Accelerated Daughter Wants to Repeat Grade - Pros / Cons?

[karminr]

Hi Everyone - I'm new to the forums so I apologize if I am not posting this in the appropriate place.

 

I have been homeschooling our son & daughter for the past 4 years.  Daughter has asked for 2-3 years to be held back a grade level - she is almost a year younger than other kids in her grade and constantly tells me she "feels" like she should be in a grade lower (she is also stressing out about growing up, not wanting to be in high school & closer to finishing home school & going to college).  We just finished 8th grade today and she is due to start 9th grade high school in the fall.  She is working ahead of grade level and testing ahead of grade level in multiple subjects, so academically there is no reason to hold her back. I am considering her request and wondered if anyone had any experience with this?  If we make the decision to keep her in 8th grade again next year, it won't "show" on her high school record when she applies to college - it will just look like she's earned more high school credits early.  That can't be a bad thing for her.

 

On the pro side, it would allow me to have more time to work with her on history/literature & science so she goes through the entire 4 year history program twice.  We went down some rabbit holes when we started homeschooling and did Ancient history - both kids went from hating history to absolutely loving it, so I wouldn't change a thing.  However, as a result of those rabbit holes we are now 1 year "behind" my original plan - we should be finishing modern history and ready to start the cycle again next year but we're only going to be starting modern history next year.  If we hold her back in 8th grade again next year, we can finish the history cycle and then she will start over again in high school and get the full 4-year experience (vs. missing out on modern history the next time through).  It would also allow me to keep my 7th grade son & daughter on the same schedule with history & science (if she moves up to 9th grade next year they will have to start working on separate schedules = a little stressful for me as I also work ft from home & it would add another 2 lessons a day to my already crazy schedule). 

 

Cons - not sure what the "stigma" will be of her repeating a grade level.  She is working above grade level already in several areas, so I'm not sure if holding her back will hinder her.  The grade lines are so blurred with home school that I don't know if the grade that we label her with really even matters?  We work to their abilities regardless of what grade they should be in. 

 

Are there other pros / cons I'm not considering here?  Has anyone dealt with this scenario? 

 

Thank you for reading & any advice offered.  :001_smile:

[regentrude]

I don't quite understand why the grade level label is important. Keep schooling her, according to her academic abilities, and keep records. The only point when she needs to decide which grade she is in would be 11th for the PSAT if she is competetive for National Merit. Until then, you don't have to assign a grade level at all. You can postpone the decision for at least another two years.

What am I missing?

 

Edited May 28, 2016 by regentrude

[SilverMoon]

I think I'd let her call herself whatever grade she wants, especially if it's that important to her. But I'd keep a transcript of next year as if it was her ninth grade. Kids grow astronomically between 8th and 11th. She may have a very different opinion by then.

[Porridge]

I think that one of the benefits of homeschool is that grade level is almost irrelevant. If she is stressed about starting college early, that should be something you seriously take to heart.  She should learn at her own pace, and if she finishes high school before she feels socially / emotionally ready for college, perhaps it would be good to think about options (starting CC classes but still basing herself at home, gap year, even a "thesis" or "project" year....) that would allow her to mature in those areas before she feels rushed into college. 

[Targhee]

If she wants to be held back do it! Do it now and not in high school! I'm on the fence about doing the same only because DD isn't keen on the idea. She's be grade accelerated since K, and smart as all get out, but I think she's just a bit immature for her age which makes her squarely immature for her grade. And she needs some soft skills work (organization, time management, etc).

 

No one, except people you already told her grade to, will know a thing about her being held back. Your attitude will do a lot to prevent stigma from those individuals anyway. Call it a transition year instead of 8th grade again. Call is a gap year. Call it 8th grade 2.0, or grade 8 and three quarters.

 

Your DD is clearly communicating a need, and it's within your power to fill that need without much negative consequence. I say do it!

[EndOfOrdinary]

Ds could graduate early, but he wants Ivy League. EVERY school we have talked to has advocated keeping him homeschooling until 18. The longer in high school, the better his resume to apply. There is no benefit for a nonSTEM kid to begin early. It also makes being a minor away at school difficult if medical or legal stuff arises.

 

As the parent, just keep records. Colleges want the last four years of school. However old she is is how old she is. It doesn't matter. Keep your options open now and let the chips fall as they may.

[karminr]

Thank you for the replies & advice.

 

Our daughter just turned 14, so she will be 18 before finishing high school even if she does not repeat 8th grade. She is ahead in math / reading / science, and is interested in STEM careers at the moment so I am trying to keep that interest sparked.  If she does repeat 8th grade that will make her transcript even stronger in math & science because she will be that much more ahead of what her grade level should be.   

