Tempted to call this the "gap year"

[Twilight Woods]

DD 10 is a YOUNG rising 6th grader. Her birthday is at the end of August and she has always been the youngest in the class. I am thinking about using this year as a gap year.

 

Pros/Cons to doing this? For those that have done this how did it help your child?

[Ellie]

So what would that mean? She'd stay in the class (whichever class that is :confused: ) while the others moved to the next one?

 

I wouldn't do that.

 

Is she not doing well academically?

 

I guess I don't see what the problem is for a homeschooled child.

[Jean in Newcastle]

We did this for this year and it worked out great! Dd was also very young for her grade - in fact with her birthday in December, she wouldn't have been placed in her grade at all. She needed some time to mature. We called her the same grade for standardized tests (required by the govt.) for two years in a row. Other than that, grade level really didn't matter. But she did different material at the same level for the second year. In some subjects, math esp., where she was behind, she used the year to keep catching up.

[Twilight Woods]

We did this for this year and it worked out great! Dd was also very young for her grade - in fact with her birthday in December, she wouldn't have been placed in her grade at all. She needed some time to mature. We called her the same grade for standardized tests (required by the govt.) for two years in a row. Other than that, grade level really didn't matter. But she did different material at the same level for the second year. In some subjects, math esp., where she was behind, she used the year to keep catching up.

 

This is what I was thinking. I would mostly do it for "maturity" calling it 6th grade or whatever really doesn't matter at this point. She will be doing some "5th grade" level stuff and some "6th grade" level stuff.

[Twilight Woods]

So what would that mean? She'd stay in the class (whichever class that is :confused: ) while the others moved to the next one?

 

I wouldn't do that.

 

Is she not doing well academically?

 

I guess I don't see what the problem is for a homeschooled child.

 

It would matter for High school transcription wouldn't it? When we get to that point? Right now it wouldn't really matter grade wise b/c she will do the work required at the level she is capable of. She is not going back to a B & M school now that she has finished 5th grade.

[snowbeltmom]

I guess I don't see what the problem is for a homeschooled child.

 

In my experience there could be potential "problems" down the road for a student who is considered young for her grade, depending on college goals.

 

We have wrapped up our 4th year of homeschooling, and my oldest has been on track to graduate at age 17. For a variety of reasons, he has asked to graduate at 18.

 

The final convincing point for me was that he was unable to apply for a summer internship this summer available to rising juniors because he did not meet the age cut-off. He needed to be 16 years old by June. (This cut-off is not typically a problem for students in my area - the private schools and some of the public schools have June (or earlier) cut-off dates. As a result, rising juniors are 16 years old in June or earlier.)

 

Because he will be applying to competitive colleges and programs, we decided this year to place him back with his age-peers. Had he been in a B&M school, this would not have been possible because he would have been "held-back" academically. However, thanks to homeschooling, he will be able to continue to be challenged academically and graduate at 18.

 

Since homeschooling affords us the abililty to meet our children's academic needs regardless of the grade level label, I don't think there are downfalls to graduating from high school at the typical age of 18.

[Ellie]

It would matter for High school transcription wouldn't it? When we get to that point? Right now it wouldn't really matter grade wise b/c she will do the work required at the level she is capable of. She is not going back to a B & M school now that she has finished 5th grade.

I don't see why it would be necessary for her to have a "gap year."

 

You said that she was the "youngest in her class." I don't know which "class" that is.

 

You don't know for sure what her abilities will be when she's 14. She wouldn't be the first one with an August birthday to be a freshman.

 

I just don't see the point of holding her back now (which is what you'd be doing).

[Twilight Woods]

In my experience there could be potential "problems" down the road for a student who is considered young for her grade, depending on college goals.

 

We have wrapped up our 4th year of homeschooling, and my oldest has been on track to graduate at age 17. For a variety of reasons, he has asked to graduate at 18.

 

The final convincing point for me was that he was unable to apply for a summer internship this summer available to rising juniors because he did not meet the age cut-off. He needed to be 16 years old by June. (This cut-off is not typically a problem for students in my area - the private schools and some of the public schools have June (or earlier) cut-off dates. As a result, rising juniors are 16 years old in June or earlier.)

 

Because he will be applying to competitive colleges and programs, we decided this year to place him back with his age-peers. Had he been in a B&M school, this would not have been possible because he would have been "held-back" academically. However, thanks to homeschooling, he will be able to continue to be challenged academically and graduate at 18.

