Grade retention is often suggested when a student has fallen behind their peers. But it might not be the answer to your student’s struggles.
It can be easy to think that your student may need extra time. If they are behind their peers or having a hard time in the classroom, retention might seem like the solution. The argument for retention tends to be maybe they just need more time to develop.
But what is retention? Does it offer the benefits that your child needs to learn well? Or will it do more harm than good?
Grade retention is when a student is held back in the grade they are in, instead of moving forward in their schooling.
What are the benefits of student retention?
In theory, retention can benefit a student in many ways. It can give a child who is developing slowly, more time to catch up to their peers. As well as giving them an additional year to relearn material. Many educators believe that retention can help avoid future remedial intervention. It can protect them from a situation where they might be overwhelmed, or embarrassed by their learning struggles. But the issue may not be a matter of time, but support and resources.
What are the harms of retention?
Research is not favorable towards retention. Sometimes the symptoms that raised the suggestion of retention resolve themselves. It also does not directly address the struggles of your student. Instead, it delays proper support and diagnoses your child might need in the classroom.
Retention may not be necessary in the first place. Child development is broad. Your child is unique. A child can fall behind their classmates one year. But throughout the next year, their development can come together all on its own. Retention can confuse and delay a child’s learning development by actively placing them behind their peers.
If you believe your child is dealing with a learning disability, retention will not resolve it. It can be a bandaid on your students’ issues, covering up a learning disability or developmental disorder. By sweeping their struggles under the rug, they could fall further behind. Retention can delay your student getting the help that they need.
If you believe your child is truly struggling, there are other options.
Alternatives to Grade Retention:
Address learning issues directly, do not delay the problem. Your child might be neurodivergent and in need of learning support. The good news, there are a plethora of different solutions for each child and you are not alone!
Testing and assessments are available to you and your child. You can test for specific issues such as dyslexia or ADHD. Education evaluations can see how exactly your child’s brain learns and processes information.
With the results of these tests, a decision about what changes in their learning needs to be made. Tutoring can be used to better a child’s understanding of material. An IEP or accommodations can be implemented to assist the child in the classroom. The options are endless, and personalized to your student’s path to success.
If you are considering grade retention, I encourage you to explore other options. Instead of having your child learning the same information, in the same format multiple times, start looking for alternatives. If you can start making changes now, you can begin to shape your child’s education around their personal way of learning.
Not sure where to begin with the many alternatives? I can help, please reach out! If you are in the Santa Clarita area, we can work together on building a better education for your child. But even if you are not, I might be able to connect you with someone who is in your area! I am looking forward to helping your child thrive.