 

The high school transcript is what I am the most concerned about - if she's 9th grade next year, my decision on what to do about certain curriculum options will be different than if she remains 8th grade and I have an extra year to work with her.  I don't want to do anything that would be a detriment on her transcript since what we do in 9th grade impacts the remaining 3 years of high school.

 

 

[regentrude]

If she does repeat 8th grade that will make her transcript even stronger in math & science because she will be that much more ahead of what her grade level should be.   

 

The high school transcript is what I am the most concerned about - if she's 9th grade next year, my decision on what to do about certain curriculum options will be different than if she remains 8th grade and I have an extra year to work with her.  I don't want to do anything that would be a detriment on her transcript since what we do in 9th grade impacts the remaining 3 years of high school.

 

Why (and how) would what you do next school year change if it were called 8th as opposed to 9th grade?

Where is she in math right now?

 

We have gone the opposite way: we called the year following 7th grade 8th grade, until at the end of the year we decided that, since DD had taken her first college class, we really might just call it 9th and do a grade skip retroactively. It was a decision we made at the end of the year, and it did not affect in any way the choice of coursework.

 

ETA: You write she will be 18 before finishing high school without grade repeat. That is not "younger" than other kids, but the normal age. A grade repeat would cause her to finish high school at 19 which is a year later than most kids. So, I am not sure where she gets the idea that she is younger. Can it be that what she is actually asking about is a  lower level of work, as opposed to being held back a year beyond the normal graduation age?

Edited May 28, 2016 by regentrude

[OneStepAtATime]

Are you in a state where you have to report?  You say she is working above grade level.  Can't you use materials that would be considered 9th grade level but still call it 8th grade for her sake until the decision becomes mandatory?  Postpone making this decision until you have to in 11th?  

 

For example, if she took a High School level Integrated Chemistry and Physics this next year, she could then take Biology, Chemistry, Physics and another Science in High School.  Or some other science progression that gives her the core subjects and then some.  

 

Where is she in math?  

 

Are you hoping to make this next year more interest led if she is in 8th as opposed to 9th?

[luuknam]

Our daughter just turned 14, so she will be 18 before finishing high school even if she does not repeat 8th grade.

 

How is that being almost a year younger than other kids in her grade? I think the very earliest cut-offs I've ever heard of are June 1st for some private schools, and those kids would be 14 at the end of 8th grade too. Here in WNY, our cut-off is Dec 1st, so 13.5yo at the end of 8th grade. Most places have Sept or Oct cut-offs - either way, there'd be kids who are still 13-point-something year old at the end of 8th grade. So, she's maybe almost a year younger than the very oldest kids in 8th grade, but probably fairly close to the average age. Unless you live in some country that really does have different cut-offs than any place I'm familiar with.

 

If you don't have to declare a grade level to the school district (we, unfortunately, do), I'd just do 9th grade stuff, keep records for 9th grade, and in a couple of years think about what to do. I don't know if your daughter is prone to anxiety, but 4 years of high school is a loooong time to do a bunch of maturing. I'd tell her that in her first 4 years she went from not being able to do anything to being able to (whatever she was able to do as a preschooler), and how she's changed between 10 and 14yo as well. Just because she may feel college is right around the corner, doesn't mean it is. It's still 4 years away.

 

For full disclosure, I have a summer birthday and lived in an area with an October cut-off, so I was almost 14 at the end of 8th grade. And, then I skipped 9th grade, and started 10th grade just a few weeks after turning 14yo.

[wapiti]

She is *not* younger than grade level if she will turn 18 by (or the summer after) graduation.  I would continue forward with 9th grade.  As discussed above, I would wait until 11th before making any changes in grade level designation though you'll continue to have that option in your back pocket should it become necessary.

 

I might wonder if she is having a little developmental moment of not wanting to grow up, feeling scared of "high school."  It may even signal an understanding of what is to come with this transition.  There is a decent chance her feeling will change in the next two years as she grows into herself.  (I have seen this happen with my own dd, who at 15 is suddenly yearning to spread her wings.)

Edited May 28, 2016 by wapiti

[City Mouse]

Thank you for the replies & advice.

 

Our daughter just turned 14, so she will be 18 before finishing high school even if she does not repeat 8th grade. She is ahead in math / reading / science, and is interested in STEM careers at the moment so I am trying to keep that interest sparked. If she does repeat 8th grade that will make her transcript even stronger in math & science because she will be that much more ahead of what her grade level should be.

 

The high school transcript is what I am the most concerned about - if she's 9th grade next year, my decision on what to do about certain curriculum options will be different than if she remains 8th grade and I have an extra year to work with her. I don't want to do anything that would be a detriment on her transcript since what we do in 9th grade impacts the remaining 3 years of high school.

My DS will turn 14 in two weeks and he is will start 9th grade in the fall, so he will graduate right before he turns 18. Your DD does not sound young for 9th grade to me.

