Anyone have kids at grade level?

[Embassy]

I'm homeschooling my two boys. I was wondering if anyone does have a child that is at grade level in every subject. I honestly don't know how my boys could fit in a traditional classroom since they are at different grade levels for different subjects.

[Chris in VA]

Y'know, there's such a wide range even in public schools, I'm not exactly sure there really IS such a thing as "at grade level," when it comes down to it.

[Mommy7]

:iagree:

[Ester Maria]

"Grade level" is made up according to the statistic "average", which is used to tailor school programs, but which might in reality as well not exist, despite it being calculated. I think you'd find very, very rarely children who are on the "grade level" in all subjects, children in schools included (it's just that they, unfortunately, often have no choice but to work on the "grade level" as they don't have individually tailored programs, which is the luxury we as homeschoolers can have).

 

It's not a problem or anything to worry about. School system, as a system, tries to impose one-size-fits-all with as little oscillations as possible and determines things such as "grade levels" according to the imaginary "average child", but this doesn't correspond to reality. Your boys would fit in a traditional classroom just like any other child, they'd be forced to work according to the given scheme and they would be judged based on their fitting into that scheme. Unfortunately, it's one of the side effects of mass education. Be happy to homeschool. :)

[SilverMoon]

Nope. Not one of my four who currently homeschool are straight across a grade level. That's initially why we started homeschooling.

[Smithie]

I've only got the one kindergartener so far, but inasmuch as "Grade Level" is something that can be ascertained by somebody outside the school system, he will always meet the grade level for his age in every subject. If he doesn't, we'll drop another subject and drill down into it until he meets the grade level for the area in which he's lagging. Those minimums are just that, MINIMUMS (and in my economically depressed Deep South state they are rock-bottom). I fully expect that throughout his academic career, he'll have to exert himself to meet the standards in at least one subject, and sail along three grades ahead in other subjects. But I don't homeschool him to excuse him from meeting state standards. The idea is that we'll be exceeding them. :)

Edited April 5, 2010 by Smithie

[FO4UR]

Nope! If we were talking ps classrooms, I'm guessing we would span a distance of 1st to 3rd grade across the subjects. (for one dc LOL)

[KrissiK]

Yeah, one of my two boys are at grade level. By that, I mean he is doing 1st grade math and it seems to challenge him enough without being too hard. He is doing well reading at a first grade level, too. I'd say, he's "at grade level." My other son is reading at I'd say a little above 1st grade level (he's just turned 6 btw) and he's doing Kinder math, and his handwriting is... well, my just turned 4 year old daughter blows him away in handwriting. So, 1 is at grade level and the other is all over the map!

[Halcyon]

Nope. :)

[Carrie12345]

Nope. But my ds wasn't "at grade level" in every subject when he was in public school (for 5 or 6 years), either!

[texasmama]

My two hs students span several grade levels depending on the subject.

[Hedgehogs4]

no...my two are not. all over the map, some above and some below, depending on the subject.

[sassenach]

Y'know, there's such a wide range even in public schools, I'm not exactly sure there really IS such a thing as "at grade level," when it comes down to it.

 

:iagree:

 

I was just talking to my neighbor about our local PS and she was telling me that they break the kids into several different groups for math and reading. They have 3 classes in her son's grade (1st) and each teacher takes a different level for these subjects. Then, even within those levels they break the kids down into smaller groups based on ability. So each kid is being taught at their skill level in those areas. I thought that was pretty fantastic.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

No my kids are all above except for history-- BUT I guess even that would be ahead in our public school. I guess it would be hard to have a child at grade level according to a public school because ANY child that gets one on one attention will be well ahead, IMHO

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

:iagree:

 

I was just talking to my neighbor about our local PS and she was telling me that they break the kids into several different groups for math and reading. They have 3 classes in her son's grade (1st) and each teacher takes a different level for these subjects. Then, even within those levels they break the kids down into smaller groups based on ability. So each kid is being taught at their skill level in those areas. I thought that was pretty fantastic.

 

 

That is AMAZING for a public school! I wish more would do that!

[ElizabethB]

That is AMAZING for a public school! I wish more would do that!

:iagree:

[Carrie12345]

:iagree:

 

I was just talking to my neighbor about our local PS and she was telling me that they break the kids into several different groups for math and reading. They have 3 classes in her son's grade (1st) and each teacher takes a different level for these subjects. Then, even within those levels they break the kids down into smaller groups based on ability. So each kid is being taught at their skill level in those areas. I thought that was pretty fantastic.

 

That is pretty fantastic!

 

Our local intermediate school (6th and 7th grades) changes classrooms/teachers for each subject, but the entire group of kids moves together. The kids you're with in math are the same kids you're with in English. And science. And so on.

 

I don't get it. Especially at that age!

[angela in ohio]

It is a common mosconception that all public school students in a grade are at the same level. I think that's why homeschoolers get caught up in grade advancing/ repeating. Very, very few children in public school would be moved up or down a grade, as there is an expectation that students in the same grade will be at various levels. That's why there are reading groups, different levels of classes, etc.

[lionfamily1999]

"Grade level" is made up according to the statistic "average", which is used to tailor school programs, but which might in reality as well not exist, despite it being calculated. I think you'd find very, very rarely children who are on the "grade level" in all subjects, children in schools included (it's just that they, unfortunately, often have no choice but to work on the "grade level" as they don't have individually tailored programs, which is the luxury we as homeschoolers can have).

 

It's not a problem or anything to worry about. School system, as a system, tries to impose one-size-fits-all with as little oscillations as possible and determines things such as "grade levels" according to the imaginary "average child", but this doesn't correspond to reality. Your boys would fit in a traditional classroom just like any other child, they'd be forced to work according to the given scheme and they would be judged based on their fitting into that scheme. Unfortunately, it's one of the side effects of mass education. Be happy to homeschool. :)

:iagree:

 

As the other posters said, grade level seems to be the minimum (they MUST know these things to move ahead), and any person getting one to one instruction is going to move forward with greater ease than they would in a large group.