We live in California. Our kindergarten son seems to be having some learning problems. The teacher and principal are suggesting we retain him and have him repeat K. My wife and I think that before we do that, the school should have an evaluation of him to see if he has a learning disability, and if he should have an Individualized Education Program, pursuant to the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). See http://www.ldonline.org/article/6190
The principal is resistant to the idea of testing our son for a learning disability, saying that she does not want to “label” him. But it seems to me that being retained is a bigger label than having some tests done to evaluate whether he has a learning disability. Also, it would seem that having the tests done would help us determine the best course of action — and whether retention is a good idea or not.
I’ve heard through the rumor mill that the principal might resist having him tested because of the expense involved.
Does anyone else here have experience with this? Would it be a bad idea to have him evaluated for a learning disability? If we force the issue, and insist on the evaluation, could there practically speaking be some negative political ramifications for us/our son at the school? Also, if he can have an individualized education program, I’m not sure I see the utility in holding him back. I appreciate any/all feedback!
Re: Repeat Kindergarten or Evaluate for LD?
If you truly feel in your heart that there is a learning disability, push for the testing. However, in some states your child has to be so far behind to get services it is not funny.
I never cared much about the label, and as my son’s third grade teacher said, the child is going to get a label one way or the other. One comes with services, the other just comes with insults.
Keep up the fight.
Re: Repeat Kindergarten or Evaluate for LD?
I have a child that attended a private Montessori Kindergarten and was a non reader in lst grade, Texas public school. It was hard work but he caught up and was reading in his grade level by the end of lst grade. It was not until 3rd grade that the teachers noticed a problem with his reading and spelling. After interventions and several meetings, he was tested. I was afraid of the label but I needed to find out how he learned and what was causing his problems. My son has superior intelligence but a hard time decoding and spelling words… dyslexia and dysgraphia. He compensated all these years memorizing spelling words and he reads on grade level but based on his intelligence he qualifies for a learning disability. I would recommend reading Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally S––-? It has a chapter on early warning signs. I am seeing the early signs on my Kindergarten daughter..family history, speech delays, and difficulty in learning sounds and alphabet. The author does not recommend retention. Knowledge is powerful and finding out how your child learns is what is going to help not keeping him back. Good luck from Texas.
Re: Repeat Kindergarten or Evaluate for LD?
Ask the teacher if his learning difficulties are related to development. Maybe your son isn’t developmentally ready. An extra year in kindergarten may help.
Re: Repeat Kindergarten or Evaluate for LD?
They had told me holding my son back in kindergarten would help would help too. I had them give my son those test and they had told me that he was to smart for special help so I had them put him in first grade. He is doing ok in first grade. He has an “A” in Math and almost an “F” in Reading. Because of the big difference in the grade I suggested to take the test again because in Kindergarten they told me they can not pen point were the learning problem was at. I know my son can read because he reads to me at home. I think the problem with him is the phonics were they have to decode the words. Actual reading a story and decoding words are two different things but that is not how they grade it I guess.
I say dont hold your child back. If you feel giveing your child that is best I hope you better answers than I got. Good Luck
If it was me…I would not your child back. My son is dyslexic, as well as ADD, although in Kindergarten the signs did not show up…but in 1st grade they did..big time. The teacher did not recognize the chracteristics. He spent a lot of time being upset. She thought he just wanted his mom. The problem was…he couldn’t read or follow verbal directions. He may have had the same problems in Kindergarten… but it never caused him to cry as far as I know.
As he went through school, (he is now in the 10th grade) things got harder, but “we” got through it. And I mean “we” becasue you have to stand by your child in a system where very few teachers know anything about LD. And I say LD as “Learning Differences” not disability…. I know this because I am LD also… I made bad grades in school… But I have taken 55 hrs of college… and I carred a 4.0 until the last class where I made a “B”… The secret is to figure out how your child learns.
For us… if it was spelling, I took 5 words at a time and played basketball inside the house… if he spelled the word he took a shot… if he missed… I took a shot… If it was vocab words… and their meaning… I would type up the words and their meaning then print them out… We would study 5 words at a time.. Then I took the words that I had typed on the computer and deleted the words and put blank lines… Thhen he would take a practice test… When they are young they usually have word banks… So I would provide one… Of course for me in college …we weren’t so lucky.
Same with History and Science… If the teacher did not provide a study sheet… I typed one up… That is just the way it had to be done… Very time consuming… but it had to be done! Later when my son was old enough to write what he was thankful for on Thanksgiving… He would always be thankful for his mom helping him with his homework and studying for test.
He is doing most of the studying on his own now, but if the teachers do not modify his homework…and a lot of times they don’t… I either help him with the homwork or modify it myself… Then I have a meeting with the teacher as soon as possible.