the first grade most babies dont even start walking until 9 months let alone every other thing a child needs to be able to do in 1st grade! They feel repeating would be a good option so his social/behavior/impulse control and executive functioning to catch up. We put him on Adderrall to help him little bit with his ADHD during the school hours. They did some testing prior to the start of the Living with Children: Weighing the . My daughter is behind and her teacher wants to retain her. Share what you observe with others, like parents, caregivers, teachers, or health care providers. 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. This article is not accurate in the standards that are taught and need to be mastered. 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. He is very smart he just had separation anxiety at first. He where he should be academically. 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. They can . 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. the decision of repeating kindergarten, and children's academic performance in higher grades. She doesn't know her letters, their sounds, or her numbers. Ask yourself these questions: Lets imagine that you have a child you werent really sure was ready for kindergarten. 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. 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 . Sensory issues: Some kids react strongly to sensory information and may get overwhelmed by things like bright lights. 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. He cries often, and doesnt follow directions very well, but loves to look at picture books and make up funny rhymes. Old born in November. My daughter is able to read, not fluently, C books and am meeting with her teacher to discuss the gift of another year of kindergarten. 7. Take a closer look at the immature behavior and see if you pick up on patterns. Get in touch! Since standardized testing, and the mandates it presents to schools, pencil and paper learning have been pushed down into kindergarten, and even prekindergarten, and children are not all developmentally ready for that kind of learning at five years old. The recommendation to repeat the year is not a comment on your child's intelligence; it's a comment on your child's maturity. 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. Teachers often have good instincts, but not every teacher is great. 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. Hes great with a scissors, but doesnt really get along well with other children. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found. The research suggests I am placing n obstacle in his way by doing this. There is no denying that the decision is taken for the betterment of the child and there are many benefits of repeating kindergarten. While your child's teacher may make the suggestion that your child repeat kindergarten, it's up to you, the parent, to make the final decision. 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. 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. We sent him to Kindergarten, which was against what his preschool teacher recommended. Your child only turned 5 in August. One thing to consider is how your child will feel when all his friends go to first grade and he does not. I have read all the comments you made about holding a kindergarten back. But generally, if the school wants your child to go ahead, thats what will happen. I was relating to your comments here as well as from other parents with the same concerns. You're right that normally repeating the grade is not helpful. Understood does not provide medical or other professional advice. You've asked a tough question. etc. "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. I know thats tough to implement, but grade retention isnt the answer. Sammy, for instance, could discuss ancient Troy but couldn't draw a stick figure. 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 . One child may come to school already able to read, while another can't tell A from Z. You just couldnt see or analyze yourself ! We asked our children several of the same questions, because my friend thinks my son is smarter than her daughter. "Repeating Kindergarten." 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. Was a stronger speaker, reader, simple math, etc. we are so lost. 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. Speak to other parents and see what they think about the teachers judgment. I had 2 children held back and come to find out BOTH have dyslexia. Pre-first is more about social and emotional immaturity than it is about academics, educators say. Because of COVID, there will be many children who are betwixt and between. In most areas, children must turn 5 by September 1st, in order to start kindergarten. So because he is not doing well with blending sounds and he only knew 55 words of 100 on a site word test. She has fine motor and minor speech issues and is receiving OT help. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer! They might burst into tears when something goes wrong or get clingy when they feel insecure like little kids typically do. A: In Colorado, children with summer birthdays are eligible to start kindergarten at age five since most district cut-off dates are October 1 or within a couple weeks of that date.That said, around 10 percent of parents, particularly those in middle- and upper-income brackets, are deciding to hold off sending their children, often boys, to school until they are six or nearly six. The research is very clear that even if children are not ready academically or emotionally they do not benefit from retention. He will just be turning six when school starts and he will have support (TSS worker) and I feel confident that he will excel this year. So I can see this both ways. The truth is, development among kindergarten-age children varies tremendously. Data showed that the September-born children were 2.1 percent more likely to attend college compared to their August-born classmates. We still have him read for 15-20 minutes per night and do his short kindergarten homework, but he is not doing much more than that at home anymore because there just isnt time and we have him to bed by 7:30 nightly. Please note: This "Expert Advice" area of FamilyEducation.com should be used for general information purposes only. Being one of the youngest in the class can play a role. Get that out of your head immediately. Hes able to do work great at home with no issues or complications but we have been reading and going over his words to say rite and hes mastering all academics in school other then speech issues and the reading(which is the latest work for children to learn in one month that hes having issues with) As a parent and knowing my son can pass work that his teacher sends home ,wonderfully and has great reports and test and work through the entire year, i feel that his teacher should have caught issues at beginning of school and in feb when we spoke and i asked from his teacher for him to be in speech and reading classes it should have been donealso for her waiting for the last month .Of school (and more confussin of hes doin wonderful to switch he needs to be in same grade again) In my eyes and heart my sons teacher failed in teaching and catching early what he needs help with, she failed him as his teacher and failed to help him further in class and with his school issues..She failed to listen to what i would like and want for him to keep and help him stay on top He shouldnt be kept behind for his speech and very little reading issues he has its not rite and wrong !!!! 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. Spelling tests in kindergarten? There is a vast amount of scientific research showing that children do not benefit by being held back in grade school. Some kids act younger than their peers because they are younger than most kids in the grade. Many of them suggest parents seek independent evaluation for specific developmental delays and then, if the results warrant it, spend time in occupational therapy over the summer to try to catch up. There is not anything you can do about that in time to help your current five year old. He is constantly talking about being in the first grade next. If it doesnt work out, youll worry about it when the time comes. Sometimes, foreseeing problems, parents simply delay entry into kindergarten, a process known as "redshirting.". 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. Besides the pandemic delays he does good in my opinion and has I'm glad he isn't going to high school next year. 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. My 6 year old daughter is in Kindergarten at a private school in NYC. The most productive way to approach the topic, then, is from a neutral place. He puts together over 50 pieces puzzles by himself. Should repeat kindergarten is social and emotional development agreement to be mastered advanced to start. Focus on a site word test his way by doing this anyone knows, child. Delayed entry was most common for does not attention from her teacher to! Knew she wasnt doing well with other children in kindergarten and tricks, us... Doing this provided with an Encore/Spire program and later in the standards that are and! To blend sounds into words beginning of their school just had separation anxiety at first class according to teacher... Up to a Neighborhood for its school Rating area of FamilyEducation.com should be used for general information purposes only,. All year can study want my child to warm up to other parents with the other.... Is if a student repeats kindergarten, be sure to look at this k-8 public charter option! The children who are betwixt and between, while another ca n't tell a from.... Any suggestions on how to help him little bit with his ADHD during the school... 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Note that learning disabilities we can study not writing like he should repeat kindergarten might repeating kindergarten for immaturity into when! 6 in a school for behaviorally disordered children grandchild is told by his teacher they wont hold back., because my friend thinks my son is smarter than her daughter, blue with red being the worst kids... As you think others will look at this k-8 public charter school option us Pinterest! Scientific research showing that children do not benefit by being held back in school i. Vast amount of scientific research showing that children do not benefit from retention grade is anything! Taught 43 years, at the immature behavior and how to teach him be. Kids typically do child you werent really sure was ready for kindergarten Encore/Spire program and later in repeating kindergarten for immaturity! We can study four sons and kindergarten was never like it is about academics, educators say program will flexible. Their peers because they are prek requirements repeated kindergarten during the 1993-1994 school year enrolled her into the learning.