kristinannie Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I had thought about enrolling in Kolbe Academy because I wanted the kids to have a transcript and they are flexible...you can do whatever curriculum you choose. However, I am thinking that I really don't want to give grades to my kids in elementary. I mean, we are going to work on something until they master it anyway. Plus, the way I am planning on teaching a lot of things doesn't really work for grading (I am not planning on giving tests). Do any of you give grades? How do you do it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trying my best Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 1st grader here - we stamp their work with stamps if its super good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 No, I don't, unless the kids ask for me to grade their work. This only happens when they know they get a 100%. I have stickers and stamps for just such an occasion. As for testing, except spelling we don't do that either. I think Jr high we might consider starting but until then, we're happier without them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I don't give grades until high school, except for the tests in Rod & Staff Grammar, and even then it's more for me than them. I use the tests as a learning tool, to teach the dc how to follow directions carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 If you don't give grades, how do you do your record keeping? I would like to have a list of what we studied each year so I can remember when my next kids come through and also to show to the state if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I never wanted to give grades, BUT my daughter asks me to grade EVERYTHING ;P. I mean, she wants a percentage score for copywork. Sigh. I give her letter grades for a lot of things like phonics, reading, history, science, copywork etc. but she does get a percentage for each day's math questions if we are doing a workbook that day. What a silly :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaHadley Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 If you don't give grades, how do you do your record keeping? I would like to have a list of what we studied each year so I can remember when my next kids come through and also to show to the state if necessary. I keep pretty well all the papers we do in a binder. You will see how far they've come and what they have learned this way. I also keep my written lesson plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowfall Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 If you don't give grades, how do you do your record keeping? I would like to have a list of what we studied each year so I can remember when my next kids come through and also to show to the state if necessary. I have a small teacher's plan book that I use to record what we did, rather than for planning. I write down everything we do in the book and keep it. One small book for each grade doesn't take up much space at all, and it's both an attendance record and a record of everything we did. I also keep samples of work in each subject, although I definitely don't keep every piece of paper or project she completes. I just keep some representative samples from the beginning through to the end, to show progression. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfatherslily Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 The only subject where grades have really been applicable so far has been math. Horizons has a test every 10 lessons. She does the test solo, I grade it, then I have her correct any wrong answers (which are few because the tests are on things that have been well-covered). We keep the original grade, though. We're not grading anything else here in 1st grade, but I probably will more and more with each year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 If you don't give grades, how do you do your record keeping? I would like to have a list of what we studied each year so I can remember when my next kids come through and also to show to the state if necessary. I keep a selection of completed work in a file for each dc, and my old lesson plan books in a box, for just those reasons. I don't plan on giving letter grades until highschool, when it would be kept on a transcript. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 No, I don't, and won't until high school when I guess it may be needed for a transcript. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I never wanted to give grades, BUT my daughter asks me to grade EVERYTHING ;P. I mean, she wants a percentage score for copywork. Sigh. What a silly :). :iagree::iagree: I never had any intention of grading my DD's work in the early years. However, she has 3 older siblings. From day 1 of Kindergarten, she knew what a grade was and I had better award her one or I'm in big trouble. My DD is a natural high achiever. She WANTS to see the high grades she earns. Earning high grades spurs her on to work even harder. This is all inate in her. Grades for some kids are a very good thing. I grade almost everything now. I am very honest with her grades. She's the kind of kid that likes competition, even if it's just against herself. When she was a cloverbud in 4H she was FURIOUS that they didn't actually judge her work or performances. She thought participation ribbons were bogus! Now, if she gets 5th place, she's thrilled. At least she did her best and was evaluated for it. She's getting ready to sing in her first 4H competition as a Junior. She is so excited that now she will be judged! She WANTS her "grade!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 My DD is a bit of an achiever too KateMary (she's our oldest though). I actually count attitude towards her grade and it has helped SO much. If she gets a B because her work was excellent but she dawdled/complained etc. she REMEMBERS it, and really tries for an A the next day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 The kids like to know what percentage they got correct on a math paper or other work like that. They also want stickers on things. I don't give actual grades, yet, but I might as they get older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 If you don't give grades, how do you do your record keeping? I would like to have a list of what we studied each year so I can remember when my next kids come through and also to show to the state if necessary. I keep a portfolio with my kids' work. I maintain a log of reading materials. And at the end of each year I write a "summary" of what we did in each subject to go along with the portfolio. You can see examples by clicking on my blog (see sig), then looking at the "Logs, Schedules, and Samples" section on the sidebar to the left for two different Summary examples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbosh237 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I keep a portfolio with my kids' work. I maintain a log of reading materials. And at the end of each year I write a "summary" of what we did in each subject to go along with the portfolio. . This is along the same lines as what I'm planning. Keeping a list of books read as well as the master schedule that shows what was completed each weem and then writing a yearly summary. For high school is when I plan to start keeping grades but that is a long time from now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 No, I don't see a purpose in it, at least until late middle school or high school for transcript purposes. As long as I see good retention and incremental progression with our studies, I am happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Yep, I keep grades, and report cards, too. My kids really like to know what they "got" on an assignment and are pleased and proud to show Daddy their report cards. My son has such fun with his grades (math in particular) that he'll tell me he "failed" his math assignment. He "only got a 1, a 0 and a 0!" and then he laughs uproariously as I complain that I'm going to have to ground him for "failing" math. Silly, I know, but he loves it and takes great pride in it so I'm all over it.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 As many others have said, I only give grades when DD asks me to, and I don't keep records. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skueppers Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 If you don't give grades, how do you do your record keeping? I would like to have a list of what we studied each year so I can remember when my next kids come through and also to show to the state if necessary. In this state, we are required to present a portfolio twice a year to a representative of the school district, so that takes care of anything I might need to show the state. I don't grade my child's work now, and have no plans to do so in the near term. I keep a record book listing what we did in each subject each day. I also keep a spreadsheet of the materials (books, videos, science kits, etc.) we used, and a spreadsheet listing the field trips we went on. I keep all of the written output in notebooks, which I imagine I will consolidate at the end of the year into a portfolio for our own reference. My daughter is only vaguely aware of the existence of grades, and I'm perfectly happy with that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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