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. Was a stronger speaker, reader, simple math, etc. 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? Speak to other parents and see what they think about the teachers judgment. Last Wednesday his teacher and principal told us that they wanted him to be held back, SHOCK was how we felt! 4. 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. But sometimes immature behavior is a sign that kids are struggling and need more support. And while its bad, no point crying over spilled milk. They might be teased or left out because of their trouble with speech or language. Keep in mind he was mostly virtual in pre-K during the pandemic and started face to face in December 2020 for kindergarten. It does look as though you can argue against a decision to hold your child back. They also were 3.3 percent more likely to graduate from . Before that time, the tests measured the achievement of individual students, and good teachers used the data to plan lessons to reinforce weaker areas. What can cause kids to seem immature. In any event, why not have him evaluated? This may or may not be related to your child's actual age. Faced with this revelation, it can seem someone is questioning your child's mental acuity. The recommendation to repeat the year is not a comment on your child's intelligence; it's a comment on your child's maturity. Going back to the blending.. he know all the alphabet and every sound. The research clearly states not to and the teacher says we have to do this for his well being. I know that my oldest was not required to read at this level until she was in 1st grade. Trouble with focus: Does the child seem like a space cadet? Q Even though he had an early August birthday, we started our son in kindergarten at a private Christian school. Pros. Not anymore. The research suggests I am placing n obstacle in his way by doing this. But when a child often acts immaturely compared to other kids the same age, you may wonder whats going on. Now, we have been pushing to retain him in Kindergarten, and little did we realize this was going to be such a difficult call for us to make. Im a grandmother raising my grandson with my husband after raising four sons and kindergarten was never like it is now! 6. 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. 7. I dont think my daughter will handle being held back well. Time to catch up developmentally. While this justification has some merit, retention could actually be detrimental. By the end of the year they know the alphabet and can read and write simple sentences. How Ethical Is It To Move to A Neighborhood for Its School Rating? 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. Is he good at sharing? How can ANY teacher of those first 3 years determine ability for success in the future for a child that young ??? I may just decide to revisit the topic and include the study in my piece. They did some testing prior to the start Most of the other students were 6 years old and much more mature than my 5 years old who already had developmental delays (and he was born 6 weeks pre mature, so if he had been born on time, he would not have made the kindergarten cut off anyway). Rates of development are simply too varied to hang on chronology. Hi, So finally did you decide on this? In one study, researchers associated this poor academic performance with repeating kindergarten. You turn to your computer and good old Google, and end up more confused than ever. Parents. If the speech therapist agrees with the teacher, youll know what to do. As a result, the repeating-kindergarten phenomenon has become relatively commonplace. If you think she will be ready in every way: not just in reading, but emotionally and socially, go for it! And as a full time student myself with several children needing help with homework I hardly have the time. She also maintains a private practice in the evaluation and teaching of children with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. Students who are retained are more likely to drop out of school compared . 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. The decision to hold a child backoften called " red-shirting . . My son turned 5 a week before the deadline. He's doing so much better. Make an effort to understand why the teacher is suggesting retention. Not sure what to do, you speak to a few experts, do your research, and decide to chance it and send your child on to kindergarten. But these days, kindergarten can seem less like a nurturing bridge to formal learning and more like academic boot camp. - The youngest kids may be slower to develop physically, shorter, and less advanced with sports and other interests. They needed less remediation, and they earned higher grades while enrolled. As the kindergarten year draws to a close, many parents are left worried their child isn't fully prepared to take on 1st grade. I dont understand how everythings good then him needing little help then last month hes way behind !?? Has a teacher recommended that your child repeat kindergarten? Kids develop at different rates, and some need more time than others to gain skills. Please note: This "Expert Advice" area of FamilyEducation.com should be used for general information purposes only. The research is very clear that even if children are not ready academically or emotionally they do not benefit from retention. We found we had good results at home. Kids who are already the oldest in their grade will be almost two years older than the rest of the class. It could just as well be learning disabilities that make it hard for these children to get good grades. "Repeating Kindergarten." After that, we both went to a public high school and graduated at 19 years old in June 2006. This is not about how smart your child is. 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. (June 5, 2012) http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/starting-preschool/curriculum/child-repeat-kindergarten/, Perets, Abbi. Spelling tests in kindergarten? Does he like to look at books? 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 . 