Grade Retention Risks are Much Higher for a Visual Learner
Grade Retention is often a risk for a child who is a visual learner– this is a good article on the Pros and Cons of Grade Retention,but it does not address the risk of your child being a visual learner.
Back in 2004, Florida initiated a mandatory third grade retention policy for students who did not pass the state mandated reading test. The only pro of grade retention is when a student is developmentally behind and would benefit from repeating the same grade. This is most likely to happen when a student was among the youngest in his class to enter school.
The cons to grade retention include:
- The student getting the feeling they are not smart, or even that they are stupid — not our favorite word
- The student “losing” the friends they have
- An increased chance that the child will eventually drop-out of school
- Schools may recommend grade retention when the student’s biggest problem is he or she is not being taught to read in a way that works for him or her
I am writing this in December — this is the time of year that parents first hear that grade retention is a policy. In Florida, there are Good Cause Exemptions to Third Grade Retention
Parents often call in a panic at year end – -the best time to act is now!!!
The Single Best Way to Beat Grade Retention
When a parent calls us about a grade retention risk — the most likely reason is that their child’s reading comprehension is below grade level. Then we ask a series of 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 his or her present level of reading comprehension would indicate?
- Does your child lose focus when doing something that is boring or frustrating?
- Does your child skip words and/or lines when reading?
When we ask these questions, most parents ask yes to at least 3 or 4 of these questions, and close to half answer yes to all 5 of these questions.
What do these questions indicate. That the child may be a visual learner with attention and/or eye-teaming issues.
Visual Learner with Other Challenges Is Often at Risk for Grade Retention
The first three are very common for what we call the visual learner — a child who learns best when he or she sees and experiences information. These are the students where a phonics-based approach may not be optimal. These students need to learn to visualize the words and what they mean.
The visual learner is also more likely to have attention or eye-teaming issues, where the student skips words and/or lines when reading.
At 3D Learner, we have helped many parents to avoid grade retention in the earlier grades and third grade retention by improving their child’s reading comprehension, attention and eye-teaming.
We have developed a no cost On-line Assessment, that screens for the visual learner and whether your child may have attention and/or eye-teaming challenges. This assessment is best done with your child.
Click here to access the 3D Learner On-Line Assessment, you will get immediate feedback, and then you can call us for a complimentary Stress to Success Strategy Session at 561-361-7495
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