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What "grade" for this child? 6th or 7th?


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I need to figure out what "grade" to consider my middle schooler, and am grateful for help in figuring this out!  I am thinking: 6th or7th?

 

There is -- of course -- a long story about where we are now, but the shorter story is that I have homeschooled this child since PreK.  He is precocious/accelerated, sensitive, not 2E, and is difficult to teach; and he grew up in our household with my husband's parents living upstairs from us.  About two years ago his grandfather died, and shortly after that my son's academic abilities sort of just melted down.  He went from being able to do AoPS algebra to having trouble with multi-digit arithmetic; he couldn't write grammatically correct answers to questions; his reading comprehension from IRs was about nil; and so on. 

 

I did not make the association with his grandfather's death, which was an incredibly stressful event for the family for many reasons, at the time. 

 

In response, and also in order to make sure that I could provide educational growth during a time when my husband's mother needed a good deal of attention and support, I moved him to Memoria Press as a rigorous educational option.  I had to put him into their 2nd grade materials in order to avoid stressing him out; for math he began in 3rd-grade equivalent work.  We've worked at our own pace and tried a lot of things, and this June saw him finish their 6th grade (corresponds to the work done in their 5th grade at the brick-and-mortar school). 

 

Here's where we are now:

Reading: is a skimmer.  He reads well above grade level and tests high, but does not read classics on his own.  He can do, without stress, the reading that corresponds to MP's brick-and-mortar 7th grade.  I would have to make him read their literature (at the level of Treasure Island) out loud to get him to read it carefully.

Grammar: fine.  We've done FLL, Grammar Island, MP's grammar, and are dabbling in Grammar Town.  I am liking the looks of ALL!!!!!

Spelling: Still remediating:  we're in All About Spelling 5, having started in 2 or 3 at the beginning of the year.  He is moving quickly and easily through AAS. 

Math: Nearly finished with Math U See Algebra.  Please be kind about MUS :).  Also drills; this year read Mathematicians are People Too. 

Science: been backburnered, can do Novare's middle school books (Physical Science, Earth Science) without stress. Strong knowledge base.

History: we've done the Famous Men of Rome and Middle Ages, and we need a better balanced history.  I trialed him on WTM methods and he can do decent summaries and 2-level outlines, he'd need a bit more practice before doing 3-level.

Latin: finished 2nd Form Latin with online class, will do Third Form this year, summer work is some Familia Romana + review.

Greek: finished Greek Alphabet, doing First Form Greek 1 page per day. 

Penmanship: totally legible, neat cursive.  whoo-hoo!!!!!!

ETA Composition: largely informal this year.  He can write across the curriculum WTM-style at 6th grade level, and can do the writing in Classical Writing Maxim -- this is what we're doing, at a very light pace, over the summer.  

 

He is 11yo, turns 12yo on August 30 of this year.  I started him in 1st grade at 6yo, which would put him in 7th, but I am unsure about his maturity.  Well, I know he is "immature" -- he still carries his favorite stuffy around and in the car (but only around family members, not friends).  But I am at a place where the work I plan will depend on how I think of his grade level, and if we are 2 or 3 years from high school, and so on.  Especially if we move further from MP and closer to WTM methods and/or materials. 

 

He doesn't care what grade he is "in". 

 

thanks so much for your help! 

 

Edited by serendipitous journey
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In your shoes, I'd say 6th grade.  Strength in independent reading & comprehension and spelling are so valuable.  I might consider it a year where we get stronger in those areas AND beef up our science and history subjects.  

 

It's not uncommon for a 12 year old to be in 6th grade, especially with an August birthday.  

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Is he going to go to the public high school?

 

What is the cut-off in your school district?  If he misses the cutoff, I would go with 6th.