 

if this is just anxiety about growing up rather than an academic need, wouldn't a gap year after graduation be better, or a year at a local community college?

If you report a year's worth of high school credits in middle school and then 4 additional tears of high school, won't that look the same as 5 yrs of high school?

[SKL]

nm irrelevant based on additional info

Edited May 28, 2016 by SKL

[SKL]

Sorry, I just realized she is already 14.  I think I would forge ahead if her age is within the normal state cutoffs.  She might feel a lot differently 4 years from now.

[Ms Brooks]

You are homeschooling right? To me, grade level is arbitrary. For state accountability it is necessary. With my kid, I give them work I know they can succeed with regardless of "grade level." Is repeating 8th grade necessary? When my older, academically advanced daughter, was in 8th grade she did high school level work in most subjects. I still called it 8th grade. At the time, accelerating through high school and graduating early, before the age of 18 did not seem like a good idea. I wanted my DD to complete high school with her peers. I feel those four years of high school are about more than just academics. There is a lot of growing up and maturing that goes on during those four years of high school, and that is what I did not want to skip.

 

What I did was found the most academically demanding high school option for my DD. Since I was not up to the task of homeschooling DD, I enrolled her in Laurel Springs gifted Academy. She went into high school ready for geometry, took honors classes as prerequisites for AP classes and by the end of her senior year she'd taken 12+ AP classes and exams. She did not use those AP classes/scores for college credit.

 

Now at college, this DD still gets top marks, knows how to manage her time and meets deadlines for projects.

 

My second DD is equally as accelerated as her sister. So I will be going the same route with her as I did with her sister.

 

If my daughters had a passion, built things, were entrepreneurial, then I would give them time to pursue those interests, but my girls are just good students. 

[katilac]

I agree that she is not young for her grade; I would not hold back based on that. 

 

Grade level can be arbitrary if you're homeschooling, but some states do require that you report it, which I would guess can affect things like dual enrollment and so forth. I don't think it would affect college applications, because our transcript had no input from anyone other than us and DE, but it's something to check if your state requires reporting a grade. 

 

However, I don't see any advantage to holding her back. She is going to need different assignments and expectations regardless of whether you call her 8th or 9th grade, but you can certainly change your plans and have everyone on the same history era and science subject to make life simpler. I wouldn't fret about a certain number of perfect history cycles - okay, that's a lie, I would fret about it. I love that older dd has a beautiful chronological cycle that starts with ancients and goes through modern, and it annoys me that younger dd doesn't, lol, but it certainly didn't annoy me enough to have them on different cycles. 

 

I would definitely have every subject be on level and credit-worthy for high school. I would base her work on what she's capable of, with the assumption that she will graduate in four years. If she does not, it's not like she won't have anything to study in a potential super senior year! If she wants to call herself an 8th-grader, eh, I guess I wouldn't fight it. 

 

They do change so much in the first half of high school, and you want them to be ready to head off into the world if they are ready at the time. My dd turns 18 over the summer and goes to college in the fall, and I promise you we would all be losing our minds if she had another year at home. She's a great kid and no trouble, but for the past year she's just been itching to GO GO GO. She's ready for a wider world. 

[foxbridgeacademy]

We have a similar situation going on and I've been dithering over it for years.  DS has always been called the year ahead, so he'd be a rising 10th grader but in our home state his birthday would have made him a rising 9th grader.  Our home state did the early cut off (July 1st) only for a few years and we don't live there any longer.  Also complicating matters is that DS is dyslexic and while he is excelling now he still has issues and is "behind" in his writing ability.  Our biggest problem is that we are in a state that makes us declare a grade and I'm still not sure what to do..... DS wants to be officially be the lower grade.  It will give him more time to work on his skills prior to the ACT and he'll be taking CC classes in 10th-12th grade so it's not like he'll just be sitting here at home doing nothing that extra year.  Also he thinks having a stronger transcript (Alg. 2 and Chemistry in 9th, Am. History CLEP) might help him get into an Engineering program... we'll see. So like PP's I suggest you call it 8th for her peace of mind but do it at H.S. level so if she changes her mind you can adjust her transcript to fit.... unless you're like us and have to declare a grade. :glare:

[Peaceful Isle]

My dd just turned 14 last month, and will be starting 9th grade next year.

 

I am anxious about her starting high school and so is she, but I think it is normal. I would keep her going if I were you.

 

Either way isn't wrong, though.

[Coco_Clark]

I would also forge ahead, as it sounds like she is within her appropriate grade level. I graduated at 17.5. I was not the youngest in my class and well within the normal cut-off. I'm curious if you are not in the U.S.?

[SilverMoon]

Thank you for the replies & advice.

 

Our daughter just turned 14, so she will be 18 before finishing high school even if she does not repeat 8th grade. She is ahead in math / reading / science, and is interested in STEM careers at the moment so I am trying to keep that interest sparked.  If she does repeat 8th grade that will make her transcript even stronger in math & science because she will be that much more ahead of what her grade level should be.   

