Some school districts have adopted tougher promotion standards for 1st and 2nd graders – some have done it for kindergarten too.
This means the number of students likely to be retained in 1st and 2nd grades may sky rocket.
Several parents have called us and to ask if their child should be retained or if they should take their child out of the public system and go to a private school.
Several things to consider before making a decision:
- Private schools have raised their standards as well, and they are also holding students back.
- Retention may be the right choice in a limited number of cases, especially if a student has attention challenges and is younger or immature.
- You want to find out exactly at what academic level your child is at now, and at what level your child must be in order to be promoted.
A comprehensive and intensive intervention can often bring a child close to or up to grade level within a couple of months. Three examples:
If your child is at risk for retention, we would recommend you do the following:
1) Talk to your child’s teacher and find out where your child is at, where your child needs to be to be promoted and what you can do to help. This should include your child’s teachers providing reading samples for you to read with your child, and questions your child must be able to answer. It should also include what your child must be able to write.
The new standards are much harder, they require far more advanced critical thinking skills and they require your child to put their thoughts on paper, using these new critical thinking skills. These new standards are really hard.
2) Read with your child – at first, you read 4 out of 5 pages and your child reads one. Then every couple of weeks shift the reading load to your child. Do not have your child struggle sounding out the words – give your child help by reading the word. Then ask them the questions and let them put the answers into their own words – moving towards having your child write the answers, where it is required.
Reading with your child for at least 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week, because this is a critical time to make the difference.
3) Consider outside help. Many of you are professionals and know your industry well. Helping a smart struggling child to succeed could and often does require professional help.
Mira Halpert, M.Ed., the developer of the 3D Learner Program ®, has designed a 3 step process to help you understand your child and how you can make the difference:
- DOWNLOAD Mira’s short, uplifting book “Life is a Ball, Don’t Put Me in a Box.”
- Take our free Online Success Assessment. It will help you see if your child learns differently and whether your child has an attention, eye-teaming and/or a related issue
- After taking the assessment, give us a call and ask a call at 561-361-7495
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