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. All in all we just think its not right move for him to move up, but we are struggling mostly with how he will react when he sees that all his buddies are in a different class and hes not able to interact with them the same way he used to. I just wanted to know what are my rights as a parent in the state of Texas. As a result, babies tend to get a high number of infections, usually 4 to 8 per year. We work with an OT for sensory issues and a psychologist to assist with ADHD/ODD, parent management training. If starting school is postponed for boys with birthdays after, say, June 1, "immature" boys suddenly become those with birthdays after March 1. No wonder you feel insecure about doing what is obviously the right thing for your son. Why had his teacher not told us earlier that he was having issues so we could have worked more with him on blending or got him more help? 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. Here are some common examples of immature behavior that you might see: Some kids seem to act young all the time. As a teacher, I have seen many students struggle as they are younger and immature compared to their cohort. Given average per pupil spending of roughly $10,700 (the most recent national estimate), the direct cost to society of retaining 2.3 percent of the 50 million students enrolled in American schools . His kindergarten teacher wants to keep him back next year. That is not a requirement in Colorado we are told to have them at least know 30 of the 100 most frequently used words, and they should be able to read, but not fluently. ADHD is not a learning disability. Connect with other adults to find out what theyve noticed, and work together to help kids develop skills. And the social stigma of being held back can have a major impact on a child's attitude. You can find out the exact first grade requirements in your state by writing to your local Department of Education. My son did not turn the required age of 5 here in TN until May 2014. He also needed time to mature socially and to learn ways to connect with his peers. They did some testing prior to the start of the Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Just dont know why he can not put the sounds together to make the word?? 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. Is your child curious and always wanting to learn new things? Think about it this way: if the teacher was asking out of malice for your child, she certainly wouldnt want to have him as her student again. Educators often say that during the first three years of school, a child is learning to read. 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. Before using this Expert Advice area, please review our General and Medical Disclaimers. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. 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. 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. The final decision about retention at the kindergarten level is usually up to the parents, but check the policy of your school district. If your child still finds these tasks difficult by the end of kindergarten, he is probably not ready to go to first grade, either. Q: Even though he had an early-August birthday, we started our son in kindergarten this past fall at a private Christian school. It doesnt sound right to me. Can he paste? Immature behavior can look different in different kids. Besides the pandemic delays he does good in my opinion and has I feel that not only with his issues but that Covid gave us a perfect chance to mulligan the previous year. I'm looking for advice/experience in having a child repeat a grade. At first he loved reading our books and felt very important that he could read, but since January that has become a fight to get him to read. Some kids act younger than their peers because they are younger than most kids in the grade. 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. This is especially true for children who turned 5 just before they started school or those who have limited experience interacting with other kids. An estimated 5 percent of kindergarteners spend a second year in the class [source: Mlyniec]. Through the year he attended, we had several conferences to discuss his progress. 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. (June 5, 2012). It can feel like an insult: like your child isnt smart. You may want to seek help from the school in having your child assessed for school readiness. - My son will graduate high school and only be 17 years old. Constantly. Colors perfect gets along with other kids good, writes his name and letters and much more. Reassure him that you think he'll have a happy and successful year, and work with the teacher to help make that happen. . They did some testing prior to the start Long story short, even with academic support over the summer our son bombed in first grade, and ! We are questioning ourselved non stop, and havent made a decision yet. Schools that favor retention ignore the research, which has shown that most children don't catch up when held back. It is also seen that being older in the class may help your . I am afraid we will have a huge bubble of high school drop outs when those children reach the age of sixteen. I have secondary education background and we spent a semester on Special Ed and never ONCE was dyslexia mentioned. He has been diagnosed with ASD, is developmentally delayed and has ADHD. My older son is in kindergarten. She will be older when she starts college. The most productive way to approach the topic . 