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Isa in Michigan
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| Posted: June 05 2008 at 7:01am | IP Logged
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I have a son who is finishing up second grade, and a son who is finishing up third. In many areas both sons are about at a fourth grade level which means that my second grader is performing two grade levels ahead.
I know it doesn't really matter as much now, but would you be inclined to "officially" advance a child one or two grade levels as they get to middle school? Grade levels don't really matter in homeschooling, but they do start to become important in high school and for some outside activities.
I'm really interested to see what you think.
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Tonya
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| Posted: June 05 2008 at 10:07am | IP Logged
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I had this problem with my oldest son. He was ahead of my daughter who was two years older. I just let him go at his own pace and I didn't worry about grade level. When we moved to PA a couple of years ago, we had to make an "official" decision. After much contemplation, we kept him in his age appropriate grade level. We decided we did not want him going to college when he was 16 or 17. We will fill up his next few years with AP classes and community college. Although he is intellectually ready for college, I don't want him exposed to all of the garbage.
My mom, who was a public school teacher for 30 years, always advised me to go "out instead of up." I don't always listen to her advice but it did make sense to let my son pursue some of his passions rather than just worry about advancing to the next grade level.
On the other hand, my three youngest have been delayed readers. They probably would have been held back if they were in school. But my soon to be seventh grader has more than caught up and I am sure my younger two will also. That is the beauty of homeschooling!
Tonya
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ALmom
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| Posted: June 05 2008 at 6:46pm | IP Logged
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Ditto what Tonya said - I always "label" my children at the grade they would be in school (or younger if we really start late) but do the work that they are qualified to do regardless of grade level. Actually we are so muddled grade level wise that it takes me till about middle school to remember what "grade" my chidren are in.
When they get to middle school level and are doing high school level work, they can get credit for this work on the high school transcript so if they do Algebra in 7th and 8th, it is so noted. If you run out of things they can take at home, they can always duel enroll at a local college for some courses - even the vast majority of courses. It also allows for a bit more freedom to dig deeper at a more leisurly pace. We know of a homeschooler here who duel enrolled in so many math and science courses in high school, that he graduated in 2 years from University and is off to medical school 2 years ahead of his peers.
There is a relationship change that occurs when children go to college and if you graduate a child too early emotionally, even if they are ready academically, you may be dealing with children who see themselves as totally on their own now at 16 and you have much less authority in their mind even though they are 16 and still need much more guidance than the 17/18 year old.
However, as in all things, the decision is one for the parents to make in all prudence at the time. You can always simply decide that your whatever grader is up a grade or so later if that really seems the better course to you, but there is no need to lock into that early. You will have a better feel when your child is actually middle school and nothing says, you cannot move them up then.
Janet
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allegiance_mom
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| Posted: June 05 2008 at 8:58pm | IP Logged
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I would not "officially" move my son up, although I would provide him with materials to challenge him.
My 9 yo just took the ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) and his overall average says he is working at an eighth grade level. I used that information especially in picking out a math curriculum for next year, and in choosing literature for Middle Ages next year which will be "difficult" enough for him.
But I had to be careful because, even though he is reading at an eighth grade level, are books which are appropriate for high schoolers really appropriate for a 10 year old? Not always, so I have to do my homework via reading reviews, recommendations, prereading, etc.
He knows what level he is performing at, but he also knows that he will be in the fifth grade in the fall.
Hope this helps.
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: June 05 2008 at 10:12pm | IP Logged
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Same here. We don't think of grade level at all. I give them work based on their ability, and "grade level" is whatever they would be at that age in PS. Outside activities: same thing. In scouts, soccer or something "grade level driven," they are with kids their age. In extra classes/swimming/music they are placed by ability. And I wouldn't worry about high school now.
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donnalynn
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Marcia
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| Posted: June 10 2008 at 9:52pm | IP Logged
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perhaps reading Understood Betsy by Fisher would help them understand that the grade thing doesn't "truely" jive with homeschooling. It's about learning, not about the grade. Afterall, homeschooling is back to the basics of our countries educational system-one room schoolhouse-ish.
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SallyT
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| Posted: June 12 2008 at 7:44am | IP Logged
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We've struggled with this a bit. I did let my 14yo do a "combined" 7th/8th grade year last year, because in our homeschooling group, all her friends were going to be 9th graders this year (I know, I know, if everyone else jumped off a bridge), and she wanted to move up and eventually graduate with them -- which we may still come back and do, even though we're now moving. So she did do 9th grade this year, and she did very well. Math has been the only weak area -- she wasn't really finished with pre-algebra, and we did that through the fall, then moved into algebra, which she'll be doing this summer and into next fall . . . otherwise she was academically ready to take on the work, and she did really well.
The agreement we made with her in allowing her to move forward was that she will not leave home to go to college at 17: she can either live at home and take classes (easier now that her dad will be teaching at Belmont Abbey, which would be a good place to go anyway), or she can do a "gap year" of work, internship, or intensive pursuit of some serious interest. And we also figured that if worst came to worst, we could always just take that year to finish high school. Even at this level, there is some flexibility!
She also had some credits from 7th/8th grade which we're counting towards high school . . . though I now realize that I can't remember what they are! I'm the only one up in my house, and the coffee isn't made.
My 10yo very much wanted to skip a grade at the same time and be a 5th grader, just because . . . that's one problem with grade-skipping. One person does it, and then the next person thinks he ought to be able to do it, too. With him I've just tried very hard to downplay grade level -- I told him I was calling him "pre-middle-school," and that was that. He's quite bright and able, reads everything, is quick to learn math, but really hasn't hit that level of facility with writing that you need to have at the next level. And like Donnalynn, I worried about his "feeling" advanced and superior. So we're just staying amorphous for now, and will re-evaluate when high school is closer. I do like the idea of doing a gap year, though you could do one anyway, of course -- somehow it seems easier to us to fit it in if it's not making the child wait out a year when he/she could be in college, if that makes sense . . .
Meanwhile, I have an almost-6-yo whom I started out this year thinking of as a kindergartener -- he's one of those summer-birthday kids. Anyway, he's not going on to first grade (whatever that means!) next year, because he's nowhere near ready and willing to do more formal work. I'm definitely following Miss Mason with him, and holding off on much formal stuff until he's 7. So many boys who go to school don't start kindergarten until 6 (which I think is a very good thing), so even in a "mixed" group he would not be noticeably behind his age peers.
And I'm undecided about his 16-months-younger sister. On the one hand, they're very much like twins, and I don't sense that she's "behind" him in ability or readiness, but then again, they're so vastly different from each other that it's just hard to tell. He's totally auditory, as I'm just this minute really considering (THAT's what he is! The light goes on!) -- he's learning to read by constantly asking me how words are spelled, speaks to me in spelling words ("When are we going to g-o o-u-t, M-o-m?"), and then eventually recognizes them when he sees them. She sits and draws these very detailed pictures and tries her hand at writing letters. They could easily be the same "grade" -- but then they'd be leaving home at the same time, years from now. And I'm not sure I want that!
So those are my thoughts. Moving up was in most ways good and motivating for my teenager, at this point in her life. Would I do it again? I don't know . . .
Sally
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: "Offically" advancing a grade level?
