Posts Tagged ‘grade levels’
What Grade are you in?
That is a question that always stumped my homeschooled children because we didn’t follow grade levels, we followed their learning level. Many of us have experienced in our lives that different topics have a greater interest, or make more sense to us than others and therefore we may be better at it than something else.
I remember when I was in grade 6 and would participate in my cousin’s grade 9 spelling drills. I always scored higher than he did but when it came to math, I couldn’t keep up with the kids in my class. Unfortunately, since I was in the public school system I was given grade 6 English (in which I excelled and sometimes got bored with) and grade 6 math (which I barely passed). Since I knew that my level of learning differed with each subject I expected the same from my children. Sure enough, one excels in English but not math while the other is completely opposite with math being the stronger subject.
And so, if the child is excelling in English should I stiffle the flow by only allowing him to study at the grade level his age is meant to be at? If he is struggling in math do I keep pushing him forward in that level, or should I lower the level a little to give him a chance to understand. I chose to homeschool so that I could offer my children an education that I felt they deserved. Therefore, I chose not to follow grade levels but instead, to offer them each subject at a level that they could understand and learn from.
By offering lessons geared to the learning level of the child, they are encouraged to learn rather than being frustrated with learning. They are inspired to excel and proud of their accomplishments. They succeed at their own level, which is what is best for them!
Meeting the Grade
Home educators have the ability to allow their children to learn each subject at their own pace. There is no need for specific grade levels across the board. Let’s face it, some subjects are harder for us than others and therefore may take more time to learn, or will be learned at a higher or lower level.
Students who struggle in Math may be advanced in English. Or, someone who enjoys Science may excel at it but not do so well in Geography. These variances in learning levels can be taught through unit studies. A unit study takes a topic of study and offers activities and worksheets across the curriculum. Many unit studies incorporate different levels of learning so that it can be used for various grade levels, or learning levels. They also offer a variety of lesson ideas to expand a child’s knowledge on the subject and a chance to study it further on their own.