Every year, there's one or two kids that are just not ready to move on to the next grade. I dread having these conversations with parents. I know what a challenging decision it is for them - it's hard to say "my kid is behind." Parents worry about the social aspect of being older than their classmates. Some parents might be afraid that this is the first step in having a child enter special education.
Retention is not an indictment of parenting skills. Some kids learn at different rates. Especially in lower grades, I just see kids who are not ready to read at the same time as their peers. Maybe they need an extra year to mature and develop. I really believe in retention in lower grades. Socially and academically, it's so much easier to held back at 6 or 7 than it is at 10 or 11. In kindergarten and first grade, you get a chance to master the foundational skills that will carry you through the rest of your academic career. The older you get, the harder it is to teach those skills in a general classroom setting.
I have a student this year who desperately needs to be retained. The student's parents agreed to retain them after kindergarten, then changed their minds just before the school year started. We've all worked so hard with the student this year, but they are just still not ready to move on. I love this kid and would love to teach them again next year - but I still feel like I've failed them and their parents. It was my job to get them caught up, and I didn't.
How do you feel about retention? I've heard DCPS sees 3rd grade as the year to start holding kids back. I think this is way too late.