 

He sounds academically on track to me.  So if this is a close call (and it sounds like it is), I would go based on maturity.  PS I don't think carrying a lovey around family is immature.  :)  My kids both vow to take theirs to college.  :P

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In your shoes, I'd say 6th grade.  Strength in independent reading & comprehension and spelling are so valuable.  I might consider it a year where we get stronger in those areas AND beef up our science and history subjects.  

 

It's not uncommon for a 12 year old to be in 6th grade, especially with an August birthday.  

 

I agree with your LA points: thanks for that perspective.  His spelling and comprehension will both be on target by the end of the summer, but the skimming continues to be a problem for sure ... I've actually been dawdling in science more-or-less deliberately.  After we do the Novare books I think he'll need high school level work to be challenged.  But it would probably be good to build up the work habits associated with more science: hmm. 

 

Is he going to go to the public high school?

 

What is the cut-off in your school district?  If he misses the cutoff, I would go with 6th.

 

He sounds academically on track to me.  So if this is a close call (and it sounds like it is), I would go based on maturity.  PS I don't think carrying a lovey around family is immature.  :)  My kids both vow to take theirs to college.  :p

 

No, he will not (barring the Unforeseen) go to public/other "away" high school (and he doesn't want to). 

 

The cut-off would have him in 7th: he is August 30, cut-off is September 1. 

 

Happy news about loveys!!!  How might you assess maturity?  He is a deep thinker, cares about others, is more responsible than average &c.  He is just amazing with his little brother (often, not always!) and his elderly grandmother.  OTOH he is young in terms of sensitivity to violence/unkindness/cruelty in books (this makes history and literature more challenging) and movies, and so he is sort of young in terms of topics of study.  He has an easier time hearing the Iliad, far removed in culture, than Huck Finn -- though he doesn't love either right now. 

Edited by serendipitous journey
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I agree with your LA points: thanks for that perspective.  His spelling and comprehension will both be on target by the end of the summer, but the skimming continues to be a problem for sure ... I've actually been dawdling in science more-or-less deliberately.  After we do the Novare books I think he'll need high school level work to be challenged.  But it would probably be good to build up the work habits associated with more science: hmm. 

 

 

No, he will not (barring the Unforeseen) go to public/other "away" high school (and he doesn't want to). 

 

The cut-off would have him in 7th: he is August 30, cut-off is September 1. 

 

Happy news about loveys!!!  How might you assess maturity?  He is a deep thinker, cares about others, is more responsible than average &c.  He is just amazing with his little brother (often, not always!) and his elderly grandmother.  OTOH he is young in terms of sensitivity to violence/unkindness/cruelty in books (this makes history and literature more challenging) and movies, and so he is sort of young in terms of topics of study.  He has an easier time hearing the Iliad, far removed in culture, than Huck Finn -- though he doesn't love either right now. 

 

I have three girls, and your son is in between their ages. They all carry around stuffed animals -- not all day, of course, but from time to time. For example, the other day they were watching "Lady & the Tramp" -- out came all the dogs, LOL. When they watch "Felicity" (or any other horse movie), out come the horses. For "Voyage of the Dawn Treader," it's the mice (because they are related to Reepicheep, and they like to see their famous actor cousin). There is NO possibility of a family movie night without numerous "friends," blankets, fuzzy slippers, soft PJs, etc., etc., etc. My husband just rolls his eyes. :rolleyes:

 

Academically, your son seems on-track to me, maybe even somewhat advanced? I'm not seeing a problem area, unless it's composition? You didn't list that separately, but that could be because MP requires plenty of writing, so you perhaps haven't been doing a separate composition component. But from what you listed, there don't seem to be any areas in which he is "behind" where he should be.

 

We just wrapped up 6th with my oldest, and 4th with my twins. Oldest is definitely ready for 7th grade in September, but she's got a February birthday. Twins are January b-days, and I do think that half-year makes a difference. So, while my girl turned 12 in early February, your son turns 12 at the end of August -- seven months! -- and, IMO, that seven months is a big deal for a kid. Honestly, I'm not sure what I'd do in your shoes. What stood out to me in your post is that he doesn't care. If I had a kid who wasn't wrapped up in being a particular number, and it didn't really matter for some outside-of-school reason (church, sports, etc.), then I'd make him a 6th grader, just to buy him time.

