My son is 8yr 5mth he is gng to 4th grd m worried wether he will be able to adjust socially n academically ?
Read all 10 answers >
|
|
Parent Answers to "My son is 8yr 5mth he is gng to 4th grd m worried wether he will be able to adjust socially n academically ?"
View 10 answers: Newest-Oldest,
Oldest-Newest Display fewer answers
Since he's in a new school, talk with the teachers and principal about your concerns. If you put him in outside enrichment and/or some kind of sport or boy scouts he may mature a bit, but maybe not. We were having the same conversation at my house last night. :-)
One plus you have is that you're at a new school and it is a clean slate, so maybe at the quarter mark, if it isn't a good fit he can go down to 3rd grade without feeling bad about it or being ridiculed about it. He could even just change classrooms, that might be helpful to be around a different group of kids. I kind of wish I had that option myself. If he's back in third grade, excelling, confident, happy and well adjusted, then that's a victory. At least in my home, if they kids are enjoying school then they are learning more.
Don't forget too that your son might have an opinion about this too, take his feelings into consideration but you're the parents and have his best interests at heart.
One plus you have is that you're at a new school and it is a clean slate, so maybe at the quarter mark, if it isn't a good fit he can go down to 3rd grade without feeling bad about it or being ridiculed about it. He could even just change classrooms, that might be helpful to be around a different group of kids. I kind of wish I had that option myself. If he's back in third grade, excelling, confident, happy and well adjusted, then that's a victory. At least in my home, if they kids are enjoying school then they are learning more.
Don't forget too that your son might have an opinion about this too, take his feelings into consideration but you're the parents and have his best interests at heart.
Hi Puja,
I am not sure if i updated what i did with the confusion that i had with my daughter. The school principal called me up 2 weeks before the school starts and mentioned that she would be the youngest even in the 3rd grade, hence 4th grade could be too much for her. I accepted what ever came in and she was put in 3rd. Its been a week now and i feel that i made a good decision. Lemme give some example : Since she came from INDIA, though she is good at mathematics, and already completed 3rd in INDIA since the approach is different, it is new to her. In the last 4 days, i had to spend some considerable time to help her with her homework. She was among the top 5 students in her class in INDIA, but i was surprised that she needs my help to complete her home work. But i think it will pickup in some time. My decision prove to be correct because she was new to the country as well and she is a shy person by nature. I am not sure if i answered your question.
I am not sure if i updated what i did with the confusion that i had with my daughter. The school principal called me up 2 weeks before the school starts and mentioned that she would be the youngest even in the 3rd grade, hence 4th grade could be too much for her. I accepted what ever came in and she was put in 3rd. Its been a week now and i feel that i made a good decision. Lemme give some example : Since she came from INDIA, though she is good at mathematics, and already completed 3rd in INDIA since the approach is different, it is new to her. In the last 4 days, i had to spend some considerable time to help her with her homework. She was among the top 5 students in her class in INDIA, but i was surprised that she needs my help to complete her home work. But i think it will pickup in some time. My decision prove to be correct because she was new to the country as well and she is a shy person by nature. I am not sure if i answered your question.
If he is able to keep up with the academics, I would have him move to 4th grade, and just be sure he has activities that allow him to develop friendships outside of school, too.
(I can also share that I skipped a grade, and I was always the youngest in my classes. While I didn't have many close friends in elementary school, I did have friends in the neighborhood, and that helped me to manage until high school. In high school, there were lots of gifted classes, and I found other students who were also very bright, and I made lots of good friends in school then.)
(I can also share that I skipped a grade, and I was always the youngest in my classes. While I didn't have many close friends in elementary school, I did have friends in the neighborhood, and that helped me to manage until high school. In high school, there were lots of gifted classes, and I found other students who were also very bright, and I made lots of good friends in school then.)
Thanks for sharing ur story now m feeling that we r nt alone ...there are few more parents and kids sailing in the same boat like us . ....Then wht should i do apart from extra cricular activities ...shall i pull him back in 3rd grade ..and then engage him in reading prog etc or let him go in 4th grade and engage him in those programes??
Whenever a child relocates, I think it is important to have them try to stay involved in something familiar, so that they can still feel a sense of mastery and be respected by their peers. I don't know what activities your son did before, so I can only speak in generalities.
