K or 1st Grade teachers, I need you opinion

Hello fellow teachers:

This question is for my niece.

Loong story short, she has been with her mother and they moved around alot from country to country. She is six years old and has not had any formal schooling. She has just been returned to her father and he has placed her in school. At first they tested her to see if she should be in an ESL program (when she came here three weeks ago, she mailnly spoke Dutch with a little bit of English). The ESL director said that she did not need ESL and that she can attend first grade in her local neighborhood school.

On the second day the principal and school psychologist think she should be placed back into kindergarten. I understand she has a disadvantage because she has not been in school but I have seen her make great strides in the first three weeks she was here. I believe that she might struggle at first but I believe that kids are resilient and she will catch up.

What are your opinions? Do you think she should move back a grade or do you think she will likely catch up?

TIA

Re: K or 1st Grade teachers, I need you opinion

Kindergarten is really the "new" first grade. They learn sooo much in Kindergarten.

Does she know her letter sounds and how to put them together to read small words? How about her math facts? These are the most important skills that are taught in Kindergarten (along with social, but I am sure she learned that back where she lived).

If she has these basic skills down, then I would keep her in first grade. She may struggle a little bit in the beginning, but I am sure that she would qualify for reading. You guys really know her best, so you should go with your gut. If need be, she can always repeat first grade (I know that is not common, and schools really try not to do this, but if its needed at the end of the year, fight for it).

If you move her to Kindergarten, you just want to make sure that she is not going to be bored. If she doesn't have the phonemic awareness skills, then she should not be bored in Kindergarten, but if she does, then I would say first grade would probably be a better fit for her.

I am glad to hear that she is with her father, and will hopefully have some stability in school, not having to move around. This in and of it self will help her succeed!

Message edited 11/9/2008 9:36:00 AM.

Re: K or 1st Grade teachers, I need you opinion

I appreciate your response.

I believe it is a matter of her translating from one language to another. The sounds are very different in Dutch than our English sounds. So she definitely needs to work on her English sounds. Maybe I am wrong but I think that they ESL program would help her with that.

Re: K or 1st Grade teachers, I need you opinion

I can't believe that they didn't put her in a ESL program!!! I have three ESL kids in my first grade class and although they all speak English they are learning new vocabulary and grammer in ESL!! I would keep her in first grade and push for her to get ESL services!!

Re: K or 1st Grade teachers, I need you opinion

I think she should be in first grade with a lot of ESL services. I am going to FM you!

Re: K or 1st Grade teachers, I need you opinion

If she has had no formal schooling, I think she should go into Kindergarten. I have taught both K and 1, and there is NO replacement for everything they learn in K. She will be at a supreme disadvantage, IMO, if she stays in 1st grade.

How is she socially?

Re: K or 1st Grade teachers, I need you opinion

Socially, she is fine. She has been playing with lots of kids her age in the neighborhood. She was growing up a little wild so we have been working on her with manners. Other than that, socailly she is fine.

Re: K or 1st Grade teachers, I need you opinion

Also, when is her bday?

Re: K or 1st Grade teachers, I need you opinion

As an ESL teacher I am assuming the school gave her the state entrance test for ESL which in my opinion is a really bad measure for student placement. I also have had students start in 1st grade vs kingergarten due to their chronological age. These students that I have seen all have a gap in their education because they missed the foundations in kindergarten. In my opinion I think going to kindergarten is probably a good idea to build those building blocks for success. JMO from my experiences since I don't know the student personally.

Re: K or 1st Grade teachers, I need you opinion