 

The high school transcript is what I am the most concerned about - if she's 9th grade next year, my decision on what to do about certain curriculum options will be different than if she remains 8th grade and I have an extra year to work with her.  I don't want to do anything that would be a detriment on her transcript since what we do in 9th grade impacts the remaining 3 years of high school.

 

If she's advanced I don't see how it would really change anything curricula wise. I'll assume she's already into high school level math and science. Just do what's next and appropriate for her skill levels. If you end up with a bonus year at the end you'll have a much better idea of what you want to do with it then than you do now. You'll be amazed at how much she grows every year, even at high school age!

 

I had my teens help me make a projected four year plan for their high school years between 8th and 9th. By spring of 9th while looking at courses for 10th we made some changes to that master plan. Before 10th started we'd made more. Lather, rinse, repeat. There's no way to know what sort of person they'll be in two or three years. My rising 11th grader started 9th grade saying she'd NEVER be in a science field even though she basically enjoyed science. Now as she's finishing 10th, she is very strongly interested in going into forensic science and/or search and rescue. We pushed off biology for awhile because she was sure she wasn't going to like it at all, but now she's looking forward to biology this fall. Kids. :laugh:

[EKS]

I would not hold a kid back who not only has turned 14 during 8th grade but is also already working above grade level.  

 

By working above grade level, I'm assuming that you mean she is actually working on high school level coursework at a high school level pace and mastering the material.  Simply obtaining a grade equivalent of a particular grade on a standardized test is not indicative of mastering material at that level.

[MotherGoose]

My oldest is only 10 so consider that, but if her anxiety is really about growing up and going to college, perhaps assure her that she won't have to go away to college till she's ready?

[abacus2]

Since she actually is the right age for 9th grade, I wouldn't hold her back. But I would talk to her about the possibility of a gap year. I also don't think you need to make your life more complicated by changing up your history cycle. She will get to all four in four years of school anyway. An extra year of history really isn't a reason to hold her back, especially since you wouldn't change your rabbit trails experience so far. When your rabbit trails pattern continues, it is unlikely that you will complete a full quarter of the cycle each year anyway.

Edited May 28, 2016 by abacus2

[daijobu]

It does seem like OP is mostly concerned about history?  I would check with the colleges that may interest her.  If she's interested in STEM, you may find that many technical colleges are not very specific about history.  For example, here's MIT's recommended high school coursework:

 

One year of high school physics
One year of high school chemistry
One year of high school biology
Math, through calculus
Two years of a foreign language
Four years of English
Two years of history and/or social sciences

 

You can pretty much do anything you want for history, as long as it's fairly rigorous.  

[daijobu]

Out of curiosity I checked the school of engineering at CMU:

 

College of Engineering
High School Course Requirements

4 years English
4 years Mathematics*
1 year Chemistry
1 year Physics
1 year Biology
2 years Foreign Language
3 electives

 

History isn't even mentioned, lol!  

[FriedClams]

I'm doing this exact thing with my DS this year. He's doing an 8b year. Academically, he's in excellent (advanced) shape. Social skills are great. He knows he's not being held back, but more gapped than anything. Like your DD, he's very young. I'm not enthusiastic about him leaving for college at 17. (If we weren't moving I likely wouldn't gap him as we'd have great dual enrollment options, and would love at home for the first couple of years of college). I know LOTS of kids are ready, and he would likely do great, but I'm not willing to forfeit a year with him. So, for 8b we'll travel, have fun, pick cool classes, and read a lot before the pressure of high school and real grades. He's more than willing to add in an extra year, and doing it now is so low stakes. I'm absolutely thrilled. Honestly, accelerating him even he was a precocious early reader is my one huge, lingering homeschool regret. I'm so grateful he's willing to let me fix it now.

[musicianmom]

But an 8th grader turning 14 in May is neither "very young" or accelerated! That's just normal!

[karminr]

Thank you so much for the thoughts & suggestions!  She feels young, and when she was in school she was always the youngest kid in her class (we pulled her out to home school starting in 5th grade).  Most of the kids in her grade (at school) & her friends are ~ 9+ months older than her.  It seems, at least in our area, that the ones with summer birthdays who are 1-2 months younger than her are a grade level lower.  To her, it seems to be a big deal right now. She does seem to be feeling very anxious about going into high school - I would say a lot of this stems from that, but she has been asking to be a grade level lower for ~2-3 years now.  When I say accelerated, I mean she's working above grade level in certain areas (ex: she's already earning HS credits for math).

 

The history & literature sequence for the classical program are a big part of why we chose to home school, so it is very important to us that both kids get the full 4 year sequence even if it isn't required.  Her other area of interest is ancient history / archeology so if she remains interested in that area over the next 4 years and decides not to go into science, that would be a huge asset for her to have on her transcript. 

