Repeating a Grade: A Second Chance
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An opportunity to give it a go again! This time with distinct advantages.
There are various reasons why a student may not be ready to move on to the next grade. Remediation toward that readiness will serve to give him a more solid foundation for steady progress in the future. Without that readiness, he may face more bewilderment and the likelihood of failure in grades to follow. This would be a discouraging, disheartening and sad situation.
Being held back can actually be a golden opportunity to fill in the knowledge gaps, clear up confusion, and build stronger learning skills and better study habits. Confidence and increased enthusiasm for his education will grow.
The student who repeats a grade is usually better prepared to understand and to learn from the repeated presentation of the material. He is older, more socially mature and more aware of the need for self-control and acceptable behavior in the classroom setting. Being already somewhat familiar with the subjects, he is more likely to maintain interest and to have an increased attention span.
His background knowledge will help him to recognize which concepts need special attention and which may require him to ask questions. Having this background knowledge, he is better able to ask for explanations. In addition, he has more classroom experience to help overcome the reluctance to interrupt the class in order to question before the teacher moves on.
The extra year’s learning and practice with reading, comprehension, spelling, writing or math lead toward mastery of the basics. This helps prepare the student to learn from classroom teaching as well as the self-teaching assignments in higher grades. In addition, the necessity of repeating a grade alerts the student to take action to fully understand concepts to keep pace with the classwork.
Being socially promoted to remain with students his age is nice, and yet so is the experience of meeting new friends while having the greater social maturity of an older student. His increased familiarity with the school routine, the building, the staff, the bus, the cafeteria and such will make him more comfortable in his surroundings. Being comfortable with the surroundings decreases anxiety, enhances social self-esteem and confidence that peer support is available for him within his new group.
Sometimes the need for repeating a grade is the result of excessive missed classroom teaching because of absence due to family relocation or extensive illness. The opportunity to learn the grade curriculum in order to move up successfully is of great benefit.
If the student has a learning difference, a change in teaching methods may be required for him to progress. If standard approaches are not effective for remediation, the student may be eligible for an Individualized Education Plan, a 504 Plan and specific one-to-one tutoring designed with accommodations for the student’s learning differences.
It’s a good idea to monitor your student’s progress closely during this repeat school year. Both academic and social performance should be tracked so that any necessary modifications and interventions will be started as soon as possible. Work closely with your student’s teachers as all of you are committed to your student’s success.
We’re here to help! At Lear Educational Center we provide individualized academic tutoring on all levels, primary through college, for most subjects and for most standardized tests. We specialize in teaching students with learning differences. Our students learn foundational skills and strategies so that they can better understand their current coursework and meet the challenges of tomorrow
