麻豆传媒

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If a 5-year-old boy is struggling in kindergarten, should he repeat the grade next year? Kim McDowell, an early childhood educator at 麻豆传媒, says there are a number of arguments for repeating a grade, while others say repeating a grade is ineffective. And McDowell says the number of variables can make the decision difficult.

McDowell: 鈥淥ne of the challenges we have, in terms of interpreting the research, is the number of confounding variables that are present anytime you examine children. We are not only looking at school environments and school characteristics, but also the child's family life, as well as individual characteristics within the child."

A study conducted by the University of Georgia, involving more than 11,000 students, concluded that repeating a year had a negative effect on performance. Without a doubt, the effectiveness of grade retention is still a hot topic, as McDowell explains.

McDowell: 鈥淭he effectiveness of grade retention is still up for debate. Educators are debating whether or not it's effective, when you should do it, when you should not do it and the impact on later years."

According to Jeanne Sather, a Seattle-based writer and editor and the mother of two sons, we are in the midst of a pendulum swing from the days when virtually every child was passed to the next grade, also known as social promotion, to an era in which many more children are being retained, especially if they can't pass a skills test. Already, the pendulum is starting to swing back again in some school districts, such as Olympia, Wash., where the policy is not to hold a child back. McDowell cites some arguments for holding a child back.

McDowell: 鈥淪ome educators argue that grade retention is beneficial to students. Some cite evidence of increased maturity levels, increased self-esteem due to success with the curriculum because it's a repeated exposure. And other educators also indicate that repeating a grade is effective for social interactions."

But McDowell says, according to some research, it's ineffective to have a child repeat a grade.

McDowell: 鈥淭here has been considerable research in the area of grade retention stemming back from the '60s and '70s, and all of the research indicates at this point that retaining a child in a grade is ineffective in terms of catching the child up academically. It also has been shown to have negative effects on social, emotional interactions, as well as an increased likelihood of high school dropout."

McDowell says a parent would be wise to get multiple perspectives before deciding whether a child should repeat a grade or move on to the next one.

McDowell: 鈥淎s a parent, if you have concerns about your child's readiness to enter into formal education or your child's ability to succeed in the next grade, I would encourage parents to get multiple perspectives and to talk to individuals who see the child in varying contexts and structured environments, such as the teacher, a preschool teacher or a daycare provider."

According to , if a teacher suggests that your child be retained, ask for concrete reasons. Ask what the problem areas are: gross or fine motor skills, social interactions, emotional behaviors and test scores? Are these skills likely to improve by repeating a grade?

You also might want to request an evaluation of your child. Many children who have other difficulties, such as a visual or hearing impairment, a learning disability, an emotional problem or a stressful home environment, would benefit from special services, not retention.

McDowell says if you decide to have a child repeat a grade, it's better to do it sooner than later.

McDowell: 鈥淥ne of the things that we know from the research is that if you are considering retaining a child, the best time to do that is early on. And by early I mean kindergarten. Some parents even opt for a better option, which is to delay enrollment into formal education by having the child go through another year of preschool."

Thanks for listening. Until next time, this is Joe Kleinsasser for 麻豆传媒.