 

Since homeschooling affords us the abililty to meet our children's academic needs regardless of the grade level label, I don't think there are downfalls to graduating from high school at the typical age of 18.

 

This is my thinking as well. I would much rather her graduate at 18 then at 17. I graduated at 17 and would have preferred to have graduated at 18 as well.

[Twilight Woods]

I don't see why it would be necessary for her to have a "gap year."

 

You said that she was the "youngest in her class." I don't know which "class" that is.

 

You don't know for sure what her abilities will be when she's 14. She wouldn't be the first one with an August birthday to be a freshman.

 

I just don't see the point of holding her back now (which is what you'd be doing).

 

"class" her 5th grade class she just finished up in school. Your right I wont know what her abilities would be but I am not "holding her back" based on her current abilities. I would be "holding her back" for maturity purposes and continuing to have work at "grade level". She is currently working at a 5th grade level in Math and 6th/7th grade LA.

[missmoe]

As a mom that graduated a ds early, I think your plan is a sound one. I wish my ds would have had an extra year of maturity before leaving for college. I think he would have had a better experience and more opportunities if he had been 18.

 

And this year, I did just what you are thinking about for my youngest two. They had two years with the label 7th grade which means they took two years of the same standarized testing. They kept working at their level, but if they go to high school they will be the same age as their peers.

[Twilight Woods]

As a mom that graduated a ds early, I think your plan is a sound one. I wish my ds would have had an extra year of maturity before leaving for college. I think he would have had a better experience and more opportunities if he had been 18.

 

And this year, I did just what you are thinking about for my youngest two. They had two years with the label 7th grade which means they took two years of the same standarized testing. They kept working at their level, but if they go to high school they will be the same age as their peers.

 

Thank you for your thoughts on this. I think this is my plan going forward. we will just have 2 years of what will be labeled "6th" grade.

[love2read]

There was quite a long thread on this same subject here and on the high school board a month or two ago. The majority of the people recommended a gap year based on their experiences with young students. I just made this same decision with an older child this year and wish I had done it when I first thought about it a few years ago. She continues working at a level that is comfortable for her and which is ahead, but she is registered for a lower grade. This gives them many advantages and is a trend in the schools now too.

[Twilight Woods]

There was quite a long thread on this same subject here and on the high school board a month or two ago. The majority of the people recommended a gap year based on their experiences with young students. I just made this same decision with an older child this year and wish I had done it when I first thought about it a few years ago. She continues working at a level that is comfortable for her and which is ahead, but she is registered for a lower grade. This gives them many advantages and is a trend in the schools now too.

 

 

I will have to search for that thread. Thanks!

[love2read]

Found it.

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=369590&highlight=grade

and here

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187585

[Ellie]

"class" her 5th grade class she just finished up in school. Your right I wont know what her abilities would be but I am not "holding her back" based on her current abilities. I would be "holding her back" for maturity purposes and continuing to have work at "grade level". She is currently working at a 5th grade level in Math and 6th/7th grade LA.

Oh, was she in school?

 

Well, of course you'll do what's best for her, but *I* wouldn't do it. I'm just not clear in my mind as to how "maturity" comes into things, but that's just me. :)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Oh, was she in school?

 

Well, of course you'll do what's best for her, but *I* wouldn't do it. I'm just not clear in my mind as to how "maturity" comes into things, but that's just me. :)

 

I don't understand why this is such a hot topic for you? It has worked for many of us. Others choose differently. No biggie.

[phathui5]

This is my thinking as well. I would much rather her graduate at 18 then at 17. I graduated at 17 and would have preferred to have graduated at 18 as well.

 

I felt just the opposite. I was set to graduate at 18, so I set everything up with the high school guidance counselor to graduate a year early. My parents wouldn't agree to let me graduate early, so I dropped out and took the GED (which they didn't have to give permission for).

[Twilight Woods]

Oh, was she in school?

 

Well, of course you'll do what's best for her, but *I* wouldn't do it. I'm just not clear in my mind as to how "maturity" comes into things, but that's just me. :)

 

yes she was. :) Sorry for the confusion. This will be her first year at home.

