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We relocated to Texas from Washington at the end of December. My 4th grader is obviously behind in what this school district is teaching. The school district that we are in caters to over achieving children and we are having a hard time with our average - below average student. He has trouble in Math and Reading. While he is doing the best that he can I am afraid that the school is going to suggest he repeat the 4th grade. We started him out in school later so he could be more mature, so for K grade he was 6. So now if he is held back he won't graduate high school until he is 20. What would you do....insist that he be allowed to continue on with extra help or hold him back. I'm afraid that this will really be a blow to his self esteem being the new kid, just making new friends and then not getting to on to the next grade with them....What would you do?
Are there any options for tutoring? Some public schools offer free tutoring either before or after school hours. If you could afford to hire a private tutor, you might consider that option. Also, he could possibly attend summer school to catch up.
I would get a copy of everything in his cumulative folder, including a copy of his curriculum for this year, and all of his work samples. The purpose is for you to determine how much he has actually learned vs what his grades reflect. I would then get copies of all interventions the teachers have attempted. If they have not intervened or their interventions were unsuccessful, they would have to explain why. Personally, I am opposed to repeating, you can find many researched based opinions that indicate it does more harm than good. If the school proves they did their best, then perhaps your son should be evaluated for learning conditions which may affect his ability to process information, such as Dyslexia. I hope all goes well. Involve people who can look at this situations, and your son's records with an objective eye, someone not affiliated with his school.
He is doing tutoring 2 x per week. One for reading and one for math. When you say involve people outside the school to evaluate the situation who should I involve. Do I get medical doctors involved. I am at such a loss as what to do.
First, I would get a full physical from your pediatrician and an ophthalmologist. It could be something like a hearing problem or he needs glasses.
I had my son go through an evaluation through the school for an IEP - individualized education plan. He was designated at specific learning disability - for his handwriting and is now getting occupational therapy. Only last year, (after a screening only - not a full eval) they told me he could not quality unless he had another learning disability) guess they were incorrect.
After the physical evals if they don't find anything, I would request about getting a full evaluation on your son. You have the right to request this. They will let you know if he tests out to indicate he may have ADD ADHD or dyslexia or something. The school does this - get a full eval, not just a screening.
As a retired teacher, good advice here, emmablue. I would only add that YOU are your own child's best advocate, and it takes persistence, in dealing with a school to get things accomplished sometimes.
As the child's parent, you need to constantly reassure him there is something here that needs addressing, NOT his fault, but that will make learning easier for him. Don't falsely praise him, but try to focus on things right now that he really is quite good at -- making friends, working with his hands, doing tricks on a skateboard, whatever. Make sure he really understands that we all have our own strengths.
The blows to a child's ego can be far-reaching and long-lasting. My poor husband still has little things in his personality that I can see are from thinking he was dumb as a student. He wasn't. He was dyslexic before most even understood what dyslexia was, or how to work around it. And this is a man who went on to become a chemist/environmentalist, and learned to fly an airplane, if you can imagine, looking at the gauges backwards?
Insist on testing, continue with the tutoring, and help him feel like he can compete, succeed, in so many other areas. I think there are rare circumstances when holding a child back may be beneficial to the child, but they are few and far between, and with the move and the transition from one school to another, I'd agree this is not necessarily in your son's best interest -- not now, or next year.
Is he below grade level in a main subject such as reading, writing or math I know that at my school, the moment a child falls below level in any of those subject areas (for older children like your son it might be in science too-I teach 1st grade so I don't have to worry about that area) we have to put him on a special plan stating the methods we will be trying with him to get him back on grade level. Also at my school, if a child is below level in reading, he has to get an additional 30 minute a day of help in reading.
If after 9 weeks there hasn't been any improvement, teachers can ask to have the child tested, by the school and for free, to see if there are any learning disabilities...or if there is just a low IQ issue. The child has to not improve in reading, or in writing AND math (not just writing, or not just math, but the both of them).
Has your child been listed below level? At either your old school, or the new one? You definitely can ask for academic testing.
I would have serious reservations in holding your son back another year. The statistics on children retained 2 times are not good. I would agree that you may need to have all the evals done. 4th grade is a transitional year for many students---reading to learn rather than learning to read---so if a child is struggling, it can be especially difficult. I would try to do more tutoring. Can you move up to 2-3 days a week for each subject? If after a couple of months, you don't see improvement, you need to request testing through to school.
There is a direct correlation between being retained 2nd grade or higher and later dropping out of school. I wouldn't retain, but instead find out what the problem is and then work to fix it. It might mean paying for an evaluation to rule out learning disabilities or paying for extra tutoring or summer school. How is he doing on the TAKS benchmark testing? Is he on track to pass TAKS? In the school's eyes that's really all that matters. If kids fail TAKS then they are supposed to be held back, but there are loopholes you can use to get them promoted.
Thank you all. We have his conference with all the specialist at his school at the end of the month. I will request a full eval. and not a screening. I'm not sure what to expect and what they will suggest. I do know his teacher was the one that brought up retaining him. I know he is an active/social boy and he is easily distracted.
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