 

FWIW, my oldest is a skimmer. Well, more correctly, she is a FAST reader, but I think there is a tendency to be a skimmer, also. What I'm doing for next year will be to require more written output for her Literature for assigned independent reading, as well as more one-on-one discussion. Yes, this will be time-consuming. :001_rolleyes: But what else would I do with my time? :D

 

How to assess maturity.... that is a great question for those of us with kids this age. I'm thinking, for my own girls, it's things like:

  • Does she hold herself together when a task or situation is frustrating (can't get the cap off the jam), embarrassing (came in at the wrong place during choir practice), annoying (sibling is humming while she's trying to read), somewhat scary (centipede in the garage), or slightly uncomfortable (shot at the doctor)? [Answer: Sometimes yes, sometimes no.]
  • Does she remember to take care of her responsibilities -- her chores, pets, personal care, bedroom & belongings, meal jobs, and school work -- without constant reminders and supervision? [Answer: I see steady progress here.]
  • Does she demonstrate empathy with others? I actually see empathy as a true sign of maturity, more than many other things (like being tech-savvy or having adultified attitudes).
  • Does she seem to be growing increasingly confident in her abilities, rather than less secure?  Does she volunteer to do more? Does she approach new experiences as adventures, or does she dread them?
  • Is she curious? We often think of curiosity as a trait of childhood, but truly mature people are always curious about at least a few things. Is her curiosity scattered or deepening? Is she able to focus on learning the tedious parts of something (e.g., music theory or scales, in order to play the piano better), or does she lose interest when there is some "heavy lifting?"
  • Does she realize that not everyone sees the world the same way? That there are differing points of view? That there are "rules of civility" for living together, in spite of these differences? Does she understand the basics of how people ought to go about resolving conflicts in reasonable ways?

Your son sounds like a wonderful young man. It doesn't really matter what "grade" you assign him! :D HTH.

Edited by Sahamamama2
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I sympathize with this. My kids are also a bit all over the map and they also meet their cut off by only a couple of days. I have always registered them as the grade they're in... but they truly are on the cusp, something I thought would have resolved itself by now.

 

I think it doesn't matter too much since public high school is unlikely to be in the cards for this kid. Why not advance the grade at the turn of the year and make him be 7th then instead of in the fall? Obviously if he ever does go to school, then deciding will be important then... but until then, I'd just keep letting him straddle, though I know that's hard to do.

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Nothing in what you describe strikes me as immaturity.  Your son sounds like a great kid.

 

Personally I would go with 7th grade based on what you have said, given that a decision is needed one way or the other.  I assume you could always change your mind later.

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Farrar, thanks for the sympathy!  and I will think about straddling.  Though this year, for the very first time ever & because of our MP work, we had a true Last Week of School and it felt terrific. I love finishing a "grade" at the end of spring!  

 

Sahamamama, that gives me a lot to think about.  Along the measures of maturity you give, he is doing fairly well and --probably more importantly -- is improving.  Maybe it is not so much that he's "immature" as that he marches to the beat of a different drummer, and so he doesn't "look like/act like" other children his age: he's fairly sensitive, too, to physical stuff and emotional stuff.  And growing ever more resilient. 

 

Thinking about it, his empathy-type maturity and world-understanding are making MP a harder and harder fit for him, because the materials (which have served us well!) are less cosmopolitan than he is.  He got frustrated with things in the Famous Men series (starting with the focus on only men and on only Europe) that struck him as overly simplified or intolerant.  We have a much easier time, and he enjoys the work more, in the Oxford University Press series. 