 

As an example re: the transcript - if she is doing 8th again, we will complete modern history using the Story of the World, which is not HS level (although maybe we can figure out a way to make it more rigorous), and then progress on to the 4 year cycle again using the History of the World books (and probably taking those classes via WTMA along with the accompanying lit classes).  She will then have 2x the full cycle.  If she forges ahead into 9th grade, we could either cram in the modern history portion of the cycle over the summer or skip it entirely, and then she will start with the History of the World books in the fall. I'm not crazy about her skipping modern history and having that gap in her knowledge before we start the cycle again, but I'm not crazy about cramming it in over the summer either.  I'm also just crossing my fingers that the History of the World book for modern history will be published in the next 3 years.

[The Governess]

I wouldn't hold her back.  I like your idea to do modern history over the summer if it is important to you to finish that cycle before moving on.  You could stick to having her read through Story of the World and add in a few well-selected other titles and some documentaries, but not require too much output.  Then start ancient history in 9th.  

 

If, in a few years, she still feels like she really needs an extra year before graduation, you will find it easy to add in an extra year of history & lit wherever you are in the cycle.

 

For what it's worth, I was one of those kids who lacked confidence and didn't really feel ready for life until I was in my last couple years of high school.  Then I really came out of my shell and grew up.  You never know how your dd might change in the next few years, which is why I would put the decision off for now, and go forward with her next year as if it needs to count for high school, regardless of her current preferences.

[brookspr]

We are doing a gap year after 8th grade next year. My son's birthday is in late September, and he was in public school thru 5th grade. When we moved from CT to IL, he was a full year younger than many of his classmates since the cutoffs are so different (12/31 vs 8/31). My daughter, who is a sophomore, has an early May birthday and she just turned 16. There will always be those who are several months older or younger in the same grade, there's just no getting around that with a winter or spring birthday.

 

We will be doing a bit more unschooling for the gap year, but we will do things that could be added to a high school transcript if he decides he is ready to apply for college in 4 years. We will work on math and writing as usual, he will take Japanese through Landry, but the rest will be hands on projects in science and technology stuff like working with circuits, building a computer, 3-D printing, and working on gaming classes. Add in all the history reading he loves and that's our gap year.

 

I don't think with a May birthday I would hold her back, but after high school if she still feels the need to wait a year before college, do a gap year then. 

[Lori D.]

We are doing a gap year after 8th grade next year...

 

...We will be doing a bit more unschooling for the gap year, but we will do things that could be added to a high school transcript if he decides he is ready to apply for college in 4 years. We will work on math and writing as usual, he will take Japanese through Landry, but the rest will be hands on projects in science and technology stuff like working with circuits, building a computer, 3-D printing, and working on gaming classes. Add in all the history reading he loves and that's our gap year.

 

Just a quick note on a very side topic here: the term "gap year" is used very specifically for the planned delay of the start of college after high school graduation and involves not-for-credit activities such as work, travel, volunteering, internship, etc. In the gap year, the student can NOT register and take any credit or audit college courses during this time, or the student then loses freshman eligibility and becomes a transfer student. (Non-registered/non-credit courses with MOOCs, or self-learning with Teaching Company lectures or textbooks or other resources, are fine.)

 

The VERY cool year you are planning could be called a "transition year", or "post-8th grade year", or "8th grade part B", or "relaxed learning year". But it wouldn't be a type of early gap year, since there still will be learning-for-credit (since you will be able to add what is done that year as credits on a transcript). It will be learning happening at a relaxed pace in a different format. :)

 

Not trying to be a stickler, but once you move into high school planning and college prep activities, using the term "gap year" will confuse a lot of people or you'll get a lot of advice that doesn't apply to your student… ;) Have a SUPER post-8th grade year! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[SebastianCat]

My rising 9th grader just turned 14.   Many of his friends have fall birthdays, so he is also one of the youngest in his social group, but that's OK.  DH & I have discussed the fact that he might be a good candidate to stay at home for at least his first year of college, or to work and go to college part time (when the time comes), but we've never considered holding him back. 

 

I would continue to move forward and consider the coming year to be your DD's 9th grade year, and if at the end of high school she still feels that she's not ready for college, then decide on a gap year.   A lot could change between now and then, and she could mature quite a bit.

[Bocky]

I wouldn't hold her back.  I like your idea to do modern history over the summer if it is important to you to finish that cycle before moving on.  You could stick to having her read through Story of the World and add in a few well-selected other titles and some documentaries, but not require too much output.  Then start ancient history in 9th.  

 

If, in a few years, she still feels like she really needs an extra year before graduation, you will find it easy to add in an extra year of history & lit wherever you are in the cycle.

