Should I let my child repeat a grade?

Ideally, no. Repeating a grade―also known as "grade retention" ―has not been shown to help children learn. Children won't outgrow learning and attention issues by repeating a grade. In fact, repeating a grade may contribute to long-term issues with low self-esteem, as well as emotional or social difficulties.

Should I make my child repeat a grade?

Key lesson from research on retention: Don't do the same thing again. The research on retention is littered with cautions and question marks. Repeating a grade can damage students' confidence and subject them to bullying. Sometimes it can help academically, but those gains quickly fade.

Is it OK to stay back a grade?

Why schools may recommend repeating a grade. When kids haven't built the academic skills needed for the next grade, the school may advise holding them back. The idea is that an extra year will help them catch up. But sometimes a child's academic struggles are just one factor that the school is considering.

What can I do instead of repeating a grade?

In some cases, tutoring may be the best alternative to retention. Some students do well with the individualized attention and exposure to different teaching methods. Ask the teacher for specific work your child can do from home to help remediate skills that are weak.

Can I choose to hold my child back a grade?

Yes, a parent can decide to hold their child back a grade, but it's important to discuss this choice with teachers and school staff as they provide valuable insights into the child's progress.

Should Your Child Repeat A Year Or Change School?

Is it good to hold kids back grade retention?

Retention studies

Grade retention is one of the most powerful predictors of high school dropout. In adolescence, retained students are more likely to experience problems such as poor interactions with peers, disliking school, behavior problems, and lower self-esteem.

Should I let my child fail a grade?

It's not OK to let kids fail if it could cause danger to their physical or emotional health. Avoid putting kids in situations where the odds are stacked against them. For example, if they haven't had a chance to prepare or if they don't have the same resources as others to succeed.

Why students should not repeat a grade?

Research suggests that repeating a grade, at any grade level, is associated with later high school dropout and other long-term effects. It also can affect a child's social and emotional development.

What causes a student to repeat a grade?

In these grades, the student who fails or scores below the accepted level in most or all subjects is to be considered for retention. If ultimately retained, the student will then repeat the entire school year's curriculum.

What grade is best to repeat?

Repeating kindergarten or preschool is a lot less stressful for a child than repeating a class in primary school. Repeating a grade in elementary/primary is much less stressful than repeating in the higher grades.

What are the pros of repeating a grade?

It can be a better fit emotionally and age-wise. Kids who are already the oldest in their grade will be almost two years older than the rest of the class. For kids who are developmentally immature (either physically or emotionally), repeating a grade may reduce the stress of trying to “keep up.”

When should a child be retained?

4). A child may be considered for retention if he or she has poor academic skills, is small in stature or the youngest in the grade, has moved or been absent frequently, does poorly on a prescreening assessment, or has limited English-language skills.

What are the effects of repeating grades?

Grade retention policies have shown mixed results over the years, with some studies finding students who repeated grades, particularly in later years , had significantly worse grades, high school graduation rates, and college attainment.

How many kids repeat grades?

An estimated 1.9 percent of U.S. students are held back each year. If you wondering if your child should be promoted to the next grade level or held back to repeat the year, here's what to consider and what the research shows.

Is grade retention harmful to children?

The long-run effects of early grade retention are not clear.

For later grades, the research is fairly clear. Multiple studies have found that holding back middle schoolers increases their odds of dropping out of high school.

What percentage of students repeat a grade?

In 2015–2016, 7% of U.S. kids between the ages of 6 and 17 — 3. 4 million children total — had repeated one or more grades since starting kindergarten. The likelihood that students are held back varies by location. Generally speaking, kids in the South are more likely than their mountain state peers to repeat a grade.

What subject do most students fail?

What is the most commonly failed class in high school? Algebra is the single most failed course in high school.

How do I talk to my child about repeating a grade?

Your child is not “stupid” because they need to repeat a grade. Make this apparent with every discussion. Each child learns and grows at their own pace. Your child may simply need more time to reach a specific milestone.

Can a child fail first grade?

Retention in first grade, the topic of this study, is a clear indicator of early school failure. When a child fails to master grade-level skills, schools have to decide whether to pass the student to the next grade (social promotion) or to retain the student in the grade for a second year.

How do I deal with my child's bad grades?

Can ADHD make you fail school?

Taken together, expulsion and dropout rates approach 50 percent — an alarming statistic, since children with ADHD compose up to seven percent of the population. The three main characteristics of ADHD — inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity — can interfere with academic performance.

Should parents check their child's grades?

Yes, since any decent parent should care if their child is doing well or struggling in school. If they're struggling, they need to be helped. Without knowing their grades, this is a lot harder.

What are the cons of grade retention?

High-profile meta-analyses based on these studies concluded that grade retention was associated with poorer academic outcomes (including higher dropout rates) and greater risk of behavioral issues. [2] However, the studies included in these meta-analyses were mostly correlational rather than causal.

Why grade retention is ineffective?

Here are a few studies. In 1984, Holmes and Matthews found that retained students showed lower academic achievement, poorer personal adjustment, and lower self-concept. In addition, they found that in all cases, the outcomes for students promoted were more positive than for those who were retained.

Is it shameful to repeat a grade?

No one wants to repeat a grade, but if this happens to you, you're not the only one. Repeating a grade can be the right thing, though, because you get another chance to complete the work and learn what you need to know to do well when you do move up to the next grade.