 

I like the idea of buying him time by placing him in 6th.  It gives us more growing room before we hit a Great Books study and more time to round out his math skills: he is actually quite gifted in math but needs to grow into it a bit.  It also will give him an extra year at home with his little brother, and they are very close.  The only downside is that I feel him "growing up" and want to give him plenty of room to grow out, too. 

 

ETA: the other maturity factor is that he sort of intuitively tries to do the very least possible amount of work.  Maybe not a maturity factor?  but one reason that MP served us well.   Having explicit expectations and student guides/workbooks to support them helped me make sure he was doing a good level of work. 

Edited by serendipitous journey
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Nothing in what you describe strikes me as immaturity.  Your son sounds like a great kid.

 

Personally I would go with 7th grade based on what you have said, given that a decision is needed one way or the other.  I assume you could always change your mind later.

 

Thanks for this!  Can you say what drawback you would see to going 6th, or advantage to 7th?  (I think he's great, too  :blush:)

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Thanks for this!  Can you say what drawback you would see to going 6th, or advantage to 7th?  (I think he's great, too  :blush:)

 

It just sounds to me like he is more of a 7th grader both academically and in terms of maturity.  And I don't hear any evidence that he would struggle being a 7th grader, especially given that he isn't ever going to b&m school.

 

May I ask why you need to decide between the two?  If it has something to do with the level of curriculum he is going to be doing, I would err on the more challenging side given his abilities.  I personally feel that, all other things remaining equal, it's better for school work to be challenging than easy.  Obviously not challenging to the point of frustration - but that's not what I'm seeing here.

 

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It just sounds to me like he is more of a 7th grader both academically and in terms of maturity.  And I don't hear any evidence that he would struggle being a 7th grader, especially given that he isn't ever going to b&m school.

 

May I ask why you need to decide between the two?  If it has something to do with the level of curriculum he is going to be doing, I would err on the more challenging side given his abilities.  I personally feel that, all other things remaining equal, it's better for school work to be challenging than easy.  Obviously not challenging to the point of frustration - but that's not what I'm seeing here.

 

 

(editing a lot)

 

It is essentially level of curriculum.  I know that I can call the curriculum a level above or below what it claims to be (at least until high school) but want to have a good sense of there the child "fits" and what a good placement is, and what skill level to focus on ... thank you!

 

ETA: also, for certain when he is in 7th I want to keep track of high-school level work more formally.  Not that there will be much of it. 

Edited by serendipitous journey
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My DS11 who will turn 12 in December requested to be skipped while in public school because he is one year and a few days younger than DS12 and didn't want to be two grade levels "behind" in activities that went by grade level.

 

I don't see any drawbacks putting your son in 7th grade for fall unless he wants to try for anything that has a stipulation of 8th grade and under like AMC8 or other middle school competitions.

 

If he doesn't want to be officially in 7th grade for outside activities, you can always match academics to his ability. The only time grade level matters for my kids was for outside activities. My kids don't want to bluff a higher grade to participate.

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He doesn't sound far off from my dd. She turned 12 in June. She is not an amazing speller, still plays with barbies and American girl dolls-- I would not call her immature at all. She is responsible and sensible and incredibly helpful and proficient at many things-- but acting like public schooled 12 year olds is not one of them. ;)

 

She reads very well, struggles some in comprehension, and reads books like the Boxcar Children and horse twaddle for fun...and I don't care. I don't generally pick up classics for brain down time either...she reads them when I assign them though -- so she is capable. She will be in prealgebra, we are planning a building year in writing...and it's 7th grade because....well we go by age...I'm sure she is ahead academically of some 12 year olds and light years behind others...but we just put one step in front of the other and I don't give a second thought to grade level

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I've decided to put my daughter in the lower grade (she would be going into 6th in CA but misses the cut off in the state we now live in by 2 months) because she seems very at ease with kids who are going into 5th but sort of copies older kids.