[JenC3]

My dd is a rising 4th grader who will not turn 9 until end of Sept and I plan to do a gap year sometime before highschool. Or maybe just an extra year of HS. But I most certainly plan to wait until she is 18 to graduate her.

[Ellie]

I don't understand why this is such a hot topic for you? It has worked for many of us. Others choose differently. No biggie.

She asked our opinions. I know it works for some, but I have also had many, many discussions, both on the Internet and IRL, where it has been a royal PITA and caused more problems than you can imagine. That's why. :)

[Ellie]

yes she was. :) Sorry for the confusion. This will be her first year at home.

Ok, got it. :)

 

I would not start her homeschool experience by holding her back a grade on paper. What would she say to her friends who know that she would be going into 6th grade in the fall? or the other children in Sunday school or other acivities? What will you say to the grandparents? Because it will come up.

 

Academically she's fine. Let her mature without making her feel bad that she was held back a year just because of her birthday.

[ondreeuh]

It's worked well for us. My son was working below grade level in language arts, so an extra year of 4th grade gave him time to catch up to grade level. We switched math programs (not by my choice) and he had to review a year of math after all because of the different presentation. At least he didn't get behind in that too.

 

He is entering 5th grade and now has the ability to write a paragraph about something he's learned, and I'm glad he was given time to develop that skill before moving into middle-school material, KWIM? Our history and science will be fuller because he can notebook his way through it.

[gingersmom]

Ok, got it. :)

 

I would not start her homeschool experience by holding her back a grade on paper. What would she say to her friends who know that she would be going into 6th grade in the fall? or the other children in Sunday school or other acivities? What will you say to the grandparents? Because it will come up.

 

Academically she's fine. Let her mature without making her feel bad that she was held back a year just because of her birthday.

 

Why is she going to feel bad? There is nothing to be ashamed of. My daughter did 7th grade twice. Everyone knows-friends, strangers, grandparents. I don't get the shame part.

 

It is extremely common at boarding schools for kids to repeat a grade. They are not hiding in shame in their rooms.

[swellmomma]

I did this with each of my older kids with 5th grade. I had them do it twice on paper. One has a sept 1 birthday (had been a prem so should have been a sept 30th one) and the other late July. Their second year in 5th was like a 5/6 split level. They needed that year for maturity reasons more than academics though the extra year to catch up in academics was well worth it. I had ds8 do grade 1 twice for similar reasons, though for him it was more due to academics than maturity, he has a late Aug birthday after being a prem too and needed that extra year.

[Elfinlady]

I am doing this with my daughter. We did 5th grade this year, and we will do it again in the fall. She has an August birthday, and she really needs the extra year to mature. Better to do it now than later.

[meggie]

I would go ahead and do it. I was tempted to call this school year Pigby's 1st grade year since he's working mostly at a first grade level. I held back to keep all my options open. I think it would be easier to graduate him early if I had to. Adding in an extra year or trying to cram things in before he graduates would be harder. And so far as the "shame" thing goes, I would just teach her to laugh it off a little when asked. "Oh yeah, my mom decided it would be better to call me a sixth grader on paper, but I still work on level." Or something like that. I don't think there needs to be any shame in it.

 

(admittedly my only experience is with a 6 year old. feel free to disregard if you must)

[snowbeltmom]

She asked our opinions. I know it works for some, but I have also had many, many discussions, both on the Internet and IRL, where it has been a royal PITA and caused more problems than you can imagine. That's why. :)

Would you be able to elaborate on the discussions you have had regarding the problems graduating high school at age 18 has caused?

[amy g.]

I'd wait.

 

My oldest has a mid August birthday plus several learning disabilities. I always planned to hold her back a year, but she matured and caught up.

 

She just graduated high school at 17.

 

I'm glad that I waited.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'd wait.

 

My oldest has a mid August birthday plus several learning disabilities. I always planned to hold her back a year, but she matured and caught up.

 

She just graduated high school at 17.

 

I'm glad that I waited.

 

Why would it matter in homeschool? If I have her take the 4th grade SAT two years running, because that is where she places now, why can't I have her skip to the 10th grade SAT between after 8th grade if that is where she placed then? Other than for something "official" like that, what "grade" level she is in doesn't matter, right? I mean, some kids graduate at age 12, so it must be possible to skip grades if needed.

[edelweiss]

Based on the information you provided, I would definitely strongly consider giving your DD a "gap" year.

