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Usually early school year calls are from parents of children with Dyslexia, a Learning Disability or ADHD.

This year is different.

10 of the 12 calls we got this week are from parents of smart kids, who are struggling. Some of the comments included:

1- “My 3rd grade child is being asked to read the exact same passage my gifted 5th grader read last year. This is nuts!””.

2- “These math questions are tough. My second grader is being asked questions that are worded poorly and the reading level is far above her level — and she finished 1st grade above grade level in her reading.”

3- “I thought the 3rd Grade Reading FCAT was disappearing. Now I learn this will be replaced by the new 3rd Grade Reading Florida State Assessment that will be much tougher. Is this true?

While others may argue that parents do not have a clue, we are finding parents to be more proactive than ever in identifying the issues. We expect schools will be sounding out the alarm in October, when their students are assessed. You may want to act sooner.

The four questions you want to consider are:

– What is your child’s present level of reading comprehension based on the new Florida Standards or the Common Core Standards? You want to have your child tested using an assessment that is consistent with what your child will be tested on. The new Florida State Assessments will have 800 plus word passages and some assessments use 3 line passages.

– Why is your smart child struggling? Is it a learning difference, an attention issue, a visual tracking challenge, anxiety or a related issue?

– What can you do about it?

– How soon should we act?

Welcome to the new Florida State Standards — or as we call them — the renamed Common Core Standards

The text is at least a year more difficult and the questions being asked are difficult to say the least.

The 2014-15 school year is the year when Reading Comprehension issues will become The ISSUE for many students.

This may be Dyslexia or a Learning Disability, but in most cases it will be that your smart struggling child is caught in a bind as standards have been raised, the difficulty of the questions is far more challenging and neither the teachers nor the parents or the students are prepared for this dramatic shift.

If you are seeing early warning signs, then now is the time to act. The standardized tests will be almost a month earlier than in previous years. If you act in the Fall, there is plenty of time to get it right.

We are interested in hearing your comments:

– What is happening that disturbs or frustrated you?

– What is happening that is really good? Teachers and parents will be finding new and innovative ways to help students succeed

– What questions do you have?

We are using our Facebook Page for discussions. Please like us and join the conversation at the 3D Learner Facebook Page.

Parents frequently call us with questions about 2nd Grade Retention or 3rd Grade Retention.

This article on 2nd Grade Retention vs. 3rd Grade Retention makes a great point — neither one works.

Quoting from the article:

“What’s One to Do?

For most students struggling to keep up, retention is not a satisfactory solution, nor is promotion.

Treating the two as if these are the only options casts the debate in the wrong terms. The challenge is figuring out what it takes to struggling failing students catch up. Understanding why a particular student has fallen behind points to the best course of action.

For many students, especially those who are far behind their peers, intensive intervention, may be the best path to success.

Why 2nd Grade Retention or 3rd Grade Retention May Not Be the Answer

Retention usually duplicates an entire year of schooling. Other options—such as summer school, before-school and after-school programs, or extra help during the school day—could provide equivalent extra time in more effective ways. The other two challenges are:

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Students often see grade retention as one of the worst things that can happen to them – ranking behind losing a parent and going blind
Students who are retained often do a little better when promoted the following year, but the gains often disappear
There is a huge emotional cost to retention, and those who are retained are at greater risk for dropping out later on

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5 Challenges Preventing Success by 3rd Grade

3rd Grade Retention policies in states like Florida are not as flexible as they might be. While there are alternative pathways to promotion, teachers and principals have little leeway.
Too often children from good families do their homework, participate in class and get reasonably good grades in 1st, 2nd and even in 3rd grade. Therefore teachers do not always raise the flag to warn parents early enough that their child might be retained.
Schools often use reading fluency as an indication of a child’s reading skills. Reading fluency, how well your child reads out loud, is very different from reading comprehension, how well your child understands what he or she reads silently.
Most smart struggling students learn differently and have a combination of attention, visual tracking and related issues. Their gifts and challenges are often not recognized by schools.
Parents tend to have faith in schools and use tutors when needed. Parents do not realize that for a child who learns differently and has attention and/or visual tracking issues, a tutor may not be the right answer

To help you to better understand the system, your child and your role, we have written a short and informative book called Success by 3rd Grade. We have also developed a Success Assessment to help you to understand if your child learns differently and has an attention and/or vision issues

» Click here to download Success by 3rd Grade!

Even Smart Students are Struggling with new Florida State Standards

2nd Grade Retention, 3rd Grade Retention or Effective Interventions

“What’s One to Do?

Why 2nd Grade Retention or 3rd Grade Retention May Not Be the Answer

5 Challenges Preventing Success by 3rd Grade

Phone: (561) 361-7495