Skipping grades - how is it done?

[dorothy]

When one of your dc skips (or wants to) skip a grade, how do you do it?

 

Do you have them do double duty on all subjects?

Do you test them out of a grade?

How do you show that they have the knowledge or have done the work for the grade skipped and are "allowed" to be in the new grade.

 

My dd age 11/5th grade keeps insisting on moving up to 6th grade. I have already received opinions on this. Now, I am just looking for the logistics to do this if we choose to do so.

 

Thanks.

[LisaKinVA]

I don't know that I'd reccomend a homeschooler "officially" skip grades -- mainly because there may come a time when your 5th grader needs more time with a concept, and you will want to take that time without "holding them back."

 

Acceleration is another matter entirely. How you go about doing it is up to you. I've scrapped a curriculum that was obviously underwhelming a child (so tedious and boring they cried), and I've doubled up on things. It really depended upon what it was.

 

Math -- I wouldn't skip a level entirely. I would have them do a small selection of problems (5-10), and if they got them all correct, could move to the next lesson. I double up on math a lot. But then, when they hit that "wall" I can take 2-3 days with a lesson that is more challenging.

 

Literature -- I'd make sure that whatever they were doing was asking deeper questions -- beyond regurgitating material -- that your dd was making inferences, comparing and contrasting, beginning to understand literary devices and terminology.

 

Spelling -- if it's really easy, I see no need to continue with a pure spelling program, get into vocabulary and have your dd learn to spell and use those words instead.

 

Grammar -- Big difference between grammar in a workbook and actually using proper grammar, punctuation, etc. You'll see the evidence of whether or not dd can skip ahead in the writing. Again, this may be a "double up" area more than a dump the curriculum and just skip.

 

Writing can always progress along a definite line of achievement. Doesn't matter what the grade level is, the only way to get better is to write more and make sure they are applying their grammar lessons :D

 

History -- go deeper, there is so much more to history than the text. Of course, if your child *loves* history, you can go both deeper and faster :D

 

Science -- science should NOT out-pace math. If your child loves science, go deeper and broader -- but don't reach for the high school chemistry until your son has Alg 1 and probably Geometry under his belt. Some of what is required in science is based on concepts taught at standard math levels -- so you really want those to be on an equal footing.

 

This is just my reccomendation. My oldest ds is doing work 1-2 grades ahead, and my dd is doing work 2 grades ahead -- all unofficially. My Ker is also accelerated, but not being pushy there, He's in K after all :D

[dhudson]

I think "skipping" a grade is a bit dangerous. What about all the information that might be missed? Accelerating is a safer bet. My kids are a traditional grade ahead of their peers but we have just always gone at their speed. We have gone faster if needed and slower if needed. As a homeschooler you can call them whatever grade you want, unless you are planning on putting them in a traditional setting. Skipping information especially in subjects that build on each other seems like it could seriously hurt your child in the future.

[Ellie]

You just do it.

 

When my younger dd was 10, she rilly, rilly wanted to be 6th grade instead of 5th, so I let her. I told her that if for some reason she ended up in school, she might have to go back to her age-appropriate grade.

 

I just had her do the next level of whatever we were working on. IOW, I didn't make her do all the 5th grade work. Besides, most of the materials I used were not grade-level specific, so dd could be any grade she wanted to :-)

 

HOWEVER, this can be a very tricky thing if your dc ever goes to school. A couple of times when I administered an umbrella school I allowed the parents to skip their dc a grade. The first time I just gave the parents the go-ahead, but the following year their dc went to school, and I got a phone call from the teacher asking me how I had decided to let this child skip, as he wasn't able to do the work. Gulp. (As it turned out, he began taking classes at the community college when he was 15 and he zoomed through them, so maybe that first year in school was just a bad year!) The next time that came up, I required the dc to test post high school in all subjects on a standardized test, so that if he went to school a grade level ahead of his age, we could document it. (And he did. And he took the California High School Proficiency Exam a year early, and went on to some Ivy League college...I forget which one.)

 

Having said that, let me say this: It really isn't necessary to official allow a child to "skip" a grade. You can graduate him early, but keep him at his Official Grade Level on paper. It's much less messy that way.

[MIch elle]

You just do it.

 

 

 

:iagree: It'll all be taught again at a higher level if you use mastery type of materials.

[Tabrett]

You just do it.

Having said that, let me say this: It really isn't necessary to official allow a child to "skip" a grade. You can graduate him early, but keep him at his Official Grade Level on paper. It's much less messy that way.

How do you graduate early if you keep them at their official grade level on paper?

[Ellie]

How do you graduate early if you keep them at their official grade level on paper?

 

You just do it.

 

There's no law of the universe that says that children must go to school for 12 years; most compulsory education laws don't require that, either. When your dc completes the high school-level course work you've assigned, you graduate him.

[cillakat]

I'm thinking that they're in whatever 'grade' they're in based on the level of work they're doing. So if they're doing fifth grade work, they're in 5th grade (essentially).

 

And if they've mastered material and moved so quickly through material that they're in another grade for one or more subjects, then they're in whatever grade they're in (in that one or more subjects) based on acheivement.

 

Since he's doing 5th grade work, well, it's pretty much fifth grade.

 

If he can work through it more quickly and be at a different level, then great!

 

Some move more quickly not by bypassing material but by doing yearround school and minimizing breaks. Some move more quickly b/c they just 'get' things faster and can leap through material more quickly. You and he can decide which it is and act accordingly.

