What 'grade' is your 13 year old in?

[Guest KaciMI]

My son is sensitive to doing 6th grade work. I didn't start him in school until nearly 7. He just wasn't interested. He turned 13 in Jan., just started Teaching Textbook 7th grade math. The rest of his material have '6' on the books. He will be finished in May and will technically be a 'real' 7th grader then.

[Kathleen in VA]

Ds13 will turn 14 in July. He is doing 7th grade work this year. At this rate, he will graduate from hs at 18.

[Mrs Mungo]

My dd just turned 14 in December and is 8th grade this year. She turned 13 halfway through her 7th grade year.

[Teachin'Mine]

I wish they didn't put the grades on books, but even when they don't the kids usually figure out where they're at anyway.

 

Sounds to me like you son is right where he should be! He'll be 18 or just turned 19 when he graduates. I think it's so much better, especially for boys to be on the older side, rather than younger, when they enter college. More mature and ready to handle the work load. Also more likely to be a leader rather than a follower.

 

How old was Einstein when he started talking??? :D

[dragons in the flower bed]

My oldest currently homeschooled kid will turn 13 in the September that he starts eighth grade, later this year.

[Guest KaciMI]

Einstein, funny:lol:. Ok, get this... almost four. Is that a man thing? All three of my girls were talking in sentences by age two.

[Frontier Mom]

Mine is doing some 7th grade, like Language Arts and some 8th, like Pre-Algebra and Physical Science. We recently had this discussion only because of our church youth group. We have said he was 8th, but all his friends are his age but 7th graders. We have decided to just let him stay in the middle school youth group next year so he can be with his friends he enjoys.

 

He has a May birthday and I much prefer he graduate right after turning 19 than 18. I think he will benefit with that one extra year, if for maturity reasons only.

[hsmom]

My 13yr old is in the 6th grade. He had a late birthday and started K at 6 then they held him back in K so he is 2 yrs behind his peers. He really doesn't mind, yet I think next year when he goes to the middle/high school he will start to notice it more. I tell him "hey while your friends have to wait to drive you will be driving as a freshman". He thinks that is neat.

[Kathleen in VA]

I turned 12 in December of my 7th grade year and wish my parents had held me back. I was the youngest in my family so I think mom just wanted some peace and quiet.:) I started K at 4 - ugh! I handled the work well but I was very immature - always talking and wiggling and disrupting. None of my teachers had any patience with me and I'm sure were annoyed. I was an honor student and had learned how to get the grades but I had no idea what life was about. I started college at 17 - I might as well have been 12 for all I knew about life and what I wanted to major in. I think it's very wise to give kids a bit of extra time to bloom - especially boys.

 

I taught K and 1st grade before I got married. I had boys who had just turned 6 and boys who were about to turn 7. The older boys were definitely the more mature and were the leaders. I think it is a disservice to children to push them ahead. How many young men know what they want to do with their lives when they are 17?

 

Anyway, your son is really the perfect age for 6th grade - he has no reason to feel uncomfortable about using 6th grade texts.

[Vicki]

My ds is doing 2 highschool classes and the rest of his classes I would call 8th grade. He will graduate just after he turns 18.

God bless,

Vicki

[DarlaS]

My son is sensitive to doing 6th grade work. I didn't start him in school until nearly 7. He just wasn't interested. He turned 13 in Jan., just started Teaching Textbook 7th grade math. The rest of his material have '6' on the books. He will be finished in May and will technically be a 'real' 7th grader then.

 

Is he doing well? If he's not struggling, depending on what you use, it's possible to quite easily skip from 6 to 8 in some subjects. If he is motivated, this is a good time to let him know how he can get ahead in some areas. I would do Grammar first (if you use a program where the writing level doesn't take a big jump) and then History and science for instance . This might appease him for a while without making a big jump in all subjects at once. (Math would be the last area I'd plow forward in.)

 

I would tell him it's up to him how quickly he finishes Math 7. Then you let him know what your criteria are (completing every lesson, getting 90+% on the last test for instance) for moving to the next level.

 

I know I'm in the minority here but I can't quite fathom still teaching a 19 year old. FWIW, I was 18.5 when I graduated and hated being one of the oldest in my class. I say if he feels like he wants to move forward academically, feels he is behind where he would like to be, and is truly motivated to move on (as opposed to just wanting something to complain about it as 13 yo boys will do...) then give him some ideas how he might start.

 

On the other hand, if he's just whining and is not willing to put in the work, you just keep on trucking the way you have been.

[hsmom3tn]

My DS will be 13 in a few months and will be in 7th grade.