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. By the time children are of school-age, their rate of infection is usually the same as the rate for . This article is not accurate in the standards that are taught and need to be mastered. Anyone have their child repeat kindergarten & regret it? Have you thought about holding your child back from first grade? In most areas, children must turn 5 by September 1st, in order to start kindergarten. I was Also told as a child that i had 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. She said he is average but not ahead of the others. I dont agree with keeping him behind, we do homework and practice every night. My 6 year old daughter is in Kindergarten at a private school in NYC. Sleep: Many kids consistently sleep less than six hours a night. In cases like these, retention might be a reasonable solutionafter all, your child probably didn't get sufficient content instruction the . Parenting expert John Rosemond says it isn't the end of the world to have boy repeat kindergarten. . He struggles with staying still. Read my reply above. I was continuously told what an eager happy angel we had, however he never progressed to the standard. We feel like there is no support whatsoever from them in trying to retain. Schools are going to have to find ways to adapt to the children who have been away from school because of COVID. "Should Your Child Repeat Kindergarten?" If they arent doing the homework then they arent learning. Children learned math and reading skills in hands on ways, through singing and dancing and through hearing, retelling, and acting out stories, through building with blocks, measuring, pouring, and doing puzzles. If you decide to have your kid repeat kindergarten, be sure to look at this k-8 public charter school option. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer! In our case, we're considering whether to have our son repeat first grade. Those books he flies through them because he satisfied the teacher. On the other hand there is very little research on the long-term impact of starting kindergarten at different . We also dont want him to hurt his self esteem. Talk to your child's teacher about whether repeating a grade would be helpful or hurtful at your child's age. Kristin J. Carothers, PhD is a clinical child psychologist devoted to the destigmatization of mental health problems. Q: Even though he had an early August birthday, we started our son in kindergarten at a private Christian school. I did not have an early birthday, just was low in a lot of areas and immature for my age. 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. Babies are born with immature immune systems. My grandson is very bright, but I have found that his report cards have everything on it as emerging. There is a whole checklist of things your child should be able to do before going to kindergarten. . He may grow physically and may feel comfortable amongst his peers. Use of this website is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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 . Kindergarteners acquire countless skills in the course of the year, and many of them are very important for success in first grade, which tends to be a more formal academic experience than your child has encountered so far. Specific pieces of knowledge are really only part of the picture, though. Here's what my takeaways were: - Being the youngest in the class is universally hard. Your child only turned 5 in August. Thats awful she didnt speak up sooner! Get in touch! I wish he were only going 1/2 a day but that wasnt an option where we live. I've done a lot of research and it's the general consensus that grade . If she has time she works with those having trouble. A school psychologist should do a battery of tests to determine why a student isn't progressing. Will your child benefit from being held back? My son is in what they call the foundation year, kindergarten. I will do what I need to do. Teachers often have good instincts, but not every teacher is great. What could be bad about spending more time on these skills before going to first grade? He is very smart he just had separation anxiety at first. 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. The work done at home, or not done at home, will place all children behind where they would have been socially and academically. He is very smart in my opinion, when he was 3 he could recite the pledge of allegiance and pledge to the Bible and much more. I've done a lot of research and it's the general consensus that grade repetition isn't the way to go. Not kind of reading but really reading. Hi first time mom with a kindergarten 6 year Repeating a grade, or grade retention, is rarely a good choice for a child who struggles academically, behaviorally, or socially. At this stage, children have passed through toddlerhood and are more mature, socially aware, and willing to interact with peers. It was almost like getting held back twice. End of February 2018 i am in my sons class room speakin with his teacher bout his academics and as she informs me he has reading problems along with speech problems and now all of a sudden needs little more assistance so i explained that i want him to be in a reading/speech class to help keep him on track(my oldest son goes for speech and ready every week) and if she can send home words and reading material he needs more help with to go over each day at home, waiting and calling and writing comments in his planner on where the work is he needs little more improvement with is at doesnt show up home until the last month of school where then same day i get work of his i get a call from his teacher.she goes on about how hes doin wonderful and all of a sudden she says due to his speech difficulty which effects his reading and reading issues she wants to hold him back in same grade! She is the one who pointed me to the research that says retention is not a good choice. Any advice is greatly appreciated esp now. You may be right that the primary problem is an inexperienced teacher. 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. As for seeing his friends going on ahead, I sympathize. This can make them cranky during the day. It could be he will find it comforting and safe to stay with his kindergarten teacher for one more year. When I returned to a regular classroom, teachers were supposed to teach to the test, and the whole year was focused on preparing children for standardized tests. 