How to Decide If Your Child Should Repeat a Grade

All parents want their children to succeed in school. We are pleased with their accomplishments and cheer them on when they have difficulty. When a parent is told their child may need to repeat a grade, many are puzzled as to the best course to take. As a mother and former teacher, I can offer some practical advice for you to consider when making your decision.

First, talk with your child's teacher at length. Find out his or her assessment of the situation. Is your child not able to do the work or is it a question of immaturity to keep up with the performance required at that grade level? Why is the teacher recommending your child repeat the grade? Have your child's grades reflected a difficulty with the coursework? Was the difficulty all year or just during the last semester? Can the teacher offer any suggestions for alternatives?

Next, make an appointment to speak with the principal. Tell him or her your concerns, and enlist his or her help to make the right decision for your child. The principal has usually been an educator much longer than the teacher. This gives him or her an advantage in being able to predict the outcome of the decision of whether to repeat the grade. If possible, ask the teacher to attend the meeting, also.

Mary, a mother of a second grader, was told her child needed to repeat that grade. On further investigation, she was told by the child's teacher that "he didn't pay attention" and seemed to "be more interested in the tractor mowing the grass outside than what is being taught." Mary's son had never had any difficulty with assignments and his grades were good, so she was puzzled over this recommendation. She went to the principal and he suggested the child be evaluated by a learning specialist from the board of education. After her son was evaluated, the findings showed that he was in fact, above grade level, but was bored. He bordered on being gifted. The principal advised Mary to let him assign the child a third grade teacher that had more teaching experience and could better meet this child's needs. The next year, he flourished under the new teacher's instruction methods.