Question: Our shy fifth-grader has moved from a self-contained class of 15 children to a new school with a split fourth-/fifth-grade class of 30 children. Most of the children have had the same teacher for two years. Should I be worried about her being placed in a split class? Will she miss out on learning some of the important things needed for middle school next year? - Worried
Answer: We believe that socialization could be more of a problem for your daughter than academics. Moving is always hard, especially on shy children. Help her make friends in your new neighborhood, and encourage her participation in some school activities.
The size of the class is definitely a disadvantage, as your daughter will receive less attention. Fortunately, the teacher is well acquainted with the academic skills of most of the other students and should have the time to evaluate exactly what your daughter needs to learn. Research does support that this type of grouping encourages teachers to focus on the individual learning needs of the students rather than handling them as a group