[Mrs Mungo]

Is he doing well? If he's not struggling, depending on what you use, it's possible to quite easily skip from 6 to 8 in some subjects. If he is motivated, this is a good time to let him know how he can get ahead in some areas. I would do Grammar first (if you use a program where the writing level doesn't take a big jump) and then History and science for instance . This might appease him for a while without making a big jump in all subjects at once. (Math would be the last area I'd plow forward in.)

 

I would tell him it's up to him how quickly he finishes Math 7. Then you let him know what your criteria are (completing every lesson, getting 90+% on the last test for instance) for moving to the next level.

 

I know I'm in the minority here but I can't quite fathom still teaching a 19 year old. FWIW, I was 18.5 when I graduated and hated being one of the oldest in my class. I say if he feels like he wants to move forward academically, feels he is behind where he would like to be, and is truly motivated to move on (as opposed to just wanting something to complain about it as 13 yo boys will do...) then give him some ideas how he might start.

 

On the other hand, if he's just whining and is not willing to put in the work, you just keep on trucking the way you have been.

 

I agree. I would also say (and I've said this before) that I keep my kids in the grade they would be in according to their age group, no matter what textbook they are working in.

[Ellie]

My dds, whose birthdays are in May, would have been in 8th grade if they'd been in school. Ditto for me, with a July birthday.

 

An 8th grader will either start the school year 12yo and turn 13 during the year, or start at 13 and turn 14 during the year, depending on when his birthday is and what the cut-off is in your state. Dh, who grew up in California and has a September bday, started 8th grade at 12yo and turned 13 a month into the year; however, in other states with an earlier cut-off, he'd have started at 13 and turned 14 after school started. "Maturity" was never an issue with him, BTW, even though he graduated in June at 17 and wasn't 18 until September.

[Nicole M]

I agree. I would also say (and I've said this before) that I keep my kids in the grade they would be in according to their age group, no matter what textbook they are working in.

 

Me, too. My son turned 13 in October, and in our public school system he would be in 7th grade, because he missed the cut-off. He is using mostly 7th grade material, but the 6th grade R & S book. We put paper covers on our hardcover books, so the number doesn't show. We also call it "level" six, rather than grade 6, grammar.

[SonshineLearner]

I don't understand.. Why can't you be in the grade you would be in PS and the grade you should work in.. for your actual work. Even if my son can do 2 grades ahead... I'd still put him with his peers for outside extra activities. The ages of his peers is what's important. That's figured by... age of student by cut-off. (Here it's Sept 1st... some places it's Dec... or whatever...) minus 5. That tells the "grade" that your child would be in.

 

:)

[Laura Corin]

My son turned thirteen in December. I've thought of him as seventh grade/year eight this year. It turns out that he is going to bricks-and-mortar school this autumn and will be entering 9th grade/year 10 at that point, so I suppose he's in 8th/year 9 right now. Confusing.

 

Laura

[amy g.]

My 13 year old is in 8th. He will be 14 next month.

[StephanieZ]

dd13 turned 13 in December. She's "in 7th grade" this year.

[elegantlion]

My ds will turn 13 in September just after starting "7th grade". We'll call it 7th but truly his work is all over the board, some ahead, some behind.

[Lawana]

Dd turned 13 in September. She is in 7th grade this school year.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Typically, a child turns 13 during 7th grade.

 

BTW, may I encourage you a little. My ds was a VERY late bloomer and he had other issues (like living and mental health) that were MUCH more important as a 6 and 8 yr old. So he was WAY behind for a LONG time. I really struggled with giving him level appropriate work, but also working in a way that he'd catch up at some point. In 7th grade, we just jumped into a solidly 7th grade curriculum (long story there, but I'm glad it happened). The work before that had been 4th-6th grade level. He REALLY stepped up to the challenge. There were a few tears. There was a bit of frustration at the time. But I tell you what...the joy, satisfaction, feeling smart FINALLY, etc that came with 1) being able to do the work and 2) pulling off A's and B's!

 

Could it be that you have had the curriculum too lockstep? Could it be that he could handle 8th grade just fine next year? In a subject where he really does need to complete the work, could he do 6 lessons per week and do only that subject during the summer. Could he just be a year behind in one subject only? Or he may mature academically to allow him to do a subject in a semester instead of a year long course (lots of high schools and almost all colleges do this anyway).

 

Anyway, I'm so thankful we made the jump with ds. He is almost 15, in 9th grade, and has an A average. His education is right for HIM at this time. And that really is what matters.

 

ETA: I just re-read your post. I was reading it backwards. Anyway, I absolutely would knock him up to 8th grade in the fall. I wouldn't hesitate in the least. In most classes, he's had these topics before and he'll have these topics again. There shouldn't be any real amt of stress in jumping him up to 8th in the fall.

