I am having a hard time believing that the kids just have a week and half left of school. This school year has gone by so fast. Kira will be half way finished with elementary school, half way when school gets out. That is just crazy to me. My cute little princess moving on up to upper elementary school.
Speaking of school we FINALLY got the results back from Joshy's tests from way back when. I had a meeting with his two teachers, the school psychologist, the special ed teacher, his speech teacher and someone who represented the principal. Guess what... Joshy does NOT have a learning disability. He scored high on his IQ tests. He had a 120 on his WISC which is really good (100 is average) The part that Joshy struggled with was on a specialized reading test, he still struggles with sounds, we don't know why he is barely at where a first grader should be at the start of the year. I am so happy that nothing is seriously wrong with him but I am still concerned at why he is struggling with sounds.
There were suggestions but we didn't decide on an IEP for him yet. Ms. Garner suggested perhaps we might think of holding him back and having him repeat the 1st grade. I don't know how I feel about that. Ms. Garner said she is not saying he has to do that but it might make things easier on him so he starts ahead of the group next year in reading if he was to stay back, and since he is very young and very small for his age. I think I would pull him out of French before we did that. I don't want him to struggle but I don't want him to feel like he isn't smart or that he is incapable of doing things. I don't want the rest of his friends to move on and for him not to, to him not be in the same class as the kids in his primary class. I do want him to have the best chance at succeeding in school though... decisions decisions.
What would you do?
6 comments:
There is a ton of research indicating that retention is not an effective intervention and in fact has negative effects. In my professional and personal opinion, I wouldn't do it. I can send u all the research I have, if u like.
Hard choices though.
Andrea that would be great, I'd loved to see the research.
Diana- McKenna struggled with reading and sounds also. I was told for a girl that is unusual but not for boys. Her problem came from her ear infections but she caught up by 3rd grade. She still hates reading but excels at the high mental items like math,science and deduction/reasoning. Give it time. Remember all kids progress at their own timetable and we sometimes need to just let it be. I had to learn that with Mckenna... It is frustrating though.
I am with Andrea!
I really have no experience in this area so I'm not going to give you my opinion (not sure that I've developed one anyway...) but I will say that as far as "I don't want...him not to be in the same class as the kids in his primary class" goes, there are likely a couple of kids in his class who are a grade behind him currently anyway. That 'Fall baby' curse that my two October babies are going to have to deal with :).
I don't really know about any of the research that has been done, but if he were my child, I would probably hold him back. Joshy is so young; I think it would be better for his self-esteem to repeat a grade now than have to continue the rest of his school career at the bottom of the class. BUT-if you have another option, like getting a summer tutor or something like that to help him catch up, I'd do that first. I just think that he will bounce back better now than say if he were in like 4th grade. You're smart for going about this aggressively now.:)
Also, Daniel is one of the older kids in his grade, and some of the kids in his primary class are behind him in school. I don't think it's a big deal at all. And he likes being one of the older ones in his grade...he gets to do everything first!
Good luck, Diana! I would focus more on what the Spirit and your mom insticts than any studies that have been done. :)Hang in there!
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