 

This isn't to say she doesn't get along well with older kids; she does and actually almost all her friends are older. But she mimics them while with younger kids she comes into her own as a leader. Since she migh​​ go to public school for high school, I want her to go in with confidence that she doesn't display with older kids. Oh, and her best friend at church is going into 5th and I don't want her to go to youth group without her.

 

But the work doesn't change.

 

Emily

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Our policy has been to always call our child by the grade they would be in if they were in public school. I've just seen too many cases where a parent accelerates a strong reader or holds back an immature boy only to regret it down the line. Then you have the drama of moving them back down or back up to the grade they should have been in originally. As a homeschooler there's no need to create that drama; I can meet them where they are and make any decisions later. When in doubt (or if there is any chance of attending a brick&mortar school), I believe very strongly that it's best to put them in the higher grade. A kid can always be held back or adjusted to a lower grade, but in most school districts it is impossible to accelerate or move a child up.

 

We have a son who just makes the cut-off in our state by days. We have always called him by the higher grade, because that would be his grade in public school. When he was young and wiggly and not-quite-on-grade-level, I sometimes felt worried. But now he's grown into an extremely mature and socially adept middle schooler working above grade level. I can't imagine him being in the lower grade; it would be such a poor fit.

 

If our son were on the cusp, I would still feel comfortable waiting until high school to make a decision. There is just so much unexpected growth that happens academically and socially and in executive function between the ages of 11 and 14. And it isn't always the linear fashion we expect; it's often plateaus followed by huge leaps & bounds. If the schoolwork is an issue or a poor match, adjust the schoolwork. But where they are at 11 or 12 isn't always indicative of where they'll be at 14 or 15.

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I need to figure out what "grade" to consider my middle schooler, and am grateful for help in figuring this out!  I am thinking: 6th or7th?

 

There is -- of course -- a long story about where we are now, but the shorter story is that I have homeschooled this child since PreK.  He is precocious/accelerated, sensitive, not 2E, and is difficult to teach; and he grew up in our household with my husband's parents living upstairs from us.  About two years ago his grandfather died, and shortly after that my son's academic abilities sort of just melted down.  He went from being able to do AoPS algebra to having trouble with multi-digit arithmetic; he couldn't write grammatically correct answers to questions; his reading comprehension from IRs was about nil; and so on. 

 

I did not make the association with his grandfather's death, which was an incredibly stressful event for the family for many reasons, at the time. 

 

In response, and also in order to make sure that I could provide educational growth during a time when my husband's mother needed a good deal of attention and support, I moved him to Memoria Press as a rigorous educational option.  I had to put him into their 2nd grade materials in order to avoid stressing him out; for math he began in 3rd-grade equivalent work.  We've worked at our own pace and tried a lot of things, and this June saw him finish their 6th grade (corresponds to the work done in their 5th grade at the brick-and-mortar school). 

 

Here's where we are now:

Reading: is a skimmer.  He reads well above grade level and tests high, but does not read classics on his own.  He can do, without stress, the reading that corresponds to MP's brick-and-mortar 7th grade.  I would have to make him read their literature (at the level of Treasure Island) out loud to get him to read it carefully.

Grammar: fine.  We've done FLL, Grammar Island, MP's grammar, and are dabbling in Grammar Town.  I am liking the looks of ALL!!!!!

Spelling: Still remediating:  we're in All About Spelling 5, having started in 2 or 3 at the beginning of the year.  He is moving quickly and easily through AAS. 

Math: Nearly finished with Math U See Algebra.  Please be kind about MUS :).  Also drills; this year read Mathematicians are People Too. 

Science: been backburnered, can do Novare's middle school books (Physical Science, Earth Science) without stress. Strong knowledge base.

History: we've done the Famous Men of Rome and Middle Ages, and we need a better balanced history.  I trialed him on WTM methods and he can do decent summaries and 2-level outlines, he'd need a bit more practice before doing 3-level.

Latin: finished 2nd Form Latin with online class, will do Third Form this year, summer work is some Familia Romana + review.

