Repeating a grade vs. summer school (Full Version)

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PrincessDonna -> Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/13/2008 3:58:41 PM)

It has been suggested that Nick (1st grade) attend summer school this summer. Brian and I think it might be better if he repeated 1st grade instead, as he is very behind and not just academically. We wanted him held back last year, but were told that he would be able to receive more help in first grade than K in the school district he is in.

Pros and cons to each? Thoughts on each? If you have done either with any of your children, could you share the reasons and the outcome?

Thanks!



pbaribeault -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/13/2008 4:02:04 PM)

My kids are younger, but I think repeating the year would be better in the long run. I imagine if he puts in a whole summer's worth of work, what does he gain... the opportunity to spend the next school year being challenged beyond his ability again. If he relaxes for the summer, he gains the opportunity to do well at something he 'practiced' the year before, and a better chance of being at the right level of challenge in later years.



Jenny-Fair -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/13/2008 4:10:27 PM)

If it is a maturity issue, then summer school is not going to help. And that could be emotional, physical or mental maturity. Trying to force more knowledge into a child who is not ready to receive it, is useless.



csl7037 -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/13/2008 4:32:42 PM)

At this age, and if it is a maturity issue, I think just staying another year to get his bearings better will do more good than just catching up academically. He might be able to catch up in summer school but if it's a maturity issue or if there are other issues, he'll just be behind again in the long run.



garsyt -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/13/2008 6:10:13 PM)

In most cases that I've seen, Donna, Repeating the grade does much more for the child then just summer school.

From what I know of Nick's issues - maybe repeating is just what he needs. AND by doing it now it is less likely he'll face a whole lot of ridicule by his classmates. Repeating a grade AFTER about 3rd grade is NOT good. NOW is the time to nip things in the bud and make sure he gets what he needs to actually succeed in the grades to come.

Summer school might bring them up to speed if they are having a few minor problems with certain academic issues, but Nick's problems seem to be more with maturity and overall problems academically.

Blessings,

Garsy



danas_mom -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/13/2008 9:51:31 PM)

Agreeing with the others here, I would definitely opt for repeating a grade over summer school at this age.



ladyingrace1979 -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/14/2008 1:17:43 PM)

Can you do both? If not I also agree with the others that repeating the grade is more useful. Kinder and first form so much of the bases for the rest of what they get in school I would want a firm foundation to build on.
Kim Q



Shells54 -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/14/2008 1:57:15 PM)

My oldest repeated Kindergarton and went to summer school twice. I would not recommend doing both. She doesnt seem to have any problems with havinf repeated kindergarton I do know that for her it was just to much to go to summer school and the repeat the grade.



Kath -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/14/2008 8:26:40 PM)

quote:

Brian and I think it might be better if he repeated 1st grade instead, as he is very behind and not just academically.


Mike had a maturity problem (larry started him in K at 4 years old!) so we held him back in K. It helped him a lot.

My bro was held back in 4th. It helped him too.

Just going to summer school won't help the maturity level issue

quote:

I imagine if he puts in a whole summer's worth of work, what does he gain... the opportunity to spend the next school year being challenged beyond his ability again.

Exactly!



creationtalk -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/14/2008 8:45:35 PM)

I agree that repeating the year would be the best. For a young child, summer school can make problems worse because what they really need is time to experience life and learn from play and observation.



PrincessDonna -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/14/2008 8:52:14 PM)

Okay, so now that I know pretty much everyone agrees with me...

I talked with a friend who also happens to be a special ed/resource teacher. She claims that there are lots of studies that show kids don't benefit from being held back as much as used to be thought. She thinks it may be better for him either A) go to summer school with the focus on preparing him for 2nd grade, rather than catching up on 1st grade or B) for us to get a list of exactly what he needs to work on before 2nd grade and do it with him ourselves over the summer. She is willing to sit down with me and come up with a plan for him, and even to help guide me with some ideas on how to work with him and stuff.

I hear what she is saying the "studies show", but my heart doesn't think Nick is one of those who will be more hurt than helped by being held back. Sure, he'll need to find some new friends, but maybe that's not a bad thing with the kids he is attached to in his grade so far. Also, he is a friendly, lovable kid who is used to being in a variety of situations with a variety of people and I don't think this is a huge issue for him. I think if it is approached with the right conversations with him, he will be fine with it emotionally and not feel like a failure.