 

 

:iagree:  Story of the World Vol 4 is 42 chapters. I would have her read a chapter 4 days a week, and she'll have been exposed to the main topics of modern history in ten and a half weeks. You can then plan an amazing ancient history year for 9th.

[Rebel Yell]

Thank you so much for the thoughts & suggestions!  She feels young, and when she was in school she was always the youngest kid in her class (we pulled her out to home school starting in 5th grade).  Most of the kids in her grade (at school) & her friends are ~ 9+ months older than her.  It seems, at least in our area, that the ones with summer birthdays who are 1-2 months younger than her are a grade level lower.  To her, it seems to be a big deal right now. She does seem to be feeling very anxious about going into high school - I would say a lot of this stems from that, but she has been asking to be a grade level lower for ~2-3 years now.  When I say accelerated, I mean she's working above grade level in certain areas (ex: she's already earning HS credits for math).

 

The history & literature sequence for the classical program are a big part of why we chose to home school, so it is very important to us that both kids get the full 4 year sequence even if it isn't required.  Her other area of interest is ancient history / archeology so if she remains interested in that area over the next 4 years and decides not to go into science, that would be a huge asset for her to have on her transcript. 

 

As an example re: the transcript - if she is doing 8th again, we will complete modern history using the Story of the World, which is not HS level (although maybe we can figure out a way to make it more rigorous), and then progress on to the 4 year cycle again using the History of the World books (and probably taking those classes via WTMA along with the accompanying lit classes).  She will then have 2x the full cycle.  If she forges ahead into 9th grade, we could either cram in the modern history portion of the cycle over the summer or skip it entirely, and then she will start with the History of the World books in the fall. I'm not crazy about her skipping modern history and having that gap in her knowledge before we start the cycle again, but I'm not crazy about cramming it in over the summer either.  I'm also just crossing my fingers that the History of the World book for modern history will be published in the next 3 years.

Is there any reason why all of your kids can't do the same time period in history, but she uses a high school level book alongside them? My girls have always done the same time period in history. Older two are a nice even 4yrs apart, youngest is 2 yrs behind middle. So for several years they did the same topics but each used either a high school, middle school, or elementary school book. You can also supplement the Story of the World with high school level reading and assignments and expectations.

 

And FWIW BabyBaby is barely 14.5 and just finished 9th grade. Diamond graduated 15 days after her 18th birthday.

[luuknam]

As an example re: the transcript - if she is doing 8th again, we will complete modern history using the Story of the World, which is not HS level (although maybe we can figure out a way to make it more rigorous), and then progress on to the 4 year cycle again using the History of the World books (and probably taking those classes via WTMA along with the accompanying lit classes).  She will then have 2x the full cycle.  If she forges ahead into 9th grade, we could either cram in the modern history portion of the cycle over the summer or skip it entirely, and then she will start with the History of the World books in the fall. I'm not crazy about her skipping modern history and having that gap in her knowledge before we start the cycle again, but I'm not crazy about cramming it in over the summer either.  I'm also just crossing my fingers that the History of the World book for modern history will be published in the next 3 years.

 

I agree with others it might be a good idea to have your kid read SOTW 4 in the summer.

 

I wouldn't count on SWB's History of the [...] World series to be done in time. The Ancient World is from 2007, the Medieval World from 2010, and the Renaissance World from 2013. The problem is that the Renaissance World ends in the 1450s, so in the 4-year cycle the Medieval World and the Renaissance World books would both be year 2. You *could* do the Renaissance book for year 3 of course, BUT then you'd be left with over 500 years of 'recent' history to cover in year 4 - which is way too much, imo. I haven't heard when/if the next book is coming out, but I seriously doubt SWB would cram those last 500+ years into one book, so you're waiting for at least 2 more books (I'm saying "at least", since if she didn't get year 2 into one book, there's no guarantee she'd put years 3 and 4 into one book each). 

 

In other words, I'd just go ahead and assume the books won't be done before your daughter graduates, repeating 8th grade or not.

[katilac]

Yes, SOTW 4 should be a very easy read for an 8th-grader. 

 

And the great thing about modern history is that there are so many resources. We would go on YouTube and listen to old folk and protest songs, watch famous speeches, all kinds of things. You can watch an American civil rights march from the 1960s and then watch the anonymous man facing down a tank in Tiananman Square in China in 1989. 

 

So, I do think you can do an effective overview of modern history over the summer without it being time-consuming or onerous. I would even consider narrowing down the number of topics and/or chapters as needed; I think it was someone here who posted about a history professor in college skipping WWII when they got into a time crunch, because "you're going to be hearing about WWII for the rest of your lives." I wouldn't skip the world wars, but I might be comfortable giving them short shrift, knowing that she would be doing a year of modern as a senior. 

