Working alone- what can I expect at each grade level?

[Jerico]

I'm not sure what to expect for the future. What (if anything) can a 1st grader do on their own? 2nd? and so on?

 

I tried searching but didn't come up with anything. Any previous posts or websites/blogs will be helpful too. Thanks.

[Dmmetler]

I don't know what you can expect, but I saw a major jump in independence at 3rd grade. She still wants me close by, but needs less hand-holding.

[boscopup]

It will vary by child and curriculum (some are designed to be more or less mom intensive).

 

First grade? My oldest did nothing on his own except reading. My middle son will be first grade next year, I don't think he'll have anything independent.

 

Second grade... I made spelling mostly independent (using workbook program). I made math and English less dependent - teach the lesson, assign problems. Everything else was with mom.

 

Third grade... I teach math and English much like last year, and we do writing, history, science, and Latin together. Handwriting and spelling are independent. Probably about half or a bit more of his daily work is done while I go do something else (teaching other kid, housework, etc.).

 

Note that it's not uncommon for third grader to be LESS independent than my son. Independence often occurs closer to the logic stage, from what I've heard.

[PachiSusan]

I'm dealing with this right now. She WANTS total independence, but when I try to give her space she wants me to stay next to her in case she needs me. Thus my ability to post during school hours. :thumbup1:

 

Oh - ETA she is in 4th grade - 9 years old.

[AK_Mom4]

For us - not much before about age 10. Once they could read well, they could do some independently, but still needed me right there. About age 9 or 10, they could reliably read the instructions and get it done, but needed oversight to stay on task and frequent explanations. These days, DD11 mostly checks her planner, gets her work out and gets it done - but she is a very independent kiddo.

 

When I had a high schooler home, she did everything herself and I just checked her work.

[Wheres Toto]

My son is doing a mix of 2nd and 3rd grade but is 7 1/2. He can do his handwriting (HWT) independently, read an assigned book, a few math puzzlers, his grammar workbook, and on rare occasion some of his other math. Those are the things he does while I work with my dd but I am still sitting right next to him, or he would get distracted and go off to do something else.

[bolt.]

In 2nd grade, my dd can do 1 or 2 worksheets of math or grammar, then likes the encouragement of being visited by me before the next few, etc. I usually carry on with my own tasks near at hand to where she is working and just keep checking in with her to keep her encouraged and on task.

 

She will read and play for a 90 minute stretch, which includes multiple sessions of silent independent reading for 10 or 20 minutes.

 

She will work on printing assignments for an hour or more, but likes me to visit every 2 or 3 sentences.

 

She does snap circuits and other building if art projects independently for 40 minute stretches, when she is interested.

 

I teach all new concepts: I don't expect her to read something unknown and 'learn it' well enough to just go ahead and do it. I do try and get her to learn just content from reading and audio books.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Even in high school I do not expect my children to teach themselves new concepts or to do everything independently. Ds works independently much of the day but I am very much involved and know exactly what he's working on and what he understands and what he doesn't understand.

 

Dd11 - 5th grade - reads history independently and checks in with me. Reads science independently and checks in with me. We do experiments together. Does writing with me. Does handwriting independently. Does spelling with me. Does math with me. Does art and music with me. Does Japanese with me.

[Aurelia]

DD is 8, doing mostly 4th grade work. Reading (additional books for history and science, plus some literature) and handwriting are independent. For the most part, math is also, as long as someone is available to answer her questions and check her work. She could do the history reading by herself, but there's still discussion to be done, at minimum. She prefers to have someone to work with, that's just her personality.

[MinivanMom]

This is the pattern we have used in regards to work in the Basics:

PK-K - I sit beside them and we do everything one-on-one

1st - I teach any new concepts, give an assignment, and then let them work. I'm still close by if they have a question or need help with anything. I intervene if necessary.

2nd-3rd - I still teach new concepts, give an assignment, and let them work. I no longer help them with the assignment. I encourage them to spend more time trying to figure things out independently. I encourage them to skip a problem if they are really stuck and come back to it. I am still nearby as they are working, but I don't check their work until they have finished the entire assignment.

 

At this point my 3rd grader is pretty independent. When it's time for school, she will get her math books out. If she is learning a new concept then she will wait for me to teach her, but if it's a review then she will just dive right in and start to work. She brings the math to me to check, then she will dive straight into her writing folder. After having me check her writing, she will put on her French cd by herself and listen before I even tell her which pages to complete for the day. I am always nearby, though. Usually, I am sitting right at the table working with younger children. I don't ever give an assignment and walk off to check my email in another room. We do science, history, and literature read-alouds as a group: read, narrate, and discuss.All of her reading is done independently, after schoolwork is done. I do try to ask her about her reading and we often discuss books.

[kdownie]

My oldest is in 1st, so I don't have much experience but at our house....

 

Preschool and Kindergarten... I sit beside them and work through everything together, except art related stuff like coloring or painting or whatever. They work fine on their own with stuff like that.

