*If* you use grade levels, and *if* you school through the summer

[razorbackmama]

At what point do you "declare" your child the next grade up? In traditional schools, once the school year ends, children are considered the next grade. My poor kids have no idea when they'll be in the next grade, and, quite frankly, neither do I! So I'd love to hear what others do.

[MomatHWTK]

We my kids will be finished with their current "grade" when we finish our required days and will start the next grade July 1- the first calendar day of the new year.

[fraidycat]

My kids will advance "grades" on Sept. 1, irregardless of the grade # on the books we're working on.

[happymomofboys]

According to my state the school year officially ends June 30th, so I just promote them July 1st.

[Lucy the Valiant]

We do it end of May / beginning of June, when their traditionally-schooled friends are done for the year.

 

The stuff we do over the summer is "working ahead" on the next grade so that we're free to take some guilt-free beach days in September. :) (That's the explanation they use for their friends.)

[Lily_Grace]

We have a first of year celebration at the beginning of Sept. I put fun school supplies in a Schultuete and we take the day off to celebrate a new beginning.

[my2boysteacher]

We do it end of May / beginning of June, when their traditionally-schooled friends are done for the year.

 

The stuff we do over the summer is "working ahead" on the next grade so that we're free to take some guilt-free beach days in September. :) (That's the explanation they use for their friends.)

 

:iagree: We take the kids out for a nice dinner and give them a homemade 'diploma' to signify the end of our school year. We take a week or two off, then jump right back in with summer school.

[ErinE]

We school through the summer, but take a break around July for family visits. So August 1st is the start of our calendar year. The kids don't really notice other than that's when we usually start new unit studies.

[ALB]

We officially finished a week ago. I made diplomas and we had a simple family

"ceremony" which we video taped. It was super cute! Then, we started up again on Monday- no break. The kids were really excited to just be in their new grades, even though the only real difference was a new handwriting workbook for each of them. All the other subjects' curricula had already been started.

[ChicoryChick]

We do not school year round but I do count some days in summer for school if they are academically oriented. When I lived in PA our new school year would be July 1 to June 1. Where I live now, school starts and ends earlier so I count June 1 - May 31 our school year.

[happypamama]

We finished our required 180 days plus a few, because I wanted them to finish a little more work in a few subjects, and when they were done, we made a big deal out of officially promoting them at dinner that night, which they liked a lot. (My 3yo said, "Mommy! Me want do 'koolwork too, be pa-moted." He was thrilled to be declared officially a preschooler.)

 

We're on a brief break (of a few weeks, not the whole summer), but we'll start up again in early July, which is when our state lets us start counting days. So while we did declare them to be in 5th and 2nd, they're not actually doing any work that counts for those grades yet. And it does matter, because in our state, testing is required in certain grades. I can call them whatever grade I want, even skipping grades if I so choose, but if I declare a child to be a 5th grader, I need to stick with that and get the testing done. I also assign them grades based on where they'd be if they were in a public school, partly because people often ask kids what grade they're in, and this gives my kids an easy answer to give.

[khall]

My kids attended school for a couple years, and both of them pick a few classes each year to go in for (band, art, music, etc), so figuring out what grade they're in, and when we start or end the year, has never been an issue for us.

 

They know what grade they're in (and it doesn't necessarily match their academic skills ;)), they know when school starts and ends, and they are quite pleased to end sooner and begin later than the school does.

 

We do some schoolwork through the summer, mostly to keep things from falling out of their brains, and that's never seemed to affect how they think about their grade level. They seem to think of their grades the same way they did when they attended school, and that's actually handy. During the summer, despite continuing to do work, they tell people "I'll be going into X grade this fall".

[Closeacademy]

I have them move up to the next grade after our May break. So in June we start the new school year.:001_smile:

[TheAutumnOak]

We finished our required 180 days plus a few, because I wanted them to finish a little more work in a few subjects, and when they were done, we made a big deal out of officially promoting them at dinner that night, which they liked a lot. (My 3yo said, "Mommy! Me want do 'koolwork too, be pa-moted." He was thrilled to be declared officially a preschooler.)

 

 

 

:lol:

[ErinD]

We don't worry too much about grade levels, so every September when the schools go back we just assign her the grade that she'd be if she were in school.

[MissKNG]

Since I have to report to the state, I just follow the ps schedule when it comes to going up to the next grade level. So even though we school year round, we move up a grade level in September.

[KarenNC]

Our homeschool group does an annual recognition/graduation ceremony and, early on, my daughter decided that meant she was now x grade. Works fine when the ceremony is in early June, as it was this year. The year it was in mid-April (can't remember why) was a bit more problematic ;).

[musicianmom]

I don't school during the whole summer, but we start our new school year in July. It's a mental thing with my oldest dd. Her b-day is the end of June, and in her mind, b-day = school promotion.

[Mississippi Mama]

At what point do you "declare" your child the next grade up? In traditional schools, once the school year ends, children are considered the next grade. My poor kids have no idea when they'll be in the next grade, and, quite frankly, neither do I! So I'd love to hear what others do.