[Jann in TX]

My oldest dd has a late August b-day.

She started Kinder in PS at age 4 (almost 5). Youngest AND smallest in class. Rinse and repeat for 1st grade.

 

DD was 'fine' academically--but socially and maturity wise she was NOT.

 

We had her repeat 1st again and it was the best thing we ever did.

 

--

I teach high school math-- that one year of (mental) maturity will make a HUGE difference when she hits Algebra.

 

High school transcripts will NOT show anything about the elementary years...

 

As a homeschooler you really do not have to make the call now. I have a 10 yr old dd-- January b-day. She just completed 4th grade. She is wonderful and mature for 10--BUT she is NOT at the same level as the girls who are completing 5th grade... academically she would be OK--but not maturity wise.

 

I vote on the gap year... if you attend church or other organizations talk with her about making the change now-- it really should be no big deal... and she/you will feel more comfortable with her peers on the same maturity level.

[TechWife]

I think this is a great age to do this - before the middle school years. They are really tough on kids, even those who are home schooled. Also, once you hit the high school years, it might be a more difficult emotional/peer group adjustment. It would be easy for you to graduate her "early" if she catches up maturity wise, harder to hold her back in future years if she doesn't.

[Ellie]

Would you be able to elaborate on the discussions you have had regarding the problems graduating high school at age 18 has caused?

:confused:

 

I have no idea what you mean.

 

Are you thinking that 18 is "young" or "old"?

 

:confused:

[Jean in Newcastle]

:confused:

 

I have no idea what you mean.

 

Are you thinking that 18 is "young" or "old"?

 

:confused:

 

The OP's child will be 18 when she graduates if she is held back a year. You seemed to think that would be a problem.

[kitten18]

I don't understand why this is such a hot topic for you? It has worked for many of us. Others choose differently. No biggie.

I agree. Every. Single. Time. :confused:

[Ellie]

The OP's child will be 18 when she graduates if she is held back a year. You seemed to think that would be a problem.

Besides the fact that she'd be graduating a year behind all of her friends, the time in between now and then can be problematic, which is mainly my concern.

 

Look, it's my hot button, but I was pretty sure that the OP wanted opinions. I gave her mine. It is different from most of yours. Don't we want people to hear both sides of a situation? Won't they make better decisions if they do?

 

I have long, involved stories of others that brought me to this opinon, not just my own experience (FTR, I graduated both my dds when they were 16yo). It is why I err on the side of caution when it comes to mucking about with the Official Grade Level on Paper. We never know when those things are going to come back to bite us, and if we can avoid some of them by doing somethng as simple as leaving the Official Grade Level where it is, well, seems to me that's a good thing.

[Jan in SC]

Besides the fact that she'd be graduating a year behind all of her friends, the time in between now and then can be problematic, which is mainly my concern.

 

Look, it's my hot button, but I was pretty sure that the OP wanted opinions. I gave her mine. It is different from most of yours. Don't we want people to hear both sides of a situation? Won't they make better decisions if they do?

 

I have long, involved stories of others that brought me to this opinon, not just my own experience (FTR, I graduated both my dds when they were 16yo). It is why I err on the side of caution when it comes to mucking about with the Official Grade Level on Paper. We never know when those things are going to come back to bite us, and if we can avoid some of them by doing somethng as simple as leaving the Official Grade Level where it is, well, seems to me that's a good thing.

 

Did your dds have issues going off to college at such a young age? I have a child that we held back for maturity reasons, and long range planning (early college) was a big reason. I was concerned about sending such a young "adult" off for serious academic work.

[TechWife]

Besides the fact that she'd be graduating a year behind all of her friends

 

I don't think this would be a concern with a home schooled student. In this setting, friends tend to span one or two years in either direction, sometimes more. I find that traditional elementary, middle & high school settings are the only places where people are segregated by age.

 

the time in between now and then can be problematic, which is mainly my concern.

 

Can you explain what you mean by "problematic," perhaps with examples if you're not sure how to generalize? This is puzzling to me.

 

Don't we want people to hear both sides of a situation? Won't they make better decisions if they do?

Of course - but a more specific explanation of the issues you've observed would help in understanding your perspective.

 

I don't think anyone is challenging your right to have a different opinion on this, just asking you give more detailed information so that we can understand your perspective better.

