"report cards"?

[mamalotsoftots]

Hi! Well in the middle of our first year. And my son asked me yesterday am I going to get a report card? Huh. I didn't know how to answer him.!. I said sure I suppose at the end of the year we will do a report card.

 

Here's my question though, we aren't doing testing. I'm not really keeping 'grades' per se. I don't grade his papers. He's my oldest and the only one schooling right now, so I sit with him while he does his work, and we 'grade' it as we're working.

 

I've read of several homeschooler's doing their school this way. However, now I'm beginning to wonder how do you keep track of progress. If I kept grades, he'd be getting 100% because at the end of a project or work it is 100% complete and correct. lol.

 

Please help me answer this question! :D thank you. :001_huh:

[Ellie]

No report cards in our home.

 

Schools give report cards because the teachers (1) have to report to the parents how the children are doing, (2) have to report to their superiors how their students are doing, and (3) have to have criteria for passing children from one grade level to the next.

 

You can see why homeschoolers don't need to keep grades.:D

 

Along about, oh, 12ish, it's good to start keeping some sort of grades in preparation for high school and transcripts (if that's the direction you're heading). The dc need to know that there comes a time when the answers they give are the answers they give and there are no do-overs :-)

[Heather in the Kootenays]

We do a narrative of our year - organized in a report card sort of way but with no marks, just the highlights of the year as I see it. I add lots of photos and attach any certificates (karate, swimming etc). It pleases the grandparents to see a "reportcard", reveals to me how much we've really accomplished, and will serve as a good momento of these years.

[klmama]

My oldest wants report cards, too, in order to have an answer for traditionally schooled friends who want to compare grades. It's fine with me. This dc is in 6th grade, and at this point I think grades are appropriate. At 7, though, I think you can use Satisfactory, Needs Improvement, and Unsatisfactory as "grades." It's less work for you, tells your ds what he wants to know, and gets you all into the habit of evaluating how things are going.

[mamalotsoftots]

I asked him why, turns out Grandma gave his cousin some money for a couple of "O"'s on her interim report from a PS. And she asked him if he gets report cards. hahah.

 

Guess I'll write one up for him. . .lol. Thanks for your replies.

 

Heather, could you elaborate a little on what your report cards look like? It sounds like something I'd like to try. :001_smile:

 

Thanks again ladies!!

Edited December 10, 2008 by mamalotsoftots

[Mountain View Academy]

I'm going to write one up using the E- excellent, S- satisfactory, N- Needs Improvement. I will also just write a little summary of what he covered in each subject.

 

I have done quarterly report cards to show him how he's improved. Such as, he had a harder time blending and sounding out words in August and now can read anything. So his report cards have reflected that. He likes to see he has improved in areas he once thought were difficult.

[BlueGator]

My husband asked that I start keeping grades this year for my 9 year old. I chafed at the idea for a while. I found somethings are very easy to grade and others are more subjective.

 

The items that are hard for him are hard to grade. The easy subjects are easy because everything is done correctly, so we added a attitude grade for each subject. He has a S or a U for each subject. I found this improved his thinking when he starts subjects he doesn't love. Thus he has shown great improvement.

[Jen500]

My boys make their own report cards. They enjoy it, and they're usually very accurate! They give themselves two grades for each subject (achievement and effort) and add comments.

[BlueGator]

My boys make their own report cards. They enjoy it, and they're usually very accurate! They give themselves two grades for each subject (achievement and effort) and add comments.

 

I like that idea.

 

I do let my son grade his papers. I read the answer and I give him a red pen. He is very hard on himself, sometimes I tell him that it is right if it is subjective. I think his self grading helps him see where he can do better.