We school year-round and my kids are already asking "What grade am I in?" so....b/c we are finishing up some school this summer I told them once Labor Day gets here in September and we start our new year AND our sunday school classes roll over to the new grades THEN they can officially say they are in the next grade.

 

But I have done it other ways. Year before last we had a kindergarten graduation for one of my at our co-op and we did not do summer school so we bumped all the kids up then.

[lionfamily1999]

After they have taken their standardized tests for the year. Dd is a little behind and finishing up her reports, but the boys are both in the next grade. We tested this week :)

[Farrar]

We don't focus much on grade level, but I do let them open new school supplies and pronounce them in the next grade in the fall, after a break.

[lionfamily1999]

I don't school during the whole summer, but we start our new school year in July. It's a mental thing with my oldest dd. Her b-day is the end of June, and in her mind, b-day = school promotion.

 

When it was only my older ds we did this, his bday is in May. When dd, December bday, started hsing I had to change my approach.

[...................]

We take 2-3 weeks off at the end of every year. I think some closure and a small break is healthy. Usually, I also print a certificate of completion off a free Internet certificate site, that says they completed the previous grade. And we always have a pizza party!!!

 

When we start up again that's when we declare their new grades.

[ByGrace3]

We move up when our church promotes to the next grade, iin July.

[KAR120C]

So we "finish" a grade just before he leaves and "start" the next when he gets back.

[Dinsfamily]

I arbitrarily set June 1st as the first day of school so that is when the boys are promoted. The only reason I did that was because ds8 started Kinder at home with me that day 3 years ago and it stuck. We go on a big vacation in July and it would make more sense to start the year on Aug 1st but I doubt I'll ever change it.

[boscopup]

Our year ends at the end of May when schools get out here. At that point, I promote to the next grade. We start the new year at the end of June. Actually, we're starting June 18 this year. I'm feeling done with break. Lol. So we'll do camp next week, then start school. It well be a half load until August.

[2_girls_mommy]

We have an official start date that pretty much coincides with the local P.S. At that time I declare them the next grade level, and we will start all new curriculum.

 

But even now in the summer that they are finishing up their work, we all it summer school, and say that they have finished 2nd and 4th grade already. They are just working a little to finish up the ends of the books and to stay fresh. Officially for VBS and other things they are now 3rd and 5th graders.

[Kathryn]

We start our year on July 1 as the accountability groups we looked at use July 1-June 30 for a year. We start at the beginning of July, take breaks as we want and finish when we do. We finished May 18 this year, had a couple of weeks at home while I prepared for next school year, are in the middle of three weeks of travel, and then will spend two weeks at home catching up on housework before starting up again.

[SkateLeft]

I pretty much do the same thing the public schools do.

 

This week, I told my K'er that he's a 1st grader now. He'll be a 1st grader until about this time next year.

 

My other kids don't really care.

[Alice]

We have an official start date that pretty much coincides with the local P.S. At that time I declare them the next grade level, and we will start all new curriculum.

 

But even now in the summer that they are finishing up their work, we all it summer school, and say that they have finished 2nd and 4th grade already. They are just working a little to finish up the ends of the books and to stay fresh. Officially for VBS and other things they are now 3rd and 5th graders.

 

This is kind of us. We do a "light school" schedule in the summer. My guys do swimming and diving and for that 6 weeks we're pretty much at the pool all day. But they'll do reading and a little math and a little latin. And we'll finish up some history and science.

 

Yesterday we "finished". It was a little anti-climactic. I said "Hey, you're done with 3rd grade and K." They cheered. :) We'll take a week completely off and then start the lighter school.

 

We'll have a first day of school sometime in August or Sept. It depends a bit on things like camp and out of town guests. For that I made the day a bit special, they get new school supplies and we officially call them the next grade.

 

I'd like to do even more of a year-round schedule but it's hard with the swimming which they love and with things like camps. We don't have to count days so I don't have to worry too much about being exact.

[Mommee & Baba]

I have always just assumed they are the next grade level up when they finish the years lessons for the main subjects we had planned.

 

We always work through the summer to finish up any loose ends, but I still consider them the next grade up when majority of their school lessons have been completed.

 

Today my dd9 will officially be finishing 3rd grade. However she still has reading, math, & spelling levels to tighten loose ends up on before August.

 

My dd7 has officially finished 1st grade 2 weeks ago. However she too will be working on reading, spelling, & math through the summer. She is however already ahead an entire grade level on those subjects, but enjoys and thrives with structure even through the summer.

[Wabi Sabi]

Ds has been telling everyone that he just finished first grade and will be in second grade in the fall. He's still doing work this summer, but I don't think he needs to be assigned an official grade right now. He certainly doesn't seem to care.

[Karen in CO]

At the end of the traditional school year, people start asking my kids questions about what grade they're going into instead of asking what grade they're in. Even if we haven't finished with the school year yet, they answer with the next year's grade. I'm not even really sure that my youngest knows that she still has another two weeks of school left. I had learned my lesson with my older dd who was always confused about her grade-level. It made her uncomfortable talking to adults because she knew they'd ask and she wasn't certain of the correct answer. Since I discovered her confusion, we've made a point of letting them know what grade they're in since it is the number one question that adults will ask a kid.