 

I have long, involved stories of others that brought me to this opinon, not just my own experience (FTR, I graduated both my dds when they were 16yo). It is why I err on the side of caution when it comes to mucking about with the Official Grade Level on Paper.

 

Can you share the stories? This would help people understand.

 

We never know when those things are going to come back to bite us, and if we can avoid some of them by doing somethng as simple as leaving the Official Grade Level where it is, well, seems to me that's a good thing.

 

From what I have seen, if a grade level is not appropriate to the student (either ahead of or behind their age-mates) then that can create problems as well. Either one can result in placing kids who are immature in situations, both social and academic, for which they are not able to cope effectively. This can have long term consequences for the individual and those around them.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

I can see why you want to hold her back, and I have encouraged others to do so in various situations.

 

BUT....I'm glad, in our case, I didn't hold them back for two reasons: size and academic strengths.

 

My two late August dc (dd21, and ds17) both ended up being extremely tall. Dd is 5'11", and ds is 6'6". They were both almost full grown at 13.5. They were homeschooled but in co-op classes, so grade levels were important, but not as crucial as in a public school. My dc already didn't look like they fit in, and I was glad they weren't in groups where they were the oldest and that much larger than everyone else.

 

Ds17 seemed to struggle a bit in writing in the 5th grade, but excelled in math. I could have easily justified holding him back. Today, as a graduate, his highest ACT score was in English! He also took Calc II as a senior this year. If I had held him back, I wouldn't know what to do with him now.

 

Dd 21 struggled in math all the way through school, but by the time she was a senior, she really needed to move to college level for all other academic areas. She only had to take one math class in college and she did fine.

 

Since your dd is not behind in all areas, I would just call her 5th/6th and wait until later to assign a label.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I don't think this would be a concern with a home schooled student. In this setting, friends tend to span one or two years in either direction, sometimes more. I find that traditional elementary, middle & high school settings are the only places where people are segregated by age.

 

 

 

Can you explain what you mean by "problematic," perhaps with examples if you're not sure how to generalize? This is puzzling to me.

 

 

Of course - but a more specific explanation of the issues you've observed would help in understanding your perspective.

 

I don't think anyone is challenging your right to have a different opinion on this, just asking you give more detailed information so that we can understand your perspective better.

 

 

 

Can you share the stories? This would help people understand.

 

 

 

From what I have seen, if a grade level is not appropriate to the student (either ahead of or behind their age-mates) then that can create problems as well. Either one can result in placing kids who are immature in situations, both social and academic, for which they are not able to cope effectively. This can have long term consequences for the individual and those around them.

 

:iagree:

 

The thing in the OP's case and mine, is that we had already messed with the official grade level back when they were in kindergarten and first grade. What is under consideration is fixing that by putting them back to where they officially would have been if not homeschooling because we're seeing the impact of maturity on the content, social interactions, etc.

[Dana]

 

The thing in the OP's case and mine, is that we had already messed with the official grade level back when they were in kindergarten and first grade. What is under consideration is fixing that by putting them back to where they officially would have been if not homeschooling because we're seeing the impact of maturity on the content, social interactions, etc.

 

I thought OPs child was in the correct grade for age.

 

In my state the cutoff is Sept 1. My son has a late August birthday, so he is in the correct grade for his age. We just finished 4th grade and are about to start 5th. He will start 6th at 10.

 

We are also talking about doing a repeat so he'd be the oldest rather than the youngest. But it would be the repeat that's messing with official grade level in our case.

 

I'd want the repeat sooner rather than later for testing purposes and for high school courses. I also like the idea of my son going to college at 18 rather than 17.

[NanceXToo]

My daughter started out in public school and was the youngest in her class with a birthday right on the 10/1 cutoff date. If she had been born a day later, she would have had to wait a year. The following year they moved the cutoff date to 9/1. She'd have missed it by a month.

 

While she did well academically I was subsequently sorry I had put her in the classroom so young. Maturity wise she had a little trouble staying still and quiet all day and spent too many K and 1st grade days losing recess as a punishment for talking too much.

 

I pulled her out of school toward the end of third grade and homeschooled her the rest of that year, all of 4th and all of 5th. This year as we started 6th, I decided I was going to stretch it out over a two year period and get her back to where she would have been if I had waited the extra year, to where most other kids her age are.

