Should 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.

How do you know if your child should repeat a grade?

The biggest factors to consider when deciding whether to promote or retain a child in school are the child's academic progress and level of maturity. Many school districts have developed tests to evaluate these factors, but as a parent you may wish to consider your child's abilities as well.

Is it beneficial to hold a child back a grade?

Holding a student back may create significantly more issues than solutions. Even though research says that student retention is ineffective and could even be harmful, some schools still believe that making children repeat grades is a good idea.

How does repeating a grade affect a child?

Grade retention has a negative impact on all areas of a child's achievement (reading, math, and language) and social-emotional adjustment (peer relationships, self-esteem, problem behaviors and attendance).

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.

Should My Child Repeat a Grade

Is retaining a student a good idea?

Still, the researchers found that students who were retained had higher grade point averages and took fewer remedial courses in high school than students who had similar reading abilities but weren't held back. Another study found that English learners, specifically, also benefited from retention under the policy.

What are the pros and cons of repeating a grade?

While research has not supported long-term benefits of retention, it has been correlated with increased social, emotional, and behavioral concerns. Children who have been retained display more problems with peer conflict, aggression, and academic motivation. They are also more likely to drop out of school.

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.

Do colleges care if you repeated a grade?

For the most part, colleges don't mind if you repeat a grade or have to take a year off in high school, but the answer could depend on the colleges you're interested in. For more competitive colleges, the admissions team is going to be stricter about who they let attend their school and may have different standards.

Should failing students be held back a grade?

Recent research shows that, for the most part, holding kids back a grade isn't the best practice. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) reports that some kids do better in school the first year or two after being held back. But it also says that this effect doesn't last.

How many times can a child repeat a grade?

Is there a law or policy regarding the number of times a student can be retained? There is nothing in the EC that prohibits school districts from retaining a child in more than one grade.

Should you punish your child for bad grades?

My experience aligns with research data that points to punishment for bad grades as an ineffective intervention. In fact, it can even be counterproductive. Instead of punishment, I highly encourage you to look at alternatives if you want to motivate your teen.

What causes a child to be held back a grade?

Common Reasons Children Get Held Back in School

The goal is to give the child a second chance at a grade they found challenging, so they can be better equipped in years to come. The reasoning behind grade retention may be based on maturity, behavior, absences, academic performance, or any number of factors.

What grade is best to repeat?

The simple answer is… as early as possible. 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.”

Can you move up a grade after being held back?

It can happen and occasionally does. Sometimes a student is retained for one reason or another and then gets up to speed and they are at the level of the next grade level. So they will bump the student back up a grade if the school and parents agree upon it.

How common is it to repeat a grade?

How many kids repeat grades annually? According to 2016 data from the National Center for Education Statistics, about 1.9% of U.S. elementary through high school students stayed in the same grade they were enrolled in the prior school year― down from 3.1% in 2000.

Will retaking a class replace the grade?

At most schools, for example, students with a failing grade can retake the same class to replace the grade on their transcript. Academic advisors can also talk through your options to protect your GPA or potentially drop the class.

Does repeating a class look bad?

Does repeating classes look bad on your transcript? Repeating a college class might not look bad on your transcript because some colleges will replace the bad grade with your new grade after you retake the class. While some colleges will show both grades on your transcript.

Can I hold my child back a year at school?

It's a mutual decision. But in the other grades, parents have the right to request retention, but if the school or the district don't agree to it, that wouldn't happen. Parents cannot just request retention for their kids on their own.

How many kids get held back a year?

Nearly 450,000 first through eighth graders are retained each year.

Is retaining students in the early grades self defeating?

He found that retained students had significantly lower scores in self-efficacy, task orientation, valuing of school, persistence, enjoyment of school, class participation, school attendance and performance, and higher scores in failure avoidance and disengagement.

Can you go to the next grade if you failed?

It depends on the school and how they deal with credit recovery. At some schools, they make you repeat the entire grade if you failed one semester of one class. At others, you can take a challenge exam or take summer school and move right along with the rest of your class.

How do you talk to a child about being held back a grade?

If your child gets held back a grade in school, it's important to approach the situation with empathy and understanding. You can reassure them that everyone learns and progresses at their own pace, and that it's okay to take the time they need to fully understand the material.

What are the negative effects of retaining students?

Critics of retention contend that students are actually harmed by the trauma of being held back, the challenge of adjusting to a new peer group, and reduced expectations for their academic performance on the part of teachers and parents.