[angela in ohio]

We school year round, and I use grade levels.

 

Officially, early July, because we take a few weeks off in July for a holiday and then start the new year. But when we talk to others, dc know that from early June on, people really want to know what grade they will be next year.

[Ellie]

I, too, always "promoted" my dc in the fall, regardless of anything else, because it's just too confusing to do it any other time. I used the cut-off date in my state and my dc's birthdays to determine that grade level (dds were 6 in May, and so were "first grade" that September).

 

And each September I'd look dds in the eyeball and say, "Presto chang-o! You're now a third grader! Go forth and prosper!" :D

[Matryoshka]

According to my state the school year officially ends June 30th, so I just promote them July 1st.

 

:iagree: This.

[HootyTooty]

When receive back our test scores, we say we are in the next grade.

[NatashainDFW]

We promote June 1. That is when they promote for boy scouts and the first Sunday of the month of June is promotion Sunday for Sunday School so they move up for that. We still work on stuff through the summer three days a week.

[Dmmetler]

The end of the school year here-because that's when DD's friends consider themselves the next grade level. We do review/light school in the summer, but don't start new books and materials until August when everyone goes back. I do school lightly in the summer, since DD benefits from the consistency, and do record those days just in case I need to use them for some reason-but so far, we've never been under the 180 during the August-May school year.

[bluemongoose]

My kids will advance "grades" on Sept. 1, regardless of the grade # on the books we're working on.

 

 

This is what we do here as well. We also take off the last week of August to hang out with any PS friends before they return to school and so I can get the last min things ready for the subjects that we do not use in the summer. Although we school through the summer, we do a bit less than we do during the school year.

[Chelli]

We don't worry too much about grade levels, so every September when the schools go back we just assign her the grade that she'd be if she were in school.

 

:iagree: That's exactly what we do except our schools start back in the middle of August. We have a little promotion ceremony where dad (the principal) hands them a certificate telling them they have done great work and are now in the next grade.

 

Technically, though, neither of my children will start the next grade level work until January 2013, but it just makes it easier for Sunday school, sports, co-op, etc. if we promote when everyone else begins their new grades as well.

[thefragile7393]

When the new year starts in August for public school is when he is officially in the next grade. If he wasn't progressing so well I would probably keep him where he was until I felt that he had mastered the big skills for his current grade.

[Bloggermom]

We switch over on the first Monday after their birthday.

Edited June 8, 2012 by Bloggermom

[ljswriter]

We school year-round even though the home charter we work with closes for the summer. My DD is officially "promoted" to the next grade level as soon as the school year ends (which was May 30 this year). However, we don't actually begin instruction in the next grade's work until fall session in August. I use our summer session for enrichment and remediation to help her catch up and get ready for the coming term (she has LDs).

[justamouse]

My kids are all over the map, but for the sake of a 'grade level', when they move up to the next level in Math, that's when I 'move them up'.

[Walking-Iris]

We're taking a longer summer break this year, but usually we school until the end of June. July and most of August are summer break and then we start with new things in the last week of August usually. I advance my kids a grade each Fall just like the ps would, regardless of where they are in abilities. The "grade level" of our different subjects are either at, above, or below depending so grade levels aren't that important. I use grades as a clue for buying materials and for things like sports, co-op etc. My ds also likes to be able to tell someone what grade he is in. He likes the feeling of being *done* with 3rd grade and moving on to 4th. In reality though we keep working with something, regardless of it's "grade" level until we're satisfied we've learned it and are ready to move on.

[Dinsfamily]

My kids are all over the map, but for the sake of a 'grade level', when they move up to the next level in Math, that's when I 'move them up'.

 

Mine are too. They aren't doing much that is their actual grade level and we always start the next thing when a subject or book is finished. Our promotion has to do with age-related grade levels as opposed to schoolwork. I did buy them a few new things (WWW and logic) to start the new year off with a bang, but I ordered them too early. They started them before the new year kick-off. :lol: We did end up getting ice cream drinks from Sonic to celebrate the new year. That's a pretty big deal around here.

[MeganW]

We did kindergarten graduation with the homeschool group, and my youngest had preschool graduation, so they are definitely done with the old grades.

 

I told them they were "in transition" until we start CC & co-op back up in the fall. So they will be the new grade mid-August. Or for the summer you could say they are "rising 1st graders" if they are moving from kindergarten to 1st grade.

Edited June 8, 2012 by MeganW

[Classically Minded]

When we finish the majority of the curriculum at a certain grade level, I declare she finished ___ grade. We school year-round, we are finishing up most of 2nd grade curriculum by the middle of July so she will have finished 2nd grade. We will start 3rd grade as we start the new curriculum. I don't have any set dates that we do this, just as long as it takes us to finish the majority of the grade level curriculum.