 

Not because she struggles academically, but because I think she would get more out of the reading, research, and writing she is expected to do in upper middle school and high school. And because I think if she graduates at 18 instead of 17, she will be more mentally and socially and emotionally prepared for the next stage of her life.

 

This year doing sixth grade materials at half pace with some supplementing to keep it interesting/varied/busy enough has gone well.

 

In the fall we will do the same thing with the second half of our sixth grade materials. So far I am not second guessing this decision at all and can't see anything but good coming out of it.

 

As for her friends, they are of all ages and couldn't care less what grade my daughter is deemed to be in.

 

I think you should go for it.

Edited May 26, 2012 by NanceXToo
thing, not thong. :P

[Jean in Newcastle]

I thought OPs child was in the correct grade for age.

 

In my state the cutoff is Sept 1. My son has a late August birthday, so he is in the correct grade for his age. We just finished 4th grade and are about to start 5th. He will start 6th at 10.

 

We are also talking about doing a repeat so he'd be the oldest rather than the youngest. But it would be the repeat that's messing with official grade level in our case.

 

I'd want the repeat sooner rather than later for testing purposes and for high school courses. I also like the idea of my son going to college at 18 rather than 17.

 

Maybe I misread that? She said that she was young for her grade but I hadn't thought about it still being within the cut-off. Not that that matters regarding advice but I don't want to say things that aren't true. In my case my dd's birthday is way after the cut-off so I definitely had messed with the official grade level at the beginning and lived to regret it.

[Word Nerd]

This is my thinking as well. I would much rather her graduate at 18 then at 17. I graduated at 17 and would have preferred to have graduated at 18 as well.

 

Why, just out of curiosity? Both my DDs will be 17 at graduation because they have summer birthdays. I don't see why it matters, as they'll be 18 a few weeks or months after they graduate rather than a few weeks or months before like many of their classmates.

[scrappyhappymama]

One of the best things about homeschooling are all the options available. :001_smile:

 

Another possibility would be taking a "gap" half year instead of a full year. This is what we did with our oldest son and now his school year tracks the calendar year instead of the traditional school year. So one year, rather than advancing him a grade in September, we waited and did it in January.

 

For us, it was not an academic decision, but more of a maturity and size issue. Our son has a summer birthday, so he was already one of the younger students and he is also quite small for his age. We also had some family events that affected our homeschooling for a short time period, so it gave us the extra time we needed to get back on track. It also allowed me to standardize our homeschooling a bit more, since our second son was already on a calendar year school year.

 

For us, it's been ideal because we have flexibility each year with how to calculate his grade level for various activities. Most sports go by birthdate rather than grade, so we sign him up based on birthdate. With scouts, since he was involved before we made the change, he uses the grade level he'll advance to in January and it works out just fine. When we made the change, we did NOT frame it as being "held back", because it was not done for academic reasons. We simply explained to him that we had decided to adjust his schedule to match his brother's and that it would give him some more time to finish the work we were currently doing. When kids or adults ask what grade he's going into in the fall, he'll usually either just answer his current grade or say he'll move to the next grade in January. It doesn't have to be a big deal.

 

Academically, it doesn't have a big effect on us. We've always schooled year round anyway and continued on in each subject regardless of grade level, so in some areas he works ahead of grade level and some on grade level. There are a few areas where we've changed curriculum and so we're technically behind grade level, but each child works at his ability, so I am not terribly concerned about the grade level labels.

 

Another benefit to switching to a calendar year grade level is that our oldest is no longer on track to graduate at 17. For him, I think this is a good thing. He is the type who stresses out about growing up and was worried about "having to leave for college as soon as he turns 18," even though we reassured him that there are many different ways to approach college and we have no intention of kicking him out the door on his 18th birthday. Of course, I am sure his perspective will change as he matures, but the way we are structured now, he has the flexibility to go either way. If as a teen, he decides he wants to work more quickly and "catch back up" to his original grade level, then he'll have only a half year to catch up on, and since he already works above grade level in several subjects I don't think this will be a problem. On the other hand, if he is content where he is, then we'll use the extra half year in his senior year to allow him to take more classes at the local junior college or pursue additional educational interests, and be able to transition more easily into college that way. Either way, I like the idea of having that flexibility down the line.