 

First grade - I sit with her and explain all new concepts and review most other concepts. She wants me close by for 99% of it. She reads on her own during her rest time, and sometimes, if her younger siblings are loud, she will go to her bedroom for math (as long as it is stuff she has learned in a previous lesson). Besides that, she is next to me for everything. I have a feeling second grade will be similar.

[Julie Smith]

It just reoccurred to me, I have a grade three student. (I need that shocked looking face)

 

In second he started doing reading by himself. In third he does rereading by himself. I can also trust him to do his copy work without me beside him. He will practice piano properly without me in the room.

 

The most indecent my second grade student is, he can listen to a school audio book when I'm on the other side of the room. He is also able to do his copy work if I am beside him, but I can look in a different direction then his paper. Oh, I forgot this one. He can interdependently wait for almost half a minute without wandering away or getting into a game.

 

ETA: My second grader has a birthday is Nov. Where I live the cut off is Dec 31st. But if I lived in a place with a Sept cut-off he would be considered a grade one student.

[CyndiLJ]

I think it can also vary considerably if there are older students in the home. Our youngest, who just turned 10, is extremely independent. Give him a little instruction, and he is off and running. He also has been classified as gifted so that may make a little difference. But I think the biggest difference is that he is around older, more independent learners all day with his siblings so he sort of expects it for himself.

 

From about 3rd grade on I have taught history, science and writing. We do some guided reading, some independent reading with mom asking key questions afterward and pointing out/looking for literary devices. Math is Teaching Textbooks (Thank the good Lord!) but my hubby does follow ups on that. Spelling is alone (except for tests), grammar is alone with correction after the fact from mom (none of them struggle with it at all), typing is independent, and projects are independent once instruction is given, though I am there it assist if needed. With five, it is impossible to hand hold as much as I might even like to, it's just too hard. So we do group stuff together off and on throughout the day, with independent work in the middle so I can work one on one then with those who need help.

 

Every child is different, some mature faster, some have more confidence in themselves, and I also think the choice of curriculum makes an incredible difference as well. Some curriculum lends itself to being somewhat self taught much better than others. I look for a blend of that sort of curriculum, as I have to be aware of my own limitations.

[gevs4him]

DS 10

 

Daily: we take turns reading ~ LOF(he does work on whiteboard), Science, Hist., Health, Music, Art, Grammar Town, Poetry Book, and a free read right now is Milton Hershey.

 

Independent work: Handwriting, Health w/s-quizzes-tests, History Scribe Music and artist notebook pages, Art work, Abeka readers, Map Trek, Hist. Lapbooks, Science lapbooks, Logic, Building Thinking Skills, Reading Detective.

 

Together: I always go over the teacher portion of the lessons with him then assign the work. Lessons for: LLATL, AAS, MM, Abeka Reading ?, Math Detective, IEW A, Science experiments.

 

DS likes to piddle- so I have to keep coming into the classroom and tell him "wow! thats great look you are almost finished." Otherwise he would sit all day just doing math.

 

I expect a child to be able to work completely independent by 8th grade.

[RootAnn]

This varies widely by child. For example, my oldest needed me "at elbow" constantly until 3rd grade when she finally did Growing With Grammar 3 *somewhat* independently for 15 minutes two to three times per week. I've slowly ramped her up to doing about half her subjects (half of her day) without me there. She does need me to check on her weekly for all her independent subjects and she gets a *lot* more done if I'm "at elbow."

 

My #2 can do short stints of work (age 9) independently if given specific instructions and as long as she knows the material. She was more independent at an earlier age, but is taking a lot longer to 'ramp up.' (Part of this is because she's non-academically minded. She's extremely independent if she's working on art or reading.)

 

My #3 has been able to work independently (and frequently will take schoolwork off into her room to 'sneak in' a few extra pages of handwriting or math) since she was five. This is not a birth-order thing; it is personality. She could do an entire page of math review problems without me being in the room with her since she was six, including marking which problems she needed some more help with.

 

SWB has an audiolecture on this topic. I really think personality is highly influential, followed by mentoring/teaching on how to be independent, and parent expectations (with the caveat that some kids won't meet the expectations even with proper mentoring if they aren't ready for it yet).

[Mommy22alyns]

As was said before, it depends on the child and the curriculum. Each girl has a few workbook subjects that they can complete independently. Math and reading are about 75% independent. I can tell them to start on school at x time and they can have several things done when I'm ready for them.

[Jerico]

Thanks everyone! This is helpful! I know there will be a lot of trial and error... but I'm just trying to figure out what it will look like for us next year. That way I can plan on things for the baby and how much nap time we'll have to use up, as well as some activities to alternate the boys on while I do school with the other. :D

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

This probably depends a bit on the kid. My son, just turned 6, does his copywork alone, and usually is able to do some or all of his math worksheet from Miquon alone after we've talked about it. He listens to SOTW on audio and colors his page alone, then I sit with him to do the map work and oral narration.

[Laura Corin]

I sat right by mine until they were about eight maybe? Then I started walking away for a few minutes leaving them with a task.

 

I think that the social pressure of being in a class with other children working helps to keep them going at school. I felt that my presence was a replacement for that.

 

Laura