Third-grade retention risks are being highlighted by schools earlier and earlier. We recommend three things if you get a warning that your child is at risk for third-grade retention, or your gut tells you this is a real risk.
- To alert you that a third-grade retention risk is often the sign of one or more significant challenges, with reading comprehension being the primary challenge. You want to seize this opportunity to talk with your child’s teacher and find out what is causing your child to struggle and the depth of the issues. Left unchecked, reading comprehension gaps are likely to widen.
Research shows that 74 percent of the students with a reading disability in third grade will still have a reading disability in 12th grade.
- To recognize that many smart, really smart and even a small number of gifted students are at risk for third-grade retention. While the schools may help alleviate the risk, these students often continue to struggle with reading comprehension and standardized tests for years. Frequently these students will be 3, 4 or even 5 years below grade level in reading comprehension by the time they are in high school.
Key question for parents – -is your child a right-brain neurodivergent learner, who learns best when he or she sees and experiences information. Note, too often students are identified by their weaknesses and dyslexia is a common challenge. It is important to recognize that most dyslexic students are right-brain learners with dyslexia. If your child learns differently, your child may do far better with an approach that leverages their ability to succeed with a hands-on visual approach that both teaches to their strengths and identifies their challenges.
- Help you to become an Informed, Empowered and Proactive Parent who gets the right help that allows your child to be at or above grade level as they enter fourth grade. This could avoid third grade retention and allow your child to be far more successful in school and in all areas of their lives.
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Two examples of parents who helped Beat Third Grade Retention:
- One mom was told in 2nd grade that her son was likely to be promoted to third grade, because the school did not retain 2nd graders. However, the teacher noted that third-grade retention was very likely. A week later, the parents read an article on “Is Your Child a Bright Right-Brain Learner?” The article started with three questions:
- Does your child remember places visited, even from years ago?
- Does your child learn best when he or she sees and experiences information?
- Is your child a lot smarter than present results would indicate?
Mom picked up the phone and called us. After a few minutes mom commented, “You describe my child to a T”. Despite an above average IQ, her son learned differently and had a reading comprehension, attention, visual processing and processing speed issue. With our help, her son improved to the 49th percentile in 3 months and scored well above grade level on the third-grade test. Mom commented, “The results of your program were spectacular”.
A Jacobs, Parkland
Another mom was told in early November that third-grade retention was a virtual certainty for her daughter. The teacher told mom to just accept reality, and that third-grade retention might actually help her daughter by giving her time to catch up. Mom refused to accept that. She had a friend who had been to 3D Learner the preceding year. The friend suggested she call us ASAP. She told her that her son had failed the third-grade test, we helped him over the summer, and he had been promoted. Given the choice, her friend recommended acting immediately to help her daughter to get to grade level or above before suffering the emotional stress of failing the test. Mom called us. It turned out her daughter learned differently and had attention, working memory and anxiety challenges. We helped her daughter to score above grade level on the third-grade test, go into advanced classes in middle school and do very well.
Reading Comprehension is Often The Key Issue
- Reading comprehension is often the most important issue to address. It really helps parents to have a conversation with your child’s teacher to discover where the critical issues are. These often include:
- Reading comprehension issues — the average student we have seen who was at risk for third-grade retention was below grade level in reading comprehension by 1.5 grade levels
- Vocabulary issues are very common. Smart struggling students often read far less than their peers and this results in not having a strong grasp of vocabulary
- Reading fluency — which may be dyslexia. This is where your child may struggle decoding words and therefore not read fluently when asked to real aloud
- Reading speed. Struggling readers often read very slowly. This may be due to a number of reasons, including the ability to visually track words correctly. This may result in your child not having time to complete the test
- Executive function challenges — that might include attention, working memory and/or processing speed
- Anxiety challenges. This can hamper a child’s ability to learn anything!
Students at risk for third grade retention often learn differently and have dyslexia, executive function, auditory or visual processing issues and/or anxiety challenges
- As a parent, you can make the difference. Specifically:
- If your child is at a public or charter school and they do not have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), we suggest requesting an evaluation ASAP. Click here on how to ask for and get a Special Education Evaluation
- If your child has an IEP — consider asking for an Emergency IEP meeting to consider what more can be done to help your child Beat Third-Grade Retention and more specifically to improve your child’s reading fluency, reading comprehension and reading speed.
- Consider working with outside professional who can help your child and you by:
- Assessing how your child learns best, what their strengths are and what is holding them back. It is really helpful to have an assessment of your child’s reading comprehension and related issues. Note, most students at risk for third-grade retention learn differently — they are often right-brain neurodivergent learners, who can do far better when they are taught to their strengths .They are often “picture learners” and need a different approach.
- Significantly improving your child’s reading fluency, reading comprehension and processing skills to grade level or above. Getting promoted helps and having your child reach their full potential is a game changer
- Help you to be the coach and advocate your child needs
In considering “How to Beat Third Grade Retention”
we recommend you act now.
To have a no cost “How to Beat Third Grade Retention” conversation,
you can either call us at 561-361-7495 or
click here to find a mutually agreeable time
to have a conversation,
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