Should 8th graders repeat?

Repeating eighth grade can give students time to mature academically and developmentally. An informal poll reported by the Wall Street Journal found that “74 percent of 313 respondents said they would consider having their children repeat a grade, even if school officials said the student could be promoted.”

Is it bad to hold your child back a grade?

Recent research shows that, for the most part, holding kids back a grade isn’t the best practice. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) reports that some kids do better in school the first year or two after being held back. But it also says that this effect doesn’t last.

Who decides if a child is held back?

Since most schools have vague policies regarding retention, the decision typically falls to the classroom teacher (Sakowicz, 1996, p. 7). Research from the Gesell Institute suggests that children benefit from careful developmental assessment and placement in the early grades (Keirns, 1991).

Should you hold your child back a year in school?

Get that out of your head immediately. Holding your child back a year in the beginning of their school career is not a sign of a lack of intelligence. Children are usually held back due to a lack of maturity, social skills, fine and gross motor skills which are all developmental.

Is 8th grade a good time to take an extra year?

Although kindergarten entrance and the transition from high school to college have long been seen as the ideal times to take an extra year, recently eighth grade has been seen as an opportune time for kids to catch up with—or maybe even gain an advantage over—their peers.

Is your child’s development on hold?

It is impossible to put the brain’s development on “hold” while you wait for the child’s body and social skills to catch up. You have six years to maximize early development and wasting one full year because a child is undersized is not a wise decision.

Is repeating a Grade bad for your child?

Especially for your older child, it’s a social and emotional issue that needs careful addressing. Repeating a grade is often stigmatizing for children, many of whom tend to brand themselves as failures; in fact, studies show being held back can be the stress equivalent of losing a parent.