A child repeating a grade will need lots of support
WITH the start of a new academic year comes excited learners looking forward to stepping up to higher grades with new challenges.
But for some learners, it is a time to deal with the disappointment of repeating a grade.
Cindy Glass, founder of the Step Up Education Centres, said it was important for parents and guardians to offer children extra support.
“Children who fail a grade, for example, often feel humiliated, ashamed, embarrassed and depressed. Their self-worth plummets, and they often find it difficult to accept the fact that they will not be moving up to a new grade with their classmates,” Glass said.
She advised parents not to see their child repeating a grade as a failure on their part.
Glass said: “And yet, if you think about it, failing a grade is not all that different to trying to walk for the first time. Some skills need more time and attention to master, and not all children learn at the same rate or even in
the same way.”
For parents who have children repeating this academic year, Glass said it was important for there to be open communication.
“Address the elephant in the room through open and honest communication. Speak to your child about them having to repeat the grade. Find out how they feel and what they will need from you in order to move forward with a positive outlook. Non-judgmental conversations are essential at this time,” she said.
“It is time to speak a different language. Your child has not yet mastered the building blocks needed to move on to a new grade. He is being given an opportunity to repeat a grade in order to master these important skills.
“Help your child to own and embrace the repeat. Help them to see it as a learning opportunity. Senior learners who may not have worked to their potential need to identify and own the mistakes that they had made and look to the future knowing that they can and must make better choices for themselves.”
Failing a grade is not all that different to trying to walk for the first time.
Cindy Glass Founder of Step Up Education Centres
“Having to repeat the grade can be a tough experience for parents and learners, but it need not be the end of the world. YOU are your child’s greatest teacher,” said Glass.