Another Lynn Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 If you decide to change grammar/writing/spelling programs in January, do you start the new one on grade level (taking the chance you'll have to finish it next fall and be "behind.") Or do you start the new one in next year's grade level so you can be a bit "ahead." I'm not talking about math, where you wouldn't want to skip levels, but other subjects that tend to repeat similar info in greater depth each year. Just curious :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I don't worry about "behind"--I am doing what I need to do to get the right amount of grammar into my kid before he graduates from high school, not on grade level. We don't plan to enter public school anytime soon...I mean, ever. We continue math and grammar through the summer, so if I fall back a little during the school year on grammar it's not a huge deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 What is behind ? Behind whom? My children are never behind, they are right where they need to be. ;-) We take the next step, and have no issue with backing up if need be. It is an individual marathon going on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I choose the level based on where my child is. I don't worry about what grade level it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 When we change things it is either because the kids are bored or struggling, so it depends on what is going on as to whether we start back with the current year or move up a level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 Thanks for these thoughts so far. Maybe I should get more specific. I get that kids are where they are and it doesn't have to be called "behind" or "ahead." BUT, when you start seeing that high school is in view, you begin to reap the consequences of still working on spelling instead of stepping up to vocabulary work, or you wish you could "finish" grammar (if that's your goal) in 9th grade instead of 11th grade. Just saying. At the same time, you have younger ones coming along, and maybe want to avoid making similar mistakes. Say you have a 3rd (or 4th or 5th or whatever) grader who needs a spiral approach instead of a mastery approach (or vice versa) for grammar. And it's January. Your third grader is not necessarily struggling, but would benefit from a different approach. Do you switch to a spiral program that matches her needs better and choose the 3rd grade level (knowing it puts her half a year behind her stated grade unnecessarily) or do you bump up to the 4th grade program, giving yourself an extra half year to play with. I suppose I'm answering my own question. Maybe my question is too specific to apply to other situations. Imho, aside from math, many subjects can and should be entered on grade level even without prior instruction. Wish I had come to that understanding several years ago. So, I was just curious because of the other thread about making changes in January, if (depending on the subject) people were backing up, or moving ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 When we change things it is either because the kids are bored or struggling, so it depends on what is going on as to whether we start back with the current year or move up a level. Thanks. That makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 I choose the level based on where my child is. I don't worry about what grade level it is. Yes, that makes sense. I guess there are some things I want to start in Fall and end in the spring, but there are also times when that doesn't work out so neatly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I've been thinking about this a little bit myself. DS is a terrible speller. I have ditched several curricula that just weren't getting through to him, to the point that I "backed up" to use a free 2nd grade curriculum, though we're now halfway through 3rd. However, he's been doing better so I'm hoping that we can start a regular program in January. I have purchased Soaring With Spelling mainly because GWG and WWW are working out really well for him. But, SWS is designed to be a 36-week program, which means he'll be half a year "behind." And that means that so long as we continue with SWS, he'll always be half a year "behind." I'm trying to decide how or whether to worry about trying to reconcile this or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Usually we're jumping ahead because DD has made a cognitive leap and the previous level is no longer appropriate. However, she's a terrible speller, so we've had to back up and start at the beginning. Her English program includes vocabulary, so I'm not too worried about having to "catch up" in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 We are doing the beginning part of PLL (Primary Language Lessons) which is designed to do half in 2nd grade and the other half in 3rd grade. Considering she is already in 3rd grade we will be behind in that. However, we homeschool year-round so I know she will catch up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Say you have a 3rd (or 4th or 5th or whatever) grader who needs a spiral approach instead of a mastery approach (or vice versa) for grammar. And it's January. Your third grader is not necessarily struggling, but would benefit from a different approach. Do you switch to a spiral program that matches her needs better and choose the 3rd grade level (knowing it puts her half a year behind her stated grade unnecessarily) or do you bump up to the 4th grade program, giving yourself an extra half year to play with. When we made changes like that, I backed up and started the grade over again. We'd simply work through the summer to make up for lost time. Often I found we could move quickly through the first few lessons, whereas the few times I tried to jump up we'd flounder. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Say you have a 3rd (or 4th or 5th or whatever) grader who needs a spiral approach instead of a mastery approach (or vice versa) for grammar. And it's January. Your third grader is not necessarily struggling, but would benefit from a different approach. Do you switch to a spiral program that matches her needs better and choose the 3rd grade level (knowing it puts her half a year behind her stated grade unnecessarily) or do you bump up to the 4th grade program, giving yourself an extra half year to play with. Again, I think it will really depend on the kid. If I thought my oldest son (who is accelerated in general) needed a different approach, I'd probably go with the higher grade level if it were halfway through the year. I did switch grammar a few times in the last year... started with R&S2 in 1st grade (too easy), then did FLL1 (also too easy, though we completed it - just did about 5 lessons a day and finished it in 4 weeks :tongue_smilie:), then did half of FLL2 (better than 1, but still too easy), then switched to R&S3 at the beginning of 2nd grade (still too easy, but better than 2), then switched to FLL3 after about 6 weeks. Since we school year round, that put us starting FLL3 around August, so we'd finish at the end of May. We're still on track for that. If I were to switch to another grammar right now (such as R&S or CLE or GWG), I'd probably just go ahead and pick up the 4th grade book, since we're halfway through FLL3, and I know this child gets grammar easily, so he wouldn't have any trouble stepping into a 4th grade grammar book and understanding everything. Now my middle son, who has language issues... I might be inclined to go back to the beginning of his grade level (though really I can't tell at this point - he's in K and not doing grammar at all ;) ). So again, it just depends on the child and the situation and the programs involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 ...... So again, it just depends on the child and the situation and the programs involved. Thanks boscopup and other posters for sharing your examples. I agree that it depends on the child. And in some cases it's obvious to me when one is getting things quickly or when another one is not comprehending something.... but then there are those times when I'm torn between thinking "He's not as solid as I would like for him to be, but he seems bored and needs to be challenged." Anyway, thanks again for sharing on both sides of the question! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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