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 To grade or not to grade? (currently 961 views) |
| vicki |
| Posted on: December 1st, 2004, 4:26am |
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I'm just curious at what everyone thinks about grading... I suspect that if I homeschool through the high school years, I'll have to use the percentile grading system so I'll have that for college transcripts... But is there a purpose before that time? Also, since we are a military family and I know eventually we will move to another state (could be any of the other 49!) and I don't know what their laws might be, I will be doing some type of mid-year report and end of year report but I haven't a clue on how I want to do that yet and was thinking that grades would make simple.. I could also just write a synopsis of material covered and say he did well, he needs more practice, etc...
I ask because I was noticing in my curriculum that they mention grading the papers in the upcoming lessons... I am reluctant to do that... I want Matthew to want to learn, not want to make a good grade... Yet, really everything we do in life is "graded" on some basis or another and that is an important lesson.. That some things must meet certain standards or it isn't acceptable.... But I will always have him go back and correct his work because I think that is also an important lesson, to go back and do it correctly or find the correct answer-- so then do you use the first grade, 2nd grade or a combo? I have just always been opposed to a grading system because I think it inhibits the true desire to learn... I was suprised by the plan book telling me to grade the work and it made me wonder if most homeschoolers grade the work or not?!?!? And if so, did you start in Kindergarten or when?
So, I'm just curious on what opinions are out there, pro and con.... |
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| LisaSilva |
| Posted on: December 3rd, 2004, 1:47am |
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Vicki
There's been 25 readers to this and no one is responding so I'll put my 2 cents in here. I do grade my kids stuff, almost every night, it can get a little rough with 4 different grades, but I don't like for them to keep going in their books and getting the same thing wrong as they go. With the grading, I then write in their lesson plans what to fix and what to do the next day.
This becomes more necessary for the older grades as you need to keep transcripts and such.
We follow a curriculum and there is 3 to 5 self tests in each book, (10 books per subject per school year) and then a Life Pac Test over the entire book, all of which I grade, including all of their answers throughout the book, however, I allow them to use the book for the self tests, open book style. If they should happen to fail a test, they rewrite on seperate paper the correct answers, and then I total the 2 grades together and that is the final grade for that subject/book. I then keep the LPT as documentation of their grades, I just file them and toss the rest of the book.
Hope this helped a little.
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| KBarrera |
| Posted on: December 18th, 2004, 12:22am |
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I am a non-grader. We dont really work in a style that requires it. I will say that I think in my mind I "grade" their mastery of a particular skill or subject, but I dont tell them, and we just continue to cover the material until they have achieved a mastery level. When it comes to history or science, we lean towards exposure and experiences to bring them to a level I am comfortable with. This is also easy to do because they are young, and this material will be covered again and in greater detail later down the line. Im sure things change though as they get older, but for now I prefer not to use the grading framework. I agree about wanting them to focus more on the material than on the grade. I sent my oldest to kindergarten and I can say that he definitely was very concerned about his grades and smilies and all the reward programs. He is much less stressed without them, and doing better.
Hope this helps. 
Kari
Mom to Greyson (7), Gavin (5) and Maggie (2) |
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| Bridget |
| Posted on: December 27th, 2004, 6:20pm |
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I finally got around to this topic. December and November were so hectic for us.
I started grading with my first child when she was in kindergarten. I found it to be time consuming and rather silly. I continued to grade her every year up until now and still found that year after year it was pointless. I found keeping grades were done more for me then for her. I didn't grade the traditional scheduled way. (this is why I continued it) I only graded tests. I would average out the tests at the end of each six weeks. I never messed with all the other papers. I looked them over and made sure she had an understanding, but that is all. I avoided showing her the grades. Although there were times when she would know I was grading and ask me what her grade was. I always showed it to her openly. I continue to grade with my second child. I am really glad I chose to do so. I have had many friends and family ask, "what do you do about grading?" So, I show them their "report cards" and it makes the questioning end much more quickly. (it really helps with the in-laws)
If I was you I would ask myself the questions, "what are the reasons that I want to grade? and are these reasons good enough to take up my time?"
I believe we ALL would answer that somewhat diffently. As for me I will continue to grade especially since my oldest is in 4th grade now. When she starts fifth grade I will then become very serious about it. I am going to need the practice for junior high and high school.
Bridget |
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| vicki |
| Posted on: December 29th, 2004, 7:57pm |
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Thanks guys for your input! I found something that really helped me at http://www.homelifeacademy.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=18.. It's actually a message forum for HomeLife Academy.. I'm not a part of that but was researching on how to record mid-year progress and stumbled across this.... If you want to check it out, it's a good read.. Basically, their counselors are saying that most homeschoolers get A's because the material is covered until the student "get's it" and that is when the grade should be recorded... And they were talking about the freedom to come back to material at a later date if need be... It took away my guilt or concern in recording all A's or thinking I had to record a grade before we were done with that topic.... I did "grade" something with Matthew to see how he'd react and it was just as I thought, he was devastated when he missed one when he realized it was graded.. Of course, I had to explain what a grade was first.. So I should have followed my gut! But now I KNOW it's not what I want to do at this time. When I do decide it's time to grade, I think I'll do it discreetly like Bridget was saying... I do like the idea of having the grade to tell the grandparents though!!! I'm doing my mid-year report now and I'm just listing material covered and satisfactory.... And no, it's not required by law here in New Mexico... Just something I'm keeping up with for myself .. Wanted to clarify that in case a newbie to homeschooling read this and freaked out and thought they had to do a mid-year report!  |
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| KBarrera |
| Posted on: December 30th, 2004, 12:44am |
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Thanks for the clarification on that one Vicki! I htought I had missed something somewhere.
Kari B |
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