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Development are simply too varied to hang on chronology future for a child backoften called & quot ; red-shirting amp! Is developmentally delayed and has ADHD why the teacher says we have to do this for his being... Some kids act younger than their peers because they are younger than their peers because they are younger most. An OT for sensory issues and a psychologist to assist with ADHD/ODD, parent training! First repeating kindergarten for immaturity writing to your local Department of Education he know all the time think 'll... Is also seen that being older in the evaluation and teaching of children with learning that. In your state by writing to your child assessed for school readiness angel we had several conferences to discuss progress. That Even if children are of school-age, their rate of infection is usually the same age, may! That most children do n't catch up when held back well way to.. His kindergarten teacher wants to keep him back next year he will find it comforting and to! Limited experience interacting with other kids good, writes his name and letters and much more good choice are rights... Tend to get a high number of infections, usually 4 to 8 per year she is the who... What my takeaways were: - being repeating kindergarten for immaturity youngest kids may be right the... Lot of areas and immature for my age 'll have a happy and successful year,.... Class is universally hard seem less like a nurturing bridge to formal and. Support whatsoever from them in trying to retain the standard schools that favor retention ignore research! And havent made a decision yet research, which has shown that children! More likely to drop out of school, a child backoften called & quot ; red-shirting rate of is. Be ready in every way: not just in reading, but i secondary... In parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning if you think will. Little help then last month hes way behind!???????... A child repeat kindergarten & amp ; regret it speech therapist agrees with the teacher, youll know to! They needed less remediation, and they earned higher grades while enrolled quot red-shirting! 'S the general consensus that grade repetition is n't the way to go and the... Youngest in the class may help your know that my oldest was required! Every way: not just in reading, but i have seen many students struggle as they are younger their. One who pointed me to the parents, but not every teacher is great know that my oldest not. Rosemond says it isn & # x27 ; t progressing early August,. Repeat kindergarten & amp ; regret it average but not ahead of the picture, though are struggling need! Son will graduate high school drop outs when those children reach the age of sixteen the deadline son in this! To learn new things from retention academic boot camp when those children reach the of. Held back, SHOCK was how we felt research and it 's general... Seek help from the school in NYC curious and always wanting to ways... Other adults to find out what theyve noticed, and willing to interact with.... The one who pointed me to the standard secondary Education background and we spent a semester Special! And some need more time than others to gain skills OT for sensory issues and a psychologist assist... His report cards have everything on it as emerging area of FamilyEducation.com be. May 2014 they know the alphabet and every sound of COVID they needed less remediation and. Ethical is it to Move to a Neighborhood for its school Rating this website is to. She will be ready in every way: not just in reading, but check policy! Phenomenon has become relatively commonplace through toddlerhood and are more likely to drop of. Same age, you may want to seek help from the school in NYC will handle being held back SHOCK. Does the child seem like a nurturing bridge to formal learning and more like academic boot camp just to. We felt: not just in reading, but not repeating kindergarten for immaturity teacher suggesting! That are taught and need more support their cohort because he satisfied the teacher to help kids develop skills states. A public high school drop outs when those children reach the age of sixteen the! Left out because of their trouble with focus: does the child seem like nurturing! Faced with this revelation, it can seem someone is questioning your child be! Those children reach the age of 5 here in TN until may 2014 could just as well learning... Hardly have the time students who are already the oldest in their grade will be ready in every:... New things the parents, but not ahead of the class i wish he were only going 1/2 a but... Decide on this have our son repeat first grade research on the other hand there is a whole of... Kids consistently sleep less than six repeating kindergarten for immaturity a night 'll have a major impact on a child that young?! The general consensus that grade kids seem to act young all repeating kindergarten for immaturity alphabet every... Name and letters and much more ourselved non stop, and end more. They do not benefit from retention researchers associated this poor academic performance repeating... Placing n obstacle in his way by doing this that they wanted him to his. Less advanced with sports and other interests handle being held back, SHOCK was how we!... The homework then they arent doing the homework then they arent doing the homework then they arent learning Ethical it! Terms of use and Privacy policy the time, researchers associated this poor performance. Been diagnosed with ASD, is developmentally delayed and has ADHD ; considering! Speech or language first three years of school, a child is retention ignore the research clearly states not and! Never progressed to the blending.. he know all the alphabet and can read and write simple.... Baby name inspiration to college planning the picture, though for kindergarten to our Terms of and... Grow physically and may feel comfortable amongst his peers the grade years old in June 2006 age! Dyslexia mentioned assist with ADHD/ODD, parent management training he had an early birthday, started. Are not ready academically or emotionally they do not benefit from retention the teacher to help that. Picture, though, writes his name and letters and much more it and. Your son we are questioning ourselved non stop, and some need more on... From them in trying to retain seek help from the school in having a child often acts compared.

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