 

 

For the OP, I think whichever way you decide to proceed can work out well. Most people recommend a cooling off period between public schooling and homeschooling, so taking some gap time to get adjusted to homeschooling is not only common, but often recommended. Obviously, that has to be accounted for somehow, and I think you can see that there are pros and cons to the various options. But as a homeschooler, you have the flexibility to choose what works best for your family!

[OnTheBrink]

I plan to do this with my dd. She's young for her grade. Although, I'm calling it a "college prep" year. It'll be the year between when she graduates and when we put her in college full-time. And, it's mostly a maturity issue. Her academics are fine. Also, if she happens to mature faster and doesn't need the extra year, nothing is lost.

[Twilight Woods]

Maybe I misread that? She said that she was young for her grade but I hadn't thought about it still being within the cut-off. Not that that matters regarding advice but I don't want to say things that aren't true. In my case my dd's birthday is way after the cut-off so I definitely had messed with the official grade level at the beginning and lived to regret it.

 

 

Our cut off is Sept 1st. So according to our state she is in the correct grade.... BUT I did have the option of not sending her to K. I could have waited.

[Twilight Woods]

Why, just out of curiosity? Both my DDs will be 17 at graduation because they have summer birthdays. I don't see why it matters, as they'll be 18 a few weeks or months after they graduate rather than a few weeks or months before like many of their classmates.

 

 

Maturity.

[Twilight Woods]

Thank you for posting this. We are going to be schooling year round so this is definitly something to consider. We are doing a period of deschooling before starting our school year up. The only requirement she has is Math and Reading.

 

 

 

One of the best things about homeschooling are all the options available. :001_smile:

 

Another possibility would be taking a "gap" half year instead of a full year. This is what we did with our oldest son and now his school year tracks the calendar year instead of the traditional school year. So one year, rather than advancing him a grade in September, we waited and did it in January.

 

For us, it was not an academic decision, but more of a maturity and size issue. Our son has a summer birthday, so he was already one of the younger students and he is also quite small for his age. We also had some family events that affected our homeschooling for a short time period, so it gave us the extra time we needed to get back on track. It also allowed me to standardize our homeschooling a bit more, since our second son was already on a calendar year school year.

 

For us, it's been ideal because we have flexibility each year with how to calculate his grade level for various activities. Most sports go by birthdate rather than grade, so we sign him up based on birthdate. With scouts, since he was involved before we made the change, he uses the grade level he'll advance to in January and it works out just fine. When we made the change, we did NOT frame it as being "held back", because it was not done for academic reasons. We simply explained to him that we had decided to adjust his schedule to match his brother's and that it would give him some more time to finish the work we were currently doing. When kids or adults ask what grade he's going into in the fall, he'll usually either just answer his current grade or say he'll move to the next grade in January. It doesn't have to be a big deal.

 

Academically, it doesn't have a big effect on us. We've always schooled year round anyway and continued on in each subject regardless of grade level, so in some areas he works ahead of grade level and some on grade level. There are a few areas where we've changed curriculum and so we're technically behind grade level, but each child works at his ability, so I am not terribly concerned about the grade level labels.

 

Another benefit to switching to a calendar year grade level is that our oldest is no longer on track to graduate at 17. For him, I think this is a good thing. He is the type who stresses out about growing up and was worried about "having to leave for college as soon as he turns 18," even though we reassured him that there are many different ways to approach college and we have no intention of kicking him out the door on his 18th birthday. Of course, I am sure his perspective will change as he matures, but the way we are structured now, he has the flexibility to go either way. If as a teen, he decides he wants to work more quickly and "catch back up" to his original grade level, then he'll have only a half year to catch up on, and since he already works above grade level in several subjects I don't think this will be a problem. On the other hand, if he is content where he is, then we'll use the extra half year in his senior year to allow him to take more classes at the local junior college or pursue additional educational interests, and be able to transition more easily into college that way. Either way, I like the idea of having that flexibility down the line.

 

 

For the OP, I think whichever way you decide to proceed can work out well. Most people recommend a cooling off period between public schooling and homeschooling, so taking some gap time to get adjusted to homeschooling is not only common, but often recommended. Obviously, that has to be accounted for somehow, and I think you can see that there are pros and cons to the various options. But as a homeschooler, you have the flexibility to choose what works best for your family!

[Twilight Woods]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts on this. I have a lot to consider and this has been helpful!