should I hold my child back in first grade?

Karen - posted on 03/28/2011

My son is now in grade 4 and I WISH we had held him back earlier. He was pulled everyday for extra reading and we were told practice, practice, practice. He does really well in all of his other subjects (except math word problems). We are now about to get him evaluated for dyslexia. The school only does phonics and practices reading skills until grade 3, so repeating after that really doesn't help. Talk to the teacher, get an evaluation, get a tutor. Early intervention is key and I wish that someone would have told me that back in grade one, maybe we wouldn't have these problems now.

Erica - posted on 03/27/2011

Talk with her teacher and principal. I dont know where you live but I know they are trying to pass a law in Indiana that if you do not pass the reading part of ISTEP in 3rd grade the state will make them repeat the grade (even if it is one point)....They can be helf back twice due to this. I do agree that younger is better than later!!!!

Sapphire - posted on 03/26/2011

How long is her Title I intervention? It should be anywhere form 30-60 minutes of additional assistance daily in additiona to her regularly scheduled reading block in the classroom. See if she can receive more Title I time with the Reading Specialist. Also, see if the school's Title I funding can assist with tutoring. With all of teh educational budgetary constraints, it might not be availabe but never hurts to ask. Also, find out what are your daughter's weaknesses? Is it phonics? Comprehension? Recall/memory of what she read? Fluency? Vocabulary? Ask the Title I specialist for a comprehensive assessment of strengths & weaknesses. I suspect that at 1st grade i na Title I school, they may be using the DIEBLS system. Use the link to educate yourself on the componenets of early learning literacy. Then google some free resources to help hone in on your daughter's weaknesses. There are tons of free games to play when enhancing literacy. Also seek help fro mthe public library! Now, another thought when it comes to the tutoring: your local high school might have National Honor Society chapter, and these are students that need community service hours. It is very well possible to have a high school student that would be willing to tutor your daughter. Just be careful, because a high schooler is certainly not the same as a trained/certified Reading Interventionist. It's late i nthe school year, but also keep in mind that there may be an underlying reading disability. Something to be checked in the very beginning of 2nd grade. Good luck!

https://dibels.uoregon.edu/

Good Day! - posted on 03/26/2011

IF you do decide to hold her back, take heart in the fact that it's better to do so when they are young. The social impact will be far less if you hold her back now, than if she needs to be held back in a higher grade. Schedule a conference with her teacher and get her honest professional opinion. And I do like Teresa's suggestion of trying tutoring.

Kelly - posted on 03/26/2011

Thank you that was what I was thinking to

Teresa - posted on 03/26/2011

I'd be more inclined to get her extra tutoring help over holding her back.