If your son is willing to try something new to get involved with, that can also help him develop better self-esteem, I can recommend martial arts. My son, a gifted child with a late summer birthday, was also one of the youngest and smallest in his class. He was getting "picked on" by some other boys, and we decided to have him take TaeKwonDo lessons. It teaches discipline and self control, and it allows a child to progress at their own rate, but it still gives a sense of being part of a "team," because they see the same fellow students there on a regular basis. (But unlike being on a group team, where, for example, a child might incur the anger of other kids if he misses scoring a goal, martial arts is an individual effort.) My son stayed with it for many years, becoming a 2nd degree black belt. Of course, every martial arts program and instructor is different, so you might have to visit a couple of studios to find out which is a good fit for your son, but that was a wonderful activity for us.
If your son is willing to try something new to get involved with, that can also help him develop better self-esteem, I can recommend martial arts. My son, a gifted child with a late summer birthday, was also one of the youngest and smallest in his class. He was getting "picked on" by some other boys, and we decided to have him take TaeKwonDo lessons. It teaches discipline and self control, and it allows a child to progress at their own rate, but it still gives a sense of being part of a "team," because they see the same fellow students there on a regular basis. (But unlike being on a group team, where, for example, a child might incur the anger of other kids if he misses scoring a goal, martial arts is an individual effort.) My son stayed with it for many years, becoming a 2nd degree black belt. Of course, every martial arts program and instructor is different, so you might have to visit a couple of studios to find out which is a good fit for your son, but that was a wonderful activity for us.
I have the same issue, my son turned 9 the first week of school. We opted to put him in Kindergarten at 4 (turned 5 the following week), he was more than ready academically and really wanted to go. I'm kind of on the fence about if this was a good decision because now, in 4th grade he's not really as strong as he was last year. It isn't academics, it is the social aspect. The age difference/maturity is becoming a bit more evident. My son is in the top tier of his class, but like your son, becoming a bit of a follower. He's my oldest son, so I don't know if it is just an age thing. My daughters never acted this way. My husband says it is just what boys do at that age, emulate another kid they admire. I just wish he didn't pick suck jerks! What I'm finding though is that younger kids really look up to him, he's patient and kind with them. Our school has a reading buddies program where 4th graders are partnered with 2nd graders for reading and some light tutoring which is really doing wonders for his confidence.
Maybe get your son into an enrichment program through a local university and karate or something like that which really emphasises self-control and making wise decisions. I would also encourage you to have his new classmates over to your house so they can get to know you guys.
Fourth grade is a lot of pressure, they have to be much more responsible for themselves and their work. My son has to keep a planner, and is in band and chorus. That's a lot when last year everyone kind of solved things for the kids, now they just kind of throw the kids out there to be self-reliant. It is a lot of pressure and a big change for the little guys.
Maybe get your son into an enrichment program through a local university and karate or something like that which really emphasises self-control and making wise decisions. I would also encourage you to have his new classmates over to your house so they can get to know you guys.
Fourth grade is a lot of pressure, they have to be much more responsible for themselves and their work. My son has to keep a planner, and is in band and chorus. That's a lot when last year everyone kind of solved things for the kids, now they just kind of throw the kids out there to be self-reliant. It is a lot of pressure and a big change for the little guys.
First of all , Thanks so much for ur gr8 suggestions , my only concerned is how he will adjust socially as all the kids r elder to him as all of then are 9/10 yr , i have noticed that he has become more of follower then a leader ...I will surely try to keep him more engage in the extra activities like swimming n outdoor games ...can u plz suggest some more ideas to keep him on the track ...
I would be much more concerned if your son just skipped from 2nd grade to 4th. If he has shown that he can handle the academics up to now, and did well in 3rd grade, then he will probably be fine.
As far as social adjustment, it is always difficult when children move. I would definitely try to involve your son in extracurricular activities, so he gets to meet more kids outside of school. Did he participate in any clubs or things in your old neighborhood, that he could continue to do in your new area? ( ie, sports, Scouting, etc.)
As far as social adjustment, it is always difficult when children move. I would definitely try to involve your son in extracurricular activities, so he gets to meet more kids outside of school. Did he participate in any clubs or things in your old neighborhood, that he could continue to do in your new area? ( ie, sports, Scouting, etc.)
He skipped his kindergarden .. when we put him to kindergarden in school they some assesments and he did really well so they recommended him to go in 1st grade he is dng well so far but last year due to the job change and all we changed his two schools ... and now we hav enrolled him in 4th grade but some how the fear is there as he is the youngest in his class thats why want him pull back in 3rd grade ..Talk to his teacher they r saying that he is dng gud so far ...me and my husband really confused ...
Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of
GreatSchools. GreatSchools does not check for accuracy in community posts or verify the contributor’s
identity. If you are searching for health-related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical
support. View our Community Guidelines for more details.
Local Q&A is brand new! What do you think? Give us your feedback in our feedback forum.
Read our community guidelines and FAQ