Greek: finished Greek Alphabet, doing First Form Greek 1 page per day. 

Penmanship: totally legible, neat cursive.  whoo-hoo!!!!!!

ETA Composition: largely informal this year.  He can write across the curriculum WTM-style at 6th grade level, and can do the writing in Classical Writing Maxim -- this is what we're doing, at a very light pace, over the summer.  

 

He is 11yo, turns 12yo on August 30 of this year.  I started him in 1st grade at 6yo, which would put him in 7th, but I am unsure about his maturity.  Well, I know he is "immature" -- he still carries his favorite stuffy around and in the car (but only around family members, not friends).  But I am at a place where the work I plan will depend on how I think of his grade level, and if we are 2 or 3 years from high school, and so on.  Especially if we move further from MP and closer to WTM methods and/or materials. 

 

He doesn't care what grade he is "in". 

 

thanks so much for your help! 

 

He would be in seventh grade if he were in school. That is the grade level label I would put on him. Grade level has nothing, not one thing, to do with maturity, nor with the level of academic work he is doing. It is purely a method by which schools place children, so that the children in each class will be approximately the same age. I see no reason at all not to go with that grade level label.

 

Next year he will be "in" eight grade, and the year after that, ninth, and so on.

 

You cannot know how he will mature in the next five or six years.

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My son is 11, turning 12 on August 22nd.  We have him going into 7th grade in the Fall.   We've always kept him his "legal" grade even though the schools wanted him to be red-shirted when he was 5 (one of many factors that led us to homeschooling), regardless of where he is working.

 

I feel like middle school is a time when kids are working at different levels - some are doing pre-algebra, some are doing algebra, some are still solidifying arithmetic.  

 

He's not neuro-typical, but it's more social than academic.  There are no plans for him to ever go to B&M high school except maybe the occasional community college course.

 

He's doing pre-algebra this year and will start algebra probably around January.

I've always thought he was behind in writing, but spent time with a public schooled kid who had to do some journaling and I'm not as worried about that.

Handwriting is atrocious but he types around 80wpm (or more).

Literature we've been doing Mosdos and he won't finish their "6th grade" level for a month or two after the Fall.

 

Maturity-wise he's also all over the map, but since we're home that's not as big of an issue.  He definitely still spends time with his stuffies.  :laugh:   My most recent blog post is from our camping trip and he bought a fox that I then had to make an eye patch for.

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7th-grade. 

 

He sounds right on track academically and it's where he would be in school. I personally don't think that maturity alone is reason enough to pull back a grade, partially because none of us have any earthly idea where that student will be in 3 or 5 years. If a child has to go to outside school and can't hold it together enough to succeed, then sure, hold them back. But I don't see the point for a homeschooler. 

 

Both of mine have summer birthdays and started first-grade right after turning 6. My youngest played with stuffed animals and other toys at 12, and still has approximately 962 of them in her room. My oldest took her favorite to college with her, so yeah, that's not a deal breaker, lol. 

 

My oldest would have imploded with an additional year at home, she was more than ready to move on! Youngest is more easygoing, but I definitely think rising senior is the place she should be in right now. 

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Depends on your state, and what people do there, etc.  Sounds like, legally, if you were a PSer, assuming your state does the "usual thing" and kids have to "turn 5 by September something"....he'd be a 7th grader.

 

I know a lot of people that redshirted their kids as homeschoolers but it's not always a great idea.  Since your son is pretty much on track for 7th grade.

 

I agree with the advice above- when in doubt put them in the higher grade.

