I would not hold your fs back either. I have a fd who is also 7 and had gone thru kindergarden twice. When I got her she still didn't know her abc's not could she identify all of the letters. We worked hard over the summer at least an hour a day with all the letters and numbers (she could count up to 59 but had no idea that 29 was twenty nine!) So when september rolled around I got a call from the principal about wanting to test her and set up an IEP. I said for what? She is getting on track - she has already stayed back and there has been 100% improvement in the past 3 months. The principal got very angry with me and said due to past history we want to have this child tested I will send home the paperwork and hung up. Then the paperwork came home and I somehow misplaced it
Anyway the guidance councelor kept calling and I told her how can I fix 6 years of bad parenting in 4 months. Give us a chance and if you feel you must test her in the spring go ahead. I even called the teacher to see if K was improving or being a disruption in class or anything that would alarm her...again the principal got on the phone and wanted her tested before it was too late. I called my sw and she told me that I had to go along with what the social worker told me (found out later I didn't as a foster parent I am automatically the childs educational advocate in this state) Anyway after my conversation with the SW I signed the lost papers and they did there testing. I attended the review and everyone kept saying they couldn't believe the difference in this little one and that everything was going good and she is on track and even though she tested low 1st grade on some areas she basically has improved so much that there was no need for and IEP at this time. So at the end of the meeting I looked at the principal and said that is what I have been trying to tell you.
Mind you if the child was having a problem and wasn't grasping the stuff I was trying to teach her. I would have been first in line to get her all the extra help she needed.
This child for the first time in her life had a bed, a bed time and 3 square meals not to mention snacks and clothes to wear. She now could focus on learning and she even got student of the month in February. So there is hope. Just do what you think is best. Don't let anyone do anything you don't agree with.
I believe especially with little boys, if they are bored at school that is when you will have more trouble with them causing havoic in the classroom and end up being labeled...when all it was - was a case of the child being bored by going over the same stuff over and over and over again.
If you see the child improving by having a chance now with the stability of a new environment don't keep them back - work with the child to catch up with the others.
They have fun activity books at the dollar store that can help with the the vowel and their sounds. If you can just work with him from now until school starts up again and I bet he'll be right on track...regarless of what he has missed. When he gets to second grade they are going to review all the stuff they learned in 1st as they build upon their reading skills. Just play with the child. That is what I find was missing with our fd. We play word games all the time...especially in the car with signs and stuff and everyday on the ride to school I give her spelling quizzes of words she should know or have been on previous spelling tests.
Good luck!!