CAmomof4 Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I realize I'm not required to, but for oldest DD I was thinking about keeping basic grades for her courses next year (she will be in 3rd grade). I don't really know why, I don't have a particularly compelling reason, just more along the lines of wanting to give her some sense of being accountable. Do you all keep grades at this age? Why or why not? If so, how do you structure the grading? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventuresinHomeschooling Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I am less interested in grades rather than understanding. I will grade math tests or other tests when the curriculum provides it. But I don't really record them anywhere. I will probably do more grade recording in jr. High to prepare for high school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I didn't worry about grades till high school. I don't think there's anything wrong with doing them earlier, but I couldn't see any benefit in doing it and I think there are better ways to keep track of progress. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I graded certain individual assignments for feedback purposes in late elementary school (i.e. you got XX percent on that math assignment, this paper meets YY percent of the grading rubric in the curriculum guide). I did not keep semester or final grades until high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I would have liked the answer to be "never," because I do not think that grades are beneficial in the learning process. But having learned that I will probably need to do so for colleges my son may want to have consider him, the answer for me is junior high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Honestly, ever parent and every child is different. If issuing grades right now makes sense to you, then sure, do it. Absolutely. Lots of parents find issuing grades to be very helpful. If later on you find it is frustrating you, too time consuming, causing anxiety in your child or whatever, then you can always reevaluate. :) FWIW, we haven't, but our situation is a bit different. My kids were in school until 6th and 3rd. I actually deliberately chose NOT to give grades when they came home because the school wasn't really using the grades as a diagnostic tool to determine where there might be gaps or where there were strengths. The tests were frequently used almost like a punishment. Certainly, regardless of the grade, the entire class just moved on to the next thing. There was never an attempt to go back and review, shore up weak areas. I wanted to kind of reset things so they didn't see grades as the end product but just a tool for determining where they needed more work and where they could move on. Now I do check daily work, preferably the same day they completed it, so they get feedback quickly. I think that is critical, far more than any actual grade. This next fall DD will be going into High School so I will track grades again. DS wants grades, too, and he will be starting Middle School so o.k. I will do grades for him, too. :) Only tests, quizzes and projects, though. Not daily grades. For one thing, that is a LOT of work. For another, I don't think it actually is very helpful. As a child is learning something new, they may make a lot of mistakes. I don't want them fearful of making mistakes as they learn something. I don't want them worrying that mistakes made on daily work as they start learning something new will bring down their GPA. Once they have mastered that something, then an assessment of some kind can show if they really have it down. THAT would be when I would issue a grade. I still plan to check daily work daily, though, and give feedback as rapidly as possible. Best wishes... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 My DS wanted grades this year (6th) on spelling and math tests. He likes to figure out the percentage and corresponding letter grade (to prove his As to himself, I guess). Officially I'm only keeping track of grades on high school level courses in case I need those in the future. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I realize I'm not required to, but for oldest DD I was thinking about keeping basic grades for her courses next year (she will be in 3rd grade). I don't really know why, I don't have a particularly compelling reason, just more along the lines of wanting to give her some sense of being accountable. Do you all keep grades at this age? Why or why not? If so, how do you structure the grading? TIA! Always corrected dds' work, but actual grades...not until they were 13ish. There's just no necessity. I know how the dc are doing because I'm correcting their assignments; I don't have to report their progress to anyone else, or compare them to other dc, or anything. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doodlebug Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 As with most things, I think this depends on what you hope to gain from issuing grades. If you're hoping to push a third grader to be more accountable (or yourself), I would pat you on the back in humble frustration and add in a hearty "I feel your pain." But I would steer you in a different direction. If you have a first born perfectionist who doesn't seem to understand that ONE missed word on a spelling assignment IS NOT utter failure, I'd encourage you to issue grades in the subjects where this is an issue. This is exactly the reason I felt it necessary to grade math and spelling tests. The two problems missed became less of an issue when I was able to say, "That's a 90 percent, which is an A! Good job!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 My kids have never cared about grades when they were in public school so I didn't give grades when we homeschool. They do care about the feedback they get from their outside class teachers on where they go wrong or how they can improve. My kids have a checklist of daily tasks which keeps them accountable. Whatever works for your kid. You can always try giving out grades and reassess later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Never. I corrected things and they redid anything that wasn't really well done. In grading terms, if they weren't getting what would amount to an A, we didn't move on until it was being done at A levels. Guess what kinds of grades they get in college? As. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I have two 8th graders, and I don't keep grades. I will start next year because they are necessary for a high school transcript. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Never. I mark work, I don't record grades. I totally get why many parents make the shift in middle or high school though. But 3rd grade? That's still super young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaniemom Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 To put it in perspective, my kids did not even get a report card 1st quarter of ps this year because the district hadn't finished revamping it and the ones they have gotten just have a number score that ranks how they are progressing to meeting the standards listed so no actual grades. I don't see myself giving grades when they come home for next year but my dh is still stuck in the "but how are their grades" mode and I think it may be an adjustment for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I don't grade individual assignments in high school. I just assign a grade for the course in case their college applications require it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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