Is it?

[Donna]

So we are debating holding Gabe back in 2nd grade when we go to VA next year. But one thing I have noticed with the school in SD and here. It's like it's a HUGE taboo thing to talk about or hold an IEP student back. All of his standardized tests are at an early 1st grade level and high kinder, he is in 2nd. Age wise, he is the youngest in his class because he started kinder at 4 and turned 5 the middle of Nov.

He does struggles a lot. What would you do?

[rosebud*]

My son is one of the older children because his birthday is Sept. 15th and the cut off is the 1st of Sept. Honestly i'm really glad he didn't start till later. I don't think he was mature enough to handle school that young.

If you feel he would benefit from being held back I would look into it for sure.

[goldilockz]

If he struggles a lot, then I would consider it. You also said he's the youngest in his class, so his age won't be much different than the kids in the grade he'll stay back in.

[Germanchick]

If you feel it is best to hold him back then that is what I would do. You need to do what is best for him and not what is easiest/most convenient for the teachers and school system

[ThatKid]

I'd hold him back...I'd rather that he has a firm grasp on the material

[Germanchick]

Both of my sisters repeated a year (one repeated 7th and the other repeated 8th grade) and it helped them so much!

[Ellen]

I'd hold him back - especially since he already started early. With boys, sometime they don't have the maturity to start so early.

[marine_wife71099]

The schools in Virginia are ahead of the ones here. When we went back there, my son had a lot of problems, and he was held back. My son was the youngest in his class too, and I would rather hold them back at an early age than later on when kids will pick on them.

[*Melissa*]

They are talking about retaining my ds.. He is also in 2nd grade. I'm am really struggling with making a decision. My biggest fear is how will he handle it emotionally, I don't want him to feel like he is a failure or kids making fun of him. The only thing he is having a hard time with is reading, everything else he is doing really well in. He does have an IEP but only for speech. In the end everything will work out for the best.

[=Mrs.AiNokeA=]

I'm a november baby and my mom thought about keeping me back when I was in Kinder but decided not to. I did pretty well and I think I may have struggled a little bit but not enough where I failed to graduate later on. If he's struggling a lot then just hold him back so he wont be stressed out later on.