Edited March 6, 2010 by 2J5M9K

[Rhonda in TX]

DS turned 13 in September. He is in 7th grade.

[Tap]

Ds with a summer b-day was in 8th for the year he was 13. He did Algebra 1, Apologia Physical Science (no lab credit) and Spanish 1 for high school credit in 8th.

 

While the academics have served him well and he has had no problem taking advanced classes when he switched to public school in 10th, I do wish we would have taken another year before high school. I wish I would have done a second year of 8th grade and allowed him to follow a few of his own interests and just let him mature academically before high school.

 

Do to this my 11yo is in 5th grade this year so she will be in 7th at 13yo. While she is more than capable of doing 6th grade work, I purposefully keep her at her 'ps grade level' to allow us a little more time , and to lower her stress level. She doesn't handle stress well, so I don't allow her to jump ahead like her brother used to like to do. I now see that, while they can handle the work when they are younger, allowing them to be ahead has a consequence in high school.

Edited March 6, 2010 by Tap, tap, tap

[Joanne]

My dd is in 7th.

[Miss Marple]

My 13 yo is in 8th, but he will be 14 next month.

[Jennifer in MI]

My oldest is 13, nearly 14 and he's in 8th grade. But, he's still doing 6th grade Rod and Staff grammar. He's doing absolutely fine with the work. I just wish we'd waited to start him until he was fully 6. That way he would've been 19 when he left home.

 

We waited for all our other kids. My 12 yo will be 13 in November and he's in 7th next fall.

[mchel210]

Yes...I guess it depends on if you want to go by school age? Our schools here 13 would be 7th. You are 12 by sept then go to 7th grade and turn 13 that year....and then 8th grade you would be 13 by sept turning 14 that year sometime.

 

As far as work, I wouldn't bother worrying about what you call it...I would say he would be going into 8th! I imagine you can call him in whatever grade you like. I pick and choose different levels for different subjects. I know several families use lower books for LA and such...but still dont lower the grade...or HS level books...but they are still not considered HS grade.

[fishmummy]

As a military family we have moved quite a bit. My poor children hated that first day at ta new church where some lovely woman would come up and say..." and what grade are you in?"...my children would look at me with panic in their eyes and answer..." well, we school at home so I am in fifth grade for Math, sixth grade in English, seventh grade History...etc"

 

My children began school in England and we have continued the year round schedule. My children were in Seventh or Eighth when they were 13 years old.

 

Wendy

[happyhomemaker25]

This is a great thread. My daughter turns 13 in April and will start "6th" grade in September.

Right now she is doing 5th grade TT, but she is aceing everything. She wants to try to test for 7th grade TT or even pre-algebra in September, which I agreed to let her try.

She is still in the 4th grade Rod and Staff book, but we will start the 5th grade book in a few weeks. Depending on how she does we might go ahead and start the 6th grade book in September.

She was held back in K and when I pulled her at the end of 2nd grade she was doing so poorly that I did 2nd grade all over again.

[Wendi]

My ds turned 13 in the fall of his 7th grade year (this school year). He's doing 7th grade work overall; the glaring exception being math, in which he's doing more like 5th grade work (we're trying to get him caught up).

 

Wendi

[Suzanne in ABQ]

My ds will turn 13 in November of his 7th grade year. (He's 12 now, doing mostly 6th, except for Singapore Math, which is 5B)

[Jean in Newcastle]

My son will turn 13 yo this Summer and start 8th grade in the Fall.

 

Mine too.

[CAMom]

Another with a 13yo in 8th grade. She'll turn 14 in May.:)

[Mabelen]

My dd turned 13 last September and is in 8th grade.

[Guest KaciMI]

My son fights me with school, so we've just taken it so slowly. He does math on his own and is doing well with TT 7th. Guess I'll chuck the rest of his six grade stuff and jump into 7th, maybe even 8th. Perhaps he'll perk up and enjoy school. Thanks, everyone. .

[AngieW in Texas]

My oldest turned 13yo two months before the end of 7th grade. My middle turned 13yo one month into 8th grade. My youngest will turn 13yo right at the end of 7th grade.

[EKS]

My son is young for his grade. He turned 13 in June and is in 8th grade. He has friends who are a full year (or even more) older and are a grade younger. I knew someone when both she and I were in 6th grade who turned 13 that year.

[EKS]

I don't understand.. Why can't you be in the grade you would be in PS and the grade you should work in.. for your actual work. Even if my son can do 2 grades ahead... I'd still put him with his peers for outside extra activities. The ages of his peers is what's important. That's figured by... age of student by cut-off. (Here it's Sept 1st... some places it's Dec... or whatever...) minus 5. That tells the "grade" that your child would be in.

 

:)

 

This is what we do as well.