topic Re: Kindergarten in Among Friends

Kindergarten

hollyleigh — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 06:10:53 GMT

School wants to hold my little boy back in kindergarten. Any thoughts are experiences with this.

Re: Kindergarten

evelyner — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 06:58:35 GMT

I don't know what month his birthday is? But that's something to consider if he is on the younger side. He will probably mature and do much better. Good luck.

Re: Kindergarten

qualitygal — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 08:15:05 GMT

I was a Teacher Aide for 2 yrs., many years ago, which makes me NO specialist, only my observation when Teachers at that time talked of holding little ones back. It never had to do with brain power, it was more the social part, and some may be just "young" and this just gives them more time to adjust to school and others. It's usually for the better for the child and never anything personal. That's what I recall. (It was for Kindergarten children.)

Re: Kindergarten

gmkb — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 08:22:48 GMT

It is better to give your child a second year in kindergarten to allow more time to mature than spend the next 12 years struggling to catch up. My daughter kept both of her children in kindergarten an additional year and those children did well all thru school.

Her children are now at a major university earning top grades.

Re: Kindergarten

brbfromTX — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:47:40 GMT

I was a teacher for 32 years(15 yrs.as a first grade teacher). Although it can be a very hard decision-sometimes it may be best to give your child opportunity to grow & mature. I've seen too many children advance when "not quite ready" and they struggled (emotionally & academically). Children are like flowers-not all of them bloom at the same rate, but eventually they become a beautiful blossom!

Re: Kindergarten

Nataliesgramma — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:59:20 GMT

@evelyner wrote:
I don't know what month his birthday is? But that's something to consider if he is on the younger side. He will probably mature and do much better. Good luck.

If this is true, I agree.....

My hairdressers little girl was shy and they held her back. She was a whole head taller than the other kids this year and now hates school.

If it's just lack of social skills, my granddaughter's preschool has what they calll "Summer Camp" for kids to learn more social skills....

Best of luck to you with your painful decision...

Re: Kindergarten

jackthebear — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 11:00:13 GMT

@hollyleigh wrote:
School wants to hold my little boy back in kindergarten. Any thoughts are experiences with this.

Ask them why to begin with.

As a parent you must have some feelings about your child (we always do) If his birthday falls toward the cutoff it might be a good idea.

My son's BD is the first week of October, the cutoff here is end of September. In his case there was NO way he would have been ready of KDG at all.

FWIW much better to repeat at the level than 1st grade or to struggle in 1st grade next year.

If you have'nt had a a meeting with the teachers or a child study team, then you need to do so before the end of the year. Been there, done that. HTH

Re: Kindergarten

RedTop — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 16:02:54 GMT

Been there, done this twice, with both my girls, and it was absolutely the right thing to do. One was held back in first grade, and one in kindergarten. Both excelled in the year they repeated, and moved forward much stronger. I have never once regretted the decisions to hold my girls back, and they had no problems with it. My girls graduated with honors, are now in their mid 30's; one is a Special Education teacher with a BS and two MA's, and the other drives a tractor trailer, making trips to the west coast each week, hauling food back to the east coast.

I wouldn't overthink this, or have concerns about age, etc., as none of that really matters. Repeating the year will make your son stronger academically and socially, and that is really what matters.

Re: Kindergarten

lafelinevrais — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 16:20:40 GMT

If the school is recommending that a child repeat kindergarten, then by all means, do so. When a child is having difficulty early, it is a "gift of time" that you can give him by letting him repeat the year. During that extra year he will not only be able to pick up on skills that he may have missed but will have another year of maturity under his belt to be better able to cope with learning. I speak from experience as a retired elementary and special education teacher. The earlier a needy child is held back the better.

Re: Kindergarten

Pandalady — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 19:26:47 GMT

@brbfromTX wrote:
I was a teacher for 32 years(15 yrs.as a first grade teacher). Although it can be a very hard decision-sometimes it may be best to give your child opportunity to grow & mature. I've seen too many children advance when "not quite ready" and they struggled (emotionally & academically). Children are like flowers-not all of them bloom at the same rate, but eventually they become a beautiful blossom!

