What Parents Need to Know About Children Repeating a Grade

Rebecca S. Blakeman, PhD
Licensed Psychologist

While this is a topic often discussed at the end of a school year, which is often too late in the process to begin meeting your child’s learning needs; thus, I am writing this at the start of a new school year.

There is great controversy about whether to retain children in school (i.e., have them “fail” and repeat a grade), or whether to “pass them on socially.”  I would argue, based on research, that neither is appropriate.  Research has demonstrated that simply having children repeat a grade does not help them “catch up” academically.  The idea of doing more of what you have been doing is not beneficial to children who are struggling to learn in school.  However, simply promoting them to the next grade because of their age will also not help them catch up academically.  In order to know whether retention or promotion would be most beneficial for your child, the following steps are critical.

1. Understand why your child is not learning.  There can be many reasons why a child is not doing well academically, including mental retardation (i.e., very low intelligence), being a “slow” learner (i.e., moderately low intelligence), specific learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia), language disorders, and processing disorders.  A comprehensive evaluation is the only way to truly understand why a child is struggling, what realistic academic goals should be, and how to best teach the child so that he/she can learn.

1. Identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses.  If your child is struggling in all areas, this may indicate low intellectual abilities, language disorder, or other processing disorder that globally interferes with learning.  Children in this situation may need more intensive remediation and intervention services, such that small group instruction for all academic classes may be necessary (though again, this does not necessarily mean retention).  If a child is struggling in only one area, such as reading or math, this suggests a more specific learning disability, and retention is not likely to be appropriate. 

1. Obtain research supported academic instruction.  Whether you choose to retain your child or promote him/her to the next grade, it will be critical to change the teaching methods used to educate your child.  Repeating a grade may be helpful if educational strategies are modified to include intensive, research-supported strategies.  Likewise, promotion to the next grade may helpful, if educational strategies are modified to include intensive, research-supported strategies.

1. Know your child.  Some children who are socially and emotionally immature may benefit from being with younger children.  If you feel that your child’s maturity level is more similar to younger children, you may decide that retention would be appropriate—again, only if instructional strategies are improved.

Again, the only way to truly understand why a child is struggling is to complete a comprehensive evaluation.  If you have concerns that your child may need to repeat his/her current grade, may not pass the CRCT, etc. having your child evaluated can help you know what you need to know in order to make the best decision for your child.  You can talk with school personnel about your concerns and request that your child be evaluated, or you can seek a private evaluation.