Jenny-Fair -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/14/2008 9:15:50 PM)

If it were just academics, that would make sense, but Nick's problem is not academics.

Donna, if you don't mind my asking, can you and Brian force this issue? Or are we arguing a moot point?



Kath -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/14/2008 9:15:51 PM)

Donna, you can't always listen to experts (in this case only one, your friend)

You are the mom, you know him best.



PrincessDonna -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/14/2008 9:23:09 PM)

quote:


Donna, if you don't mind my asking, can you and Brian force this issue? Or are we arguing a moot point?


We are meeting with the teacher the 24th. If we are not satisfied with the arrangement, we will need to have a meeting with the teacher, his resource (spec ed) teacher, the principal, AND Nick's mom.

We are supposed to have joint custody, with equal say in important decisions. We were assured last year that if he was behind at the end of this year, he WOULD be held back. That's the only reason we let them go ahead and put him into 1st grade this year!

I don't know how much say we actually have, but this is an arena *I* can speak in, unlike a court would be, and I'm not going to give up without trying. It infuriates me to think that they just want to push him through even if it means struggling in every way through every year. Also reminds Brian a LOT of his own school experience, which he does not want repeated for his child.

IMO, he's going to be labeled by his peers as the dumb kid, if he hasn't been already. Not holding him back is not going to change that and will give him a much better chance at success, I think.



Jenny-Fair -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/14/2008 9:54:15 PM)

Yeah, much better to be held back this year than next, or the one after next...or to be the dumb kid, troublemaker, etc, in class--that's a mold that is very difficult to break out of, both with classmates and with the school itself. I have a friend whose boys are basically being held back because they are not allowed to get off the special-ed track, not even in middle or high school. It is very sad.



OneOfHisJewels -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/15/2008 11:45:24 AM)

I repeated 3rd grade, and although I was embarrassed about it, it turned out to be worth it, because that 2nd year of the 3rd grade ended up being the BEST SCHOOL YEAR OF MY LIFE..I'm serious..I'm talking counting everything from Kindergarten to college. I had the best teacher I ever had that year. I so wish I could find her, and tell her what she meant to me. I've tried on the internet but came up with nothing. This is a side note, but wanna know something sad? That was in a public school, and my WORST teacher I ever had was in 4th grade, which was in a christian school, go figure. Although, I do think that teacher was a christian, but I didn't have the guts to ask at that point in my life. She was also single and w/o kids, and I think that helped..I think it helped her pour her whole heart into it.


Plus, I really think kids need summers to clear their brains.



MrsTracy72 -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/15/2008 11:50:28 AM)

My son has a late May birthday and was the youngest in his class. NOBODY ever suggested to us that we might want to either wait a year or let him go to 4 or 5k twice. I know a family who did that with all of their kids. They started them out in one school knowing they were going to hold them back, but then transferred them to the school they were going to finish up at so that nobody knew they had been held back. But that had that all planned out.

My son probably would have been better off had we held him back, but we didn't, he did a few summer classes for a year, and is now in 6th grade and an honor student. I guess if I were you and you don't know what you want, maybe put him in summer school and if that doesn't seem to put him where he should be, then request that he be held back. That way you have no regrets.



Kath -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/15/2008 12:09:33 PM)

Donna, I sent you a PM about this topic like 15 hours ago and you still haven't read it! [:)]



PrincessDonna -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/15/2008 4:14:55 PM)

I did read it just now. Someone in my family must have made the PM reminder go away again.[8|]



artemis -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/15/2008 7:49:48 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: PrincessDonna



I talked with a friend who also happens to be a special ed/resource teacher. .