 

I'm working hard on younger dd's history plan for her final two years, as followed big sis's plan and will restart ancients in 11th, and there are some topics I want to cover again, as she was so young the first times around. It's still a lot less work than splitting them up would have been! Plus, it was great to have another person in on the discussions. 

[Shellydon]

I would also forge ahead.  I have a child the same age.  For church, social activies etc., you can place her back a grade if you'd like. 

[aprilleigh]

Depending on the rules in the state where you lived when she started school, normal progress would mean she either turned 14 in the calendar year that she finished 8th grade, or she would turn 14 somewhere between the start of 8th grade and the start of 9th grade. This only matters for kids with birthdays between the cut-off date and December 31st. I was one of the oldest in my class because my state went by calendar year and my birthday is early in the year - my son is either near the youngest (because the state we started in cares about school year with a Sept 1 cut-off for most kids), or somewhere around the middle of the pack for the state we live in now - he'd be in the same grade in either state regardless.

 

If she will be turning 18 at about the time she graduates HS she is already in the "correct" grade for her age. Doing advanced work just means she'll be that better prepared when she officially graduates, and will have more time to explore her interests. Adding yet another year to that would be overkill.

[LisaKinVA]

My oldest child (who is accelerated), I held back a grade level (officially) due to things mostly unrelated to academics (there were developmental issues which affected academics, though).  My oldest daughter is working 2-3 grade levels ahead in all subjects and has zero desire to graduate early.  If she were in school, her grade would matter (because that would be the only way to meet her academic needs).  She is quite content to be a rising 9th grader this year (who has already amassed 3 high school science credits, 2 foreign language and 4 math, 1 art (her English and history have also been at a high school level, but I haven't tracked them that way).  She wants to do things along side her peers (mostly swimming, AHG, and things like that). 

 

Keeping her with her age-grade peers, but meeting her academic needs has been the best for her.  Holding my oldest son back (grade-wise, but not academically) also was the best for them. They both are happy with their plans.  My dd will be starting to DE (assuming her plans don't change) next year, as she works on a very aggressive high school career to pave the way for a very aggressive college path, making room for her to also swim D1 in college.

 

While there are many, many kids who can and should do accelerated work earlier, there are a rare few who truly benefit/desire to graduate early and head onto college.  In the public school system, often grade-acceleration is the only option.  Homeschooling gives us a much greater latitude.  I'd follow her lead and just track her high school credits without worrying about graduating early.

[Haiku]

 

Our daughter just turned 14, so she will be 18 before finishing high school even if she does not repeat 8th grade. 

 

Your daughter is not almost a year younger than most 8th graders. That's simply an incorrect belief on her part. She has a spring birthday, which lots of kids do. She's the right age to begin 9th grade. She's older than I was for her grade.

 

A lot can change in four years. If you hold her back now, it will be hard to change that if it turns out later to have been the wrong decision. If she finishes high school in four years and doesn't feel ready for college, she can take a gap year.

 

Not wanting to grow up is not a good reason to be held back in school.

[karminr]

Your daughter is not almost a year younger than most 8th graders. That's simply an incorrect belief on her part. She has a spring birthday, which lots of kids do. She's the right age to begin 9th grade. She's older than I was for her grade.

We might be in a weird area, but our schools are on a (almost) year-round schedule and start back early. The cut-off when we moved here (no idea what is is now) was in the summer.  She was consistently the youngest child in her class; many parents elected to start their kids late here so they would have the "advantage" of being one of the oldest in the class (private schools around us actually built in an option for a pre-1st grade year between Kindergarten & 1st grade so those kids would be older, and most parents take that option).  That, combined with the early cut-off, meant that most of the other kids were typically turning the next year older 6-12 months before her.  Her friends with birthdays in June/July are a grade level lower; her friends that are in the same grade as her are about to turn 15.  I started Kindergarten at 4 so I was also younger than she is at the same grade level, but times change. 

[SKL]

Somebody has to be the youngest.  :)

 

I was the youngest too, so I get it.

[RootAnn]

I have kids on the younger & older side of the spectrum for their grades. In all situations, I have them doing the academics that is appropriate for them, regardless of their age or grade.

 

At some point (during high school), I'll have to decide what grade level to call each one of them officially. Our state requires us to state their grade levels each year, but doesn't freak out if we skip them or hold them back.

 

IMO, anxiety is a very real thing. If she feels better "repeating" a grade, then let her call herself whatever she wants, but I'd keep going academically (either with the read-SOTW4-over-the-summer plan or doing it next year, but beefing it up for her) regardless. She'll have to grow up eventually. You should probably start transitioning your dd to more independence for her schoolwork, which would take some of the burden of extra lessons off of you. Also, think about finding a therapist to help her with her fear of growing up. (I have one that has similar fears, so I know what I'm talking about here.)

 

:grouphug:  Good luck with your decision. Time flies!