 

My dd was 12 going on 13 early on in her 7th grade year and it's frustrating in a lot of ways. She's always placed with younger kids and feels frustrated, wanting to meet more mature friends, but stuck with kids a year younger.  Add to that the fact that our state used to have a January cutoff date and she's often MORE than a year older than the kids in classes we go to.  Add to THAT the fact that some homeschooled kids really are accelerated and 80% of homeschool moms THINK their kids should be accelerated (whether they are or not) and then you have kids TWO years younger than her in her classes.  It's super annoying for her.  Unfortunately, though she is more mature than the KIDS she just isn't ready to skip an entire year of her education to call herself the next grade level up ...it's all just annoying to her, on a regular basis.  Luckily we found one class where she will be one of hte youngest this year :)

 

But overall I really think your son is better off being called 7th grade this coming year.

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I want to thank all y'all for your help, thoughts, advice, &c.  It has been so helpful to hear your suggestions, your reasoning and your experiences. 

 

We've decided to just call it 7th grade next year, b/c the arguments for that seemed most convincing and because when I made two curriculum piles, one sixth grade and one seventh, he chose the seventh grade pile (without it being labeled or having his leveled materials in it, so no _obvious_ markers, though he probably suspected the pile with the Iliad and the Odyssey was more challenging). 

 

Now I'm assessing his across-the-curriculum writing skills, which are the main thing we've neglected and need to bring online. 

 

:)  thank you again!

 

ETA: across-the-curriculum writing skills were deliberately neglected while we focused on other stuff ... I did a few checks during the year with outlining and other assignments from WWS1 and Classical Writing to make sure that we weren't losing too much ground.  But the fill-in-the-answer format of our MP guides (which served us well during this time) seems to have wrought a bit of havoc with his summarizing abilities and his beginning WTM-style literary analysis skills. 

Edited by serendipitous journey
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I'm glad this worked itself out. For the 2016-2017 school year, I called my ds a "two and a halfth grader" on the boards as a sort of tongue-in-cheek way of explaining where he is academically but offline I just reply to the question, "What grade is he in?" with the answer, "He is nine years old."

 

That's really what they wanted to know anyway. He is large for his age and a very happy, cheerful, high-energy, talkative kid who does not always act in a manner that is appropriate for a twelve year old because he isn't one.

 

We both decided that the fourth grade math book would be miserable for us this coming school year so we are very happy to be homeschoolers who can use a math book with a "3" on the cover during fourth grade.

Edited by Guest
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Are you in a state where you have to report what grade he is in? If not, it doesn't really matter. Go with the 7th grade work, if that's what he's drawn to. But if you don't think he is ready for "high school" work in two years, do an extra year of 8th grade. My son is 11 with a September 23 birthday. We call him 7th grade for all activities because he is very mature and generally does better with older students in social situations. He keeps up with the work right now. But if he can't finish the work this year, we just spread it out over two years and he gets one more year at home. I also don't have to report, so changing his grade in the future is not an issue. He has lots of friends who will be 6th grade this year. So he will not be left alone socially. I hope 7th grade works out for you!

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^^ Yes, if you have a kid old or young for their age it is much better to say their age instead of their grade

For my 5'10" DS12, saying his grade gets less shocked/surprised looks then saying his age. I have been ask by quite a few parents at summer math camp these two weeks how old my child is. All commented "So young" in a surprise tone.

 

For my DS12, curious parents want to know both age and grade. He is tall for age and subject accelerated. He eats mainly dairy products, and did not get the height from me. My DS11 is starting a growth spurt so the "what do you feed him" questions has also started for DS11 :lol:

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I didn't redshirt my boys, but my older decided that he wanted to try public high school right at the time they were doing STAR testing so they held him back a grade.

 

The extra year of maturity benefited him greatly. It wasn't what either of us wanted at the time, but I'm glad it worked out the way it did.

 

I have a 28 year old in a prestigious college and am screaming it from the rooftops even though I guess she is a tad old to still be working on her Masters.

 

 

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IEF, congratulations on your DD's grad school!  I personally figure you're never too old for more learning!  if I ever get back to grad school I'll be ... well, older than 28!  :) 

 

I am so glad for the tools and space homeschoolers have available, helping us to educate each child at an appropriate pace.  This is such a gift. 

Edited by serendipitous journey
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