Finished early do you start the next Grade??

[farming_mum]

We are in Australia and have finished Grade 1 Maths with my DS and we still have 3 mths until the end of year.

 

Do I start Grade 2 early or wait until January next year?

 

I don't want to push him in case he isn't mature to understand the concepts but I'm sure he wouldn't have a problem with starting Saxon 2 early. Or, I can just review Grade 1 stuff again (boring!) or, I can just concentrate on all the other subjects (which we will also finish early).

 

I also have a DD ready to start Saxon K and she is definately ready to start or do we wait?

 

What do you do?

[MissKNG]

We move on to the next level.

[Amber in AUS]

We are in Australia too! We just move on to the next level and pit stop when we reach a ceiling in understanding.

[Dmmetler]

Depending on the subject we either move on, do something extra related to the subject, or give it a break. With 3 months, we'd probably go ahead and move on.

 

For Saxon K, I'd go ahead and start. It's got a lot of hands on, especially at the beginning. My only suggestion would be to not expect her to write numbers if you haven't taught it yet. My DD was in PS for K, and Saxon expected the kids to write numbers without really teaching it, while the handwriting book put them at the very end. The result was that DD (and her former classmates, for that matter, based on work samples I've seen) all learned how to write their numbers any way that worked for them, and it still shows, even 2 years later. My DD will do them beautifully on a handwriting page, but when it comes to math....ugh!

Edited September 24, 2011 by dmmetler

[Deniseibase]

If they are ready and interested, why wait? What advantage is there is following a schedule for you?

[Mommy to monkeys]

:iagree: Just keep moving on at your own pace.

[Katiebug_1976]

I would move on the the next level. You can always take it slow or even stop if it becomes to difficlut for your dc.

[Tigger]

With three months remaining in the year for school, I'd move on to the next level.

[ByGrace3]

We finished early last year in most subjects. For math, we took 2 weeks and just played math games. After that, we moved on.

[chepyl]

Move on, or find a supplementary curriculum at the same level. I have MM geometry for 1st-3rd to add to the end of our year.

[....]

Yep, we just keep going. :D

[Chris in VA]

You can keep on, or go deeper. 3 months is a long time, so I'd probably just keep going. I used Saxon, also, and the first bit is always a review, tho they are still learning, because the review presents material at a faster pace and often in a different way.

 

For other subjects, I'd keep going, too. For example, you can slow history down a bit, reading more picture/easy chapter books, doing more projects, etc. Any time you feel you've gone too far too fast, just slow down and perch a while. Extra time is a luxury that makes homeschooling easier!:001_smile:

[boscopup]

We just keep going. None of my subjects line up with each other, so we don't really have a "beginning" or "end" to our school year. We school year round too (which is handy because right now we have beautiful fall weather, so I've been ditching school some and sending the kids outside to PLAY!). DS also isn't in "one" grade across subjects, so that part doesn't matter either. I promote him at a certain point in the year on paper, but his curriculum doesn't necessarily match that. ;)

[SweetMissMagnolia]

We move on to the next level.

:iagree:

[RootAnn]

Just a note of caution on the math WRT moving on -- be prepared for some amount of forgetfulness if your break is very long. It might be best to keep some "review" lessons in the front of the book for when you start back up. Saxon does use the first part of each new level for review, so when you go onto the next level, start about 15-20 lessons in (depending on how your child is doing & what is "introduced" in those early lessons).

 

Use those first lessons when you start back up as "review" and then hop back into wherever you left off. With Saxon's incremental spiral review, your kid should be able to pick right back up. The first bit of review will gently get them back in the groove and give them confidence moving forward.

 

.... I've started many a math book before the end of the school year, only to find my kids can forget the brand new stuff in even a break as small as two weeks. But, I've also been told (on here) that my kids seem to have smaller working memories than most. :tongue_smilie:

[Sahamamama]

I can just review Grade 1 stuff again (boring!) or, I can just concentrate on all the other subjects (which we will also finish early).

 

Keep going, especially with math. Review if you have to, but if it's mastered, it's mastered. Keep going.

 

For your little one, why not start if she's ready?

 

Congratulations on almost completing your year. :party:

[Snowfall]

We move on, with the knowledge that any time we hit a concept she has trouble with, we are going to stay there until she understands it or move around it if she clearly isn't read, covering something else for a few days and coming back.

[foxbridgeacademy]

I would move on, but using a different source. If I remember correctly Saxon is spiral? I would get something like Math Mamoth blue seies, which is mastery based. You can download single "subjects" and use it as review and to advance into the next level. Something like Intro to geometry and the first level of measurment could be fun. Or (if the shipping is reasonable) go with something from Life of Fred. Anything from either of these could also be used later with your younger child.

[Penelope]

With math, or spelling, we just keep moving on. Though last year, instead, I just did supplemental challenge with Ed Zaccaro math.

 

With grammar, we just do something else in the interim (like a poetry study or "extra" art, ha! at my house, any art).

[Veritaserum]

We move on to the next level.

[LMD]

Also in Aus, and we'd just keep going... though maybe at a more relaxed pace until the new year.

[Whereneverever]

We move on.

[sewingmama]

I'm in Aus -I would either move on to the next Grade or get an enrichment program like MM Time or Measurement or something if you thought your child wasn't ready to move up.

 

Don't know where you are in Aus but I"m in SA. Here we have continueous entry for Prep - which means that you start Prep the term after you turn 5. To start Year 1 you have to have completed at least 3 terms of Prep and since my DD is a June birthday she will have only done 2 terms so will be in Prep again next year (in any other State she would be starting Grade 1 next year).

 

My DD is smart enough (as in regular, average child) that she does not need 1.5 years of Prep/K work - she'll be ready to move on the Grade 1 work in June next year. So even though she will still officially be Prep for the whole year I plan to start her on 1st grade work in term 3 in whatever subjects she is ready for it. All my kids have birthdays after June so I will be doing this for all of them - once they have completed that years work I will move them on regardless what their official grade is.

 

Move on when your child is ready :001_smile:

[EKS]

I'd just start. The only issue is that if you go on a long bread after doing the first third of a Saxon book, when you come back there is no review to ease the kid back into it.