[Meriwether]

At one of the places we've lived, almost everyone started their kids in K when they were six, turning seven. My kids were always a year younger than their teammates when they played soccer or basketball. You may be in an area like that.

 

It is comforting to me to see so many people debating whether or not their child should be in 8th or 9th grade next year. I've been struggling to come to a decision regarding my oldest for the past couple of years. She just turned 13 but thinks she is going into 9th next year. My fault for calling her a K'er when she was 4.

[Julie Smith]

Eldest just turned 12 last week. He will be starting grade 7 in September. So when he just turns 14 he will be preparing for 9th grade. He is the average age for his grade. All going well he will be 18 years and one month old when he finishes grade 12. 

 

Youngest, who is in his proper grade according to my province will be 13 when he starts grade 9 and not turn 14 till the end of November. All going according to plan he will be 17 years and about 7 months when he finishes grade 12. He is on the younger side for his grade. But in my province the age cut off is December 31st. So he wouldn't necessarily be the youngest in his class. 

[EndOfOrdinary]

We might be in a weird area, but our schools are on a (almost) year-round schedule and start back early. The cut-off when we moved here (no idea what is is now) was in the summer. She was consistently the youngest child in her class; many parents elected to start their kids late here so they would have the "advantage" of being one of the oldest in the class (private schools around us actually built in an option for a pre-1st grade year between Kindergarten & 1st grade so those kids would be older, and most parents take that option). That, combined with the early cut-off, meant that most of the other kids were typically turning the next year older 6-12 months before her. Her friends with birthdays in June/July are a grade level lower; her friends that are in the same grade as her are about to turn 15. I started Kindergarten at 4 so I was also younger than she is at the same grade level, but times change.

Though I do not doubt this to be true in your immediate area, what people are getting at is this is not true across the country. While right now your daughter's entire world exists locally, when she goes to college that will not be the case. When she goes to college, it will appear very odd for a child to have a much later birthday, but appear to be accelerated. The accelleration might merely look like a factor if her being held back.

 

As her parent you are the only person who can make this decision if it is truly based upon her maturity. If it is only based upon what happens in your immediate area, that seems highly short sided.

[Tsuga]

I graduated at 17.

 

I did not skip. I just turned 5 the June before K and therefore, 18 the June before my freshman year of college.

 

In addition, I would not skip grades. Call it an honors or AP prep track and you're good.

 

My stepdaughter is very quick and hard working and will take her first AP test her freshman year a month after turning 15.

 

It's not easy but it is well within the range of normal. Many other kids are very far ahead of that!

 

So I would not hold your daughter back. I would continue her on the progression she's on.

[Haiku]

As SKL said, someone has to be the youngest. I always was with a summer birthday. I used to see a trend in holding kids with summer birthdays back. Now that trend is becoming holding kids with spring birthdays back. If it continues, we'll end up with the majority of kids starting K at 6 and graduating at 19. Personally, I don't think that's a good idea. I don't see schools filled with 19 year olds yearning to move on with life as safe and healthy places.

 

Since you're homeschooling, it's your call, but I wouldn't lock your dd into graduating a year later than necessary.

[Haiku]

Just to add: My dd has an August birthday. When we put her in school 9 months after adopting her, we put her in 6th even though she could have gone into 7th. By the time she was in 9th, she disliked being older than most of her classmates, and she has continued to dislike it in college. She is often asked whether she failed a grade or was held back.

[Julie Smith]

As SKL said, someone has to be the youngest. I always was with a summer birthday. I used to see a trend in holding kids with summer birthdays back. Now that trend is becoming holding kids with spring birthdays back. If it continues, we'll end up with the majority of kids starting K at 6 and graduating at 19. Personally, I don't think that's a good idea. I don't see schools filled with 19 year olds yearning to move on with life as safe and healthy places.

 

Since you're homeschooling, it's your call, but I wouldn't lock your dd into graduating a year later than necessary.

 

I don't see that as a problem. There isn't anything signification about age 18 vs 19 for yearning to move on. Till about 10 years ago my province of Ontario went to grade 13 - then called OAC. Because of that lots of kids graduated on schedule at age 19. It is the norm in the area and the province still has many kids doing a victory lap, as in staying in highschool for a fifth year just because they want to. Last I heard, 13.5% of students finishing grade 12 return for another year of highschool.

 

My youngest if he graduates on schedule will be 17 years and 7 months at the the end of his 12th year. I like the idea that he has the option of doing a "victory lap" and it not being considered odd or out of place to be in highschool for 5 years. I like the fact I don't have to decide before highschool when he has to finish, he can decide that for himself when he gets to the end of his highschool experience. I have a feeling he might want to move on at 17, because he is very close to his brother and I think one year of being home without him will be enough. But if it isn't he can choose at that time to stay home for another year. Get more credits, more experience, have more time to decide what to do next with his life.