I my opinion, many kids who end up in Special Education should have actually just repeated a grade early on and would have been fine in regular classes after an extra year in an early grade. Just my opinion, of course. I don't have an studies to back that up, just personal observation [;)]

Seriously, I applaud you and Brian for even considering holding Nick back. So many parents force their kids through (and the teachers [and especially administration] aren't usually any better) because they don't want them to feel bad about being held back. Then I end up with jr. high students who can barely read and think that Dallas is the capital of Texas (and we live in Texas... 10 minutes from Dallas) [8|] I know that the districts I've worked in seem to shove borderline students through to the next level and then when they can't perform at that level, they test them for Special Ed. My old district had parents that would test their kids several times a year and then celebrate when their kid finally qualified for Special Education because "now they'll have easy classes." (<--- direct quote) [8|][8|]

My school has a policy that if a student repeats a class, they do not let them retake that class with the same teacher they had originally. I think that's a good idea so that it doesn't feel like they're taking the same class again. Instead, they're taking Mrs. Johnson's math class instead of Mrs. Jones' math class.

(ok, now my post sounds like I'm some bitter teacher who's mad at the world and especially the special ed. department. I promise that's now how I mean it to sound [:)])



PrincessDonna -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/24/2008 5:19:05 PM)

So we met with Nick's teacher and reading teacher, who he sees separately one-on-one 30 minutes a day. Apparently, he is in the middle of a light bulb moment, so we are holding on the decision until the last minute, which is three or four weeks from now. Apparently that is when they make the class lists. They both agreed that it seems to be a combination of academic and maturity issues. He is just caught up enough academically that if there weren't the maturity issue also, they would recommend summer school and advancing to second grade. The reading teacher did say that if he were her son, she would want him retained this year, to give him that extra leg up and not have to struggle so hard while his maturity level catches up.

We talked at length about Brian's school experience and the similarities to Nick, and how to avoid those things. They also seemed concerned about messing up our summer visitation schedule, because that is important time with our family that losing could harm him more than summer school will help him. I so appreciated them realizing that and including it in the decision making.

The teacher will be calling Nick's mom again tomorrow. She has called her twice this week, to discuss this topic with her, and had no response at all. [sm=popsigh.gif]



momma_bee -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/25/2008 8:36:36 AM)

Donna

One of DeeDee's friends repeated 2nd. We miss her still - we miss her at scouts and at the school. That being said, she is thriving now, and Mom wished she had held her in 1st. She made lots of friends. She transistioned during that second year and I think Scouts helped her because she saw her 'old' friends every other Tuesday so she didn't miss them as much.

And, I know a family who put every kid in summer school every year. (more is better) and they are A-B-C students and one has some problems with friends. It didn't necessarily help, but I doubt it hurt them.

Which is ZERO help in your decision / situation but I wanted to share what I have seen. Especially with DeeDee's friend. I accidently got one of her teachers to say that it was good, but would have been better in first. (I expressed my opinion, she cautiously agreed I probably was right)



PrincessDonna -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/25/2008 8:47:14 AM)

Forgot to mention also...we let the teacher know that we are going through a rough patch with Nick's mom and so we agreed that we would not talk to her about this or our preferences at all and the teacher will deal with both families separately and try to find agreement without us having to sit in a room with her and agree on something.

Both teachers agreed this is the BEST year for him to be held back, if that is what happens. The best year for really getting a good foundation for later on. I really pray that's what we end up doing. I think the next 3-4 weeks may make a difference in his academic progress, but I doubt it'll be that big in the maturity area, KWIM? We just don't want to set him up for failure next year and the years after.



Brooke313 -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/28/2008 11:35:43 AM)

As an educator, I believe that repeating the grade is more beneficial than summer school. In our district, in the past summerschool has been a place for kids who do not want to work to come in a get credit for doing minimal work. I see that as not beneficial for anyone. I think that having to repeat a grade is both beneficial and also a deterrent for those kids who just won't work to get it together and do the work.



ladyingrace1979 -> RE: Repeating a grade vs. summer school (4/28/2008 1:20:11 PM)

The other issue with summer school, at least in our district, is that the teacher may be a teacher from any grade, they get who ever they can to teach. My twins are in special ed. so they get offered summer school each year, and for the most part it's been O.K. However, there was one year where they placed a regular ed. 6th grade teacher with special ed kids, some with behavior issues and he was aweful. My girls love school, they ask for homework and cry if they are sick and have to miss school, even summer school. This guy had them in tears at school. They only attended one week and I pulled them.
Kim Q



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