 

Then there is no 'official' anything. You just call it what it is and have good records to back you up.

 

If he will be back in school at some point, there's a good chance that the acceleration will be ignored unless (and even if) you have professional educational testing done to back you up (ie WISC/Woodcock Johnson) by an educational psychologist. Then you can fight the good fight with the school:)

 

But for college admissions it won't likely matter as much how old he is. He'll have simply done what he's done.

 

K

[TCoppock]

I advance my son to the next grade unofficially when the majority of the subject levels are at the next grade level. For instance, come spring time DS should have completed his spelling, english, math, and science books therefore I would start calling him a 5th grader. We school year round and just move on to the next thing once a book is complete. Why is it you DD feels the need to skip a grade level? Does she feel she is behind her peers or? Does she feel she already knows the information being taught? I think I would try and find out more why she feels she should skip a grade level and base my decision on this.

[Melissa in Australia]

I have always thought that one of the advantages of homeschooling is not having to keep to grades strictly.

my children aren't in any particular grade. we just move through the books, as soon as we have finished one math book, we go straight into the next. same with all subjects except history, which we do as a family ,I spend a whole year going through.

 

this does mean that 3 children are running ahead in science, 2 by a year and a half and one by 6 months.

I have told them there are a certain amount of books to get through, and it is up to them how fast they want to get through them ( within reason) they can take a whole year per book, or do it faster.

[dorothy]

"skip." I am not looking to "skip" work, just move her quickly up (she wants it and is willing to do the work). I'm just curious about what we have to work through to make it workable and really prepare her to be the new grade. Right now she is wizzing through her 5th grade work and plans to start the 6th grade curriculum in January. For 5th we are doing:

 

SOTW4

Logic

Vocab

Spelling

Writing

Latin

Memorization - geo, poems, speeches

Science

 

All of this is getting done every day - multiple lessons.

 

So, for 6th grade from January to June what should I do?

 

For example, can't I just stay with SOTW4 and go deeper, do more written work, reading etc?

 

Her logic was 4-6 grade done in one week.

Her 5th grade spelling - all 36 lessons done in four weeks.

The daily vocabulary 5th grade - 36 lessons done in four weeks.

 

So, what next?

 

Thanks.

[JenneinCA]

What about Math?

[Crimson Wife]

Is your DS simply asking for more challenging material, or does he want you to change the "official" grade level in which he's registered? If it's the former, that's a no-brainer IMHO. You simply use whatever grade-level material is appropriate for his capabilities.

 

The only real advantage I can see to the latter is if he's going to be enrolling in a traditional school at some point and you want him placed above where his chronological age would indicate. If this is the case, make sure you document his file with standardized test scores that he's mastered all the material expected for his current grade.

[Ria]

I wouldn't skip a grade per se. I'd just meet the child on his/her own level, but still call it whatever grade he/she would normally belong in. If you are homeschooing, this is easy to do. I'd be very, very hesitant to have a child of 17 going off to college, thus my concern over skipping grades. BTW, this is not to say that there are not kids who aren't able to go off to college at an early age. There are, but they are very few and far between.

Ria

[8filltheheart]

I agree. My kids work where they are. I never worry about whether that happens to above or below grade level b/c they function at their ability level.

 

Dual enrollment for advanced students is a viable option if you don't want to graduate them early. If you decide to, simply make sure that the last 4 yrs meets the criteria of a solid high school transcript.

[LisaKinVA]

"skip." I am not looking to "skip" work, just move her quickly up (she wants it and is willing to do the work). I'm just curious about what we have to work through to make it workable and really prepare her to be the new grade. Right now she is wizzing through her 5th grade work and plans to start the 6th grade curriculum in January. For 5th we are doing:

 

SOTW4

Logic

Vocab

Spelling

Writing

Latin

Memorization - geo, poems, speeches

Science

 

All of this is getting done every day - multiple lessons.

 

So, for 6th grade from January to June what should I do?

 

For example, can't I just stay with SOTW4 and go deeper, do more written work, reading etc?

 

Her logic was 4-6 grade done in one week.

Her 5th grade spelling - all 36 lessons done in four weeks.

The daily vocabulary 5th grade - 36 lessons done in four weeks.

 

So, what next?

 

Thanks.

 

By all means, if she's completed that work, simply move her onto the next level. Just keep in mind that during the next couple of "grade levels" there is meant to be a transition -- and you'll want to start getting beyond some work-book work. Textbooks and workbooks are easy to dash through, but they don't always do a whole lot for application of the thought process (I loved getting into new books, and raced through levels as a kid). For example, it may be easy to regurg. information -- but using and applying it can be a whole different story :D Have fun!

[Ellie]

I'm thinking that they're in whatever 'grade' they're in based on the level of work they're doing. So if they're doing fifth grade work, they're in 5th grade (essentially).

 

But most hsed children (and, truth be known, public/private school students, as well) are at different grade levels in different subjects. That's why my *strong* recommendation is for people to keep their dc *on paper* at the grade level the dc would be in if they were enrolled in their local public school, while still allowing the dc to work at their ability level. In the 16 years I administered the umbrella school, I saw more than once the problems that children had if their parents had played with the grade level on paper and the children ended up going to school. Not a pretty picture.:glare: I've also had many Internet discussions with folks who held their dc back who regretted it later. [Disclaimer: I know there are others who didn't regret it. I'm just saying that many have, and that regret could have been avoided if they had just kept their dc's grade levels *on paper* the same grade levels they'd have been in school.]