@brbfromTX this is such a beautiful and truthful response. As a teacher of 23 years, I couldn't agree more!

Re: Kindergarten

Chrystaltree2 — Sun, 01 May 2016 18:20:30 GMT

What's the problem? If the school feels he isn't ready for first grade and that he needs another year in Kindergarten.....let him have that year. Some kids aren't socially ready for first grade, especially the kids who entered kindergarten on the young side of 5.

Re: Kindergarten

meem120 — Sun, 01 May 2016 21:38:12 GMT

Better to hold him back now then have him struggle in 4th 5th 6 th grade. Also, hes young and there would be no social stigma attatched to him now. The little ones arent as much aware, then they would be in later grades.

Re: Kindergarten

missy1 — Mon, 02 May 2016 10:24:06 GMT

OP is your child in 1/2 day kindergarten or full day?

Here it's full day, and makes a lot of difference.

Re: Kindergarten

ECBG — Mon, 02 May 2016 03:54:29 GMT

@Pandalady wrote:
@brbfromTX wrote:
I was a teacher for 32 years(15 yrs.as a first grade teacher). Although it can be a very hard decision-sometimes it may be best to give your child opportunity to grow & mature. I've seen too many children advance when "not quite ready" and they struggled (emotionally & academically). Children are like flowers-not all of them bloom at the same rate, but eventually they become a beautiful blossom!

@brbfromTX this is such a beautiful and truthful response. As a teacher of 23 years, I couldn't agree more!

@Pandalady, Love your response. I taught juniors and seniors thirty-six years. Bless them, students can struggle a long time.

Re: Kindergarten

SaRina — Mon, 02 May 2016 14:50:22 GMT

OP, although you didn't state the reason why, I would assume it's due to your son's age/maturity.

It is far, far easier and much less traumatic for a child to be held back in kindergarten as opposed to in a grade level.

Re: Kindergarten

Pandalady — Tue, 03 May 2016 00:51:52 GMT

@ECBG Nice to find so many caring teachers on these boards! Thank you for your reply!

Re: Kindergarten

Hooty — Tue, 03 May 2016 16:51:37 GMT

I think this happens a lot when a child does not socialize with other children before Kindergarten, as in pre-school. I was not a teacher, but a substitute teacher for many years, and I subbed mostly K and 1st grade, so many children are ready, but many lack the social skills, and that may be a reason they want to hold your son back, I would do what the school suggests!

Re: Kindergarten

Pandalady — Tue, 03 May 2016 23:52:11 GMT

@Hooty Wonderful advice! Thank you for your service in the educational field!

Re: Kindergarten

Mominohio — Wed, 04 May 2016 15:21:45 GMT

As a very involved parent in education but not a teacher myself, I was very hands on and involved with my son's education. Here is what I have to offer, for what it is worth.

First, I chose to have my son start Pre K the year he was old enough to start Kindergarten. I firmly believe that most boys benefit from being 'older' in their class than being younger. That extra year of maturity can't be ignored.

Next, I'd never make any decision about this without a reason as to why they wanted him held back. It could be social/maturity issues, or academic issues, or both.

You will have the entire summer to start to address these issues and while not a bad thing to be held back at this age, I think it important you know why and begin immediately to address the reasons. There is much you can do with social situations, and academic help, to get him started off better in his second year of kindergarten. I wouldn't just leave it to the school, and not get highly involved in the process right away.

Re: Kindergarten

ROMARY — Thu, 05 May 2016 20:59:29 GMT

Better to hold back a year at a young age than to struggle each and every year. I've heard of a mother 'skipping' her son in order to keep the child in a particular school, (or something vaguely similar), and that child seems to be struggling each and every year since that time. I remember, in my childhood, when my mom told me that the school wanted me to 'skip' a year, and my answer/question to her was: "How am I going to learn all of the things that I should have learned in my 'skipped' class?" So, thankfully, she listened to my thoughts, and I wasn't 'skipped'. Thank you, dear Mom..........