Are grade levels important? Does it matter what grade kids are in? Let’s chat about when “what grade are you in” matters and when it doesn’t.
What grade are your kids in? That’s a fairly benign question for most people. However, I know that there is a large population of the homeschool community that doesn’t assign grade levels to their kids. They just kind of go along doing their own thing since they have no intention of sending their kids to school.
Does it really matter? Is it necessary to assign a grade level? I mean other than so they won’t have that deer-in-the-headlights look when someone asks them what grade they’re in?
Are Grade Levels Important in Homeschooling
Honestly, I don’t think grade levels are all that important. However, my kids have always known what grade they were in. Not because I care, but because they do.
My oldest attended public school through 2nd grade. It just made sense to keep counting after we started homeschooling. Then, when my middle one started homeschooling with us, he started at the same time the neighborhood boys started kindergarten. Again, we just kept counting.
In reality, whether it’s the teacher in me or not, it never occurred to me not to assign a grade level. When my second son started officially homeschooling at the same time the neighborhood kids started school, we just called it kindergarten and went from there.
[mv_video key=”suusyjzrpshdsm51heou” volume=”70″ aspectRatio=”true” title=”Free Homeschool Websites” thumbnail=”https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/suusyjzrpshdsm51heou.jpg” jsonLd=”true” doNotOptimizePlacement=”false” doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement=”false” sticky=”false”]As I said, though, I don’t think grade levels are all that important. They may give me a starting point for purchasing curriculum, but I’m free to move ahead or lag behind wherever my kids need it. At one point, my daughter was three ‘grades’ ahead in spelling while my son was one ‘grade’ behind. I don’t put much emphasis on grade levels there, and we just work where it best suits each child.
We do still like to celebrate our children’s achievements though. There will definitely be a celebration when my daughter ‘graduates’ from what would be eighth grade. Ultimately, rewarding children for their hard work is perhaps even more important in a home schooling environment.
Our homeschool co-op classes are divided into age ranges. So, my daughter is taking classes geared either for kids ages 10-12 or 11-13. They aren’t divided by grade. It’s a wonderful opportunity, again, for kids to work at their own pace.
In her old dance studio, her classes were assigned by grade level, though. It was helpful to know what grade she would be in if she attended public school. We could just as easily have gone with the average age of the class, too, if we truly didn’t pay attention to what grade they were in.
Would I assign a grade level if my kids had never gone to public school? If I hadn’t started out as a public school teacher? I don’t know. It’s just a number. However, some kids take great pride in being promoted from one grade to the next even in homeschooling. So, I say just do what fits your homeschooling style. Don’t sweat it.
Encouragement for Homeschool Moms
Below, I’ve featured just a handful of books meant to encourage homeschool moms that will help your readers celebrate their favorite characters.
You should be able to find them at your local library or bookstore. If you can’t find them locally, you can click each image cover to purchase them on Amazon.
Creating Homeschool Balance – “Creating Homeschool Balance” will help you understand what balance looks like, feels like, and how to create it. You’ll learn strategie
Your Goals This Year – No matter which kind of homeschool parent you are, this book will help you understand the stages of homeschooling high school, put you on the path to success, and keep you from feeling overwhelmed. You can homeschool through high school, and here are the tools to help you.
Scheduling: The Secret to Homeschool Sanity – When you homeschool, it’s important to take time to plan and rest, and not just work, work, work! Using schedules in your homeschool can help you avoid burnout.
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My kids only know their grade level because we’ve talked about how adults (or children) may strike up a conversation or want to get to know them and ask them what grade they’re in. I had 3 children within 25 months (all singletons). My two younger boys were born within the same year (Jan 1 and Dec 21). So here in Ontario, they would be placed in the same grade even though my youngest is not as intellectually mature as his (approx 11 1/2 mth) older brother. So when we go to the grocery store and the cashier usually inquires why they aren’t in school { 🙁 }….my kids will get chatting about how they’re homeschooled, how old they are, what grade they’re in, etc. (the whole shabang!!!! lol). It sometimes makes our lives a little easier for them to know ‘their grade level’ when they converse with people.
I totally agree with you that it doesn’t really matter re the grade level but just helps with a starting point for curriculum and its great to be flexible with each child.
I’ve really enjoyed this series so far. Looking forward to more, thank you for sharing!
We’ve been homeschooling for 18 years (with a kindergartner, we have a ways yet to go. Smile!), and I always make sure at the beginning of each school year to discuss grade levels, just in case we are out somewhere and we get the dreaded question “What grade are you in?” To which in days past my dear children have looked at me, “Mom? What grade am I in?” Horrors! I wouldn’t mind it so much, but the expression on people’s faces is often hilarious.
I’m sure that is hilarious!
We all get that deer in the headlights look when asked that question… luckily we have friends and family in public school so we can usually figure it out pretty quickly but my youngest (who would be ending second grade) works in a 3rd grade math book and a first grade reading book; though he has suddenly jumped to reading chapter books so we may have to reevaluate that one. My middle son (who would be in 4th) works in a 6th grade math book and reads whatever he wants; lately it’s a book on the periodic table of elements. My oldest would be finishing up 6th grade and his math series has no grading we just assume it’s “middle school.” I like to keep track just to give ourselves an idea of how much longer they have at home and a base line measurement for where society thinks they “should be” but most days we just plug along happily not thinking about grade level at all.
My kids know their grade level, but we have a very similar story to yours. Public school through second grade for my middle and a background in public education for me. Even though the can say, “I’m in this grade,” I haven’t even bothered to use it to find curriculum for years. And I love the freedom it gives us.
Yes. I use the grade level as my starting point in researching curriculum, but then move up or down based on what’s best for that child or where we are in our homeschool cycle.