Holding Child Back a Year
Question: Our son, who will turn six in June, is in a private kindergarten at the same place he attended preschool, and we plan to have him enter first grade in public school next fall. Because he has a summer birthday, a couple of our relatives have urged us to have him repeat kindergarten to give him the advantage of being one of the older kids in his class. We think he's ready to move on to first grade, but we don't want to put him at a disadvantage. Any thoughts on this one?
Answer: It's a popular idea among some parents that they're doing their young child a favor if they delay entrance to school or even have the child repeat an early grade. Especially for children with summer birthdays close to the age deadline for school entrance (particularly boys, who are expected to mature more slowly), the assumption is that waiting a year will give the child an edge--socially, academically and athletically. However, research generally does not support that notion.
Despite countless studies on the topic, there is no significant evidence that children do better if school entrance is delayed or if they repeat a grade. In fact, some studies show that children who are held back do worse in the long run. For example, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical School recently reported that children who started school later had significantly more behavior problems as adolescents than children who started on time. Some experts have speculated that earlier onset of puberty for these children may mark them as different from their peers. It also may be that the meaning children put on being held back may lead to low self-esteem or may lead them to dismiss or minimize their successes.
Even for young children whose behavior makes them seem particularly immature for their age, holding them back often is not the answer. Although it is tempting to think that waiting a year will allow them to mature to the point of school readiness, their so-called "immature behavior" more often is a sign that they need extra support or intervention to develop the skills and behaviors to succeed in school. Holding them back a year may just delay their getting the help they need and may stigmatize them in the process.
In general, there is great variability among children of any given age, and public schools have a responsibility to address and accommodate those differences in the classroom. For children who still do not succeed, special educational and support services are needed. Time alone does not necessarily make the difference--and, in fact, may put the child at a disadvantage in the long run. It is critical to look closely at all aspects of a child's behavior, environment and life circumstances before making any recommendations about retention or special intervention. Having a summer birthday should in no way be construed as a sign that a child should be held back a year.
Editor's note: Dr. Martha Farrell Erickson, director of the University of Minnesota's Children, Youth and Family Consortium, invites your questions on child rearing for possible inclusion in this column. You may fax them to (612) 624-6369 or send them to Growing Concerns, University of Minnesota News Service, 6 Morrill Hall, 100 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455.
