Should i retain my first grader

Extended school year or summer learning programs may also be offered in some areas. Is Your Preschooler Ready for Kindergarten? Repeating a Grade: Pros and Cons Understood.

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Text Size. If you feel your must retain your child in school, remember that it rarely ends up being a positive experience after fourth grade, so the younger, the better. Summer school can offer a boost or may allow your child the opportunity to catch up without the need to stay back a year. As well, your child may benefit from receiving counseling so he can feel comfortable sharing his thoughts or frustrations with a caring adult.

Finally, make sure that you open the lines of communication with your child. Get a sense from him as to why the problems exist and make him part of the solution. If your child is feeling out-of-control or powerless it can cause your child to decline further. However, if you involve your child in the process and let him know that his feelings matter, you will give him an opportunity to feel more in control and valued. Enjoy Free Shipping on All Products!

Cart 0. Menu Cart 0. What Does the Research Tell Us? Questions to Ask Yourself Have you been aware that your child has been struggling and making little progress? Is your child spending adequate time on homework? Does your child have a calm, quiet place to work? Is your child getting proper nutrition and sufficient sleep? Questions to Ask the School Ask which intervention s your child is receiving and in addition, the studies that show its effectiveness.

Request a copy of the progress-monitoring graph after each assessment to determine if the intervention is effective. If you have given the current intervention some time to work and you are not seeing progress, ask whether other interventions are available.

One of the biggest negative effects is that students who are retained are more likely to drop out of school eventually. It is also not an exact science. Research says that students are more negatively impacted by grade retention than they are positively affected by it. This becomes especially true for older students who have been with the same group of students for several years. A student who has been separated from their friends could become depressed and develop poor self-esteem. Students who are retained are likely physically bigger than their classmates because they are a year older.

This often causes that child to be self-conscious. Students who are retained sometimes develop serious behavior issues, especially as they age. The rule of thumb for retention is the younger, the better. Once students reach fourth grade, it becomes virtually impossible for retention to be a positive thing. There are always exceptions but, overall, retention should be primarily limited to early elementary school.

There are so many factors that teachers need to look at in a retention decision. It is not an easy decision. Seek advice from other teachers and look at each student on a case-by-case basis. You could have two students who are remarkably similar developmentally but due to external factors, retention would only be appropriate for one and not the other. Each school district typically has its own retention policy.

Some districts may oppose retention altogether. Regardless of that policy, there are several things a teacher needs to do to make the retention process much easier throughout the year. Grade retention is not the best remedy for every struggling student. Sometimes it may be as simple as providing a student with some counseling to get them going in the right direction. Older students, in particular, need to be given some options when it comes to grade retention.

Many schools provide summer school opportunities for students to attend and make improvements in the areas in which they struggle. A plan of study provides students with specific objectives that they must meet over the course of the year. It also provides assistance and increased accountability for the student. Finally, a plan of study details specific consequences for not meeting their specific objectives, including grade retention.

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