by Anne Thrasher

Created on: May 23, 2009

Holding a child back a grade in elementary school, can have its advantages. However, a parent should not do so solely on the advice of the child's teacher. Most schools have a committee that helps the teacher decide if it is appropriate to hold a child back. If the teacher is only suggesting that you do so, you should ask about the committee's take on the issue.

Many times the teacher suggests that a child be held back because of maturity issues. A parent is more qualified to make that assessment. Being shy is completely different from being immature. A shy child might not participate in class as much as the other children might. That does not mean the child does not understand the subject matter or that the child is not mature for their age. A shy child sometimes lacks self-esteem. If this is the case, a good teacher can help with those issues.

If the child were not reading on the level he or she should be then staying in the same grade for another year would be very beneficial for that child. Reading is an essential building block for a student's future educational success. Without the ability to read, well a student will struggle throughout their educational years.

It is very stressful for a parent to have to make the decision to hold their son or daughter back in school. I held my son back in the second grade. Doing this, put him in the same grade as his younger brother. It was not easy for me to make this decision. His teacher told me that she felt he would benefit from taking second grade again because of his reading. I really struggled with this decision but in the end, I was glad I decided to do it. The first four or so months he breezed through the work. By the time, he reached the more difficult reading his confidence had raised so much that he breezed through that too. The first year it was always a struggle to get him to read. Holding him back one year gave him confidence and a love for reading. I have never regretted my decision to hold him back that one year.

High school is a different matter altogether. If a student fails one course, they are given the opportunity to take summer school. The Summer School Program needs to be changed or done away with altogether. If a child fails a subject, it is because he or she does not understand it. Summer school does not help with that issue. If a parent is willing to pay for the course the child only has to show up to get credit for it. This does not give the student any understanding of the subject matter. Doing worksheets on something they do understand is not going to help them in the long run. I believe summer school is a waste of time and money. In order for the student to gain understanding of the subject they should take the course over again.

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