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I live in a state where I must submit quarterly report cards. Does any one else here have to do that? How do you do it? I just can't seem to wrap my brain around how to grade this curriculum. I only have to do report cards for the oldest two. They are using Beyond and Preparing. I've looked at the old threads, but again my brain just isn't understanding. I would appreciate any input.


Thanks!

Ann,
I'm giving you a bump . I am interested in this same question. I am thankful that Texas does not require report cards, but I have wanted to add some sort of record keeping of my children's work. The ladies gave me some great advice on keeping a file/portfolio and samples of our work. But, I too would like some help with "grades" or some sort of tangible written evaluation.

Blessings,
Cindy

Ann,

Do you know if you have to grade all subjects or just the basics (Language Arts, Math, History & Science) For grammar & math I would get the tests that go along with the R&S (or whatever curriculum you are using) and use those for grades. For History and science, I would use the questions that Carrie includes and either type them up and print them out every few units and use those for your "tests" to grade, or just keep track of how many they get right as they go along. If you are can use letter grades that makes it even easier. Just assess (through narration, questions etc) as you go along how a child is doing and just assign a letter grade for that subject. Hope this is helpful.

Ann,

Here's a recent thread that had a site linked that has a rubric that you could maybe use to evaluate notebooking or narrations. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4438&p=32719

That's about all the help I am - at least at this time of night. I don't need to turn in grades in KS, so I honestly haven't spent any time thinking about it. I just love using HOD because it's so obvious that my kids are really learning and remembering it - not to mention enjoying it! I'm sure there's a way to figure out grading, and still keep the fun learning going.

Kathleen

billswife wrote:I live in a state where I must submit quarterly report cards. Does any one else here have to do that? How do you do it? I just can't seem to wrap my brain around how to grade this curriculum. I only have to do report cards for the oldest two. They are using Beyond and Preparing. I've looked at the old threads, but again my brain just isn't understanding. I would appreciate any input.


Thanks!

Oh, I have to say I am not a fan of grades at young ages especially, so I am so sorry this is something you have to deal with! In homeschooling, we have a handful of dc to keep track of and are often their only teacher, working with them every day, year after year. We know how their doing - their strengths and weaknesses - because of the sheer amount of time spent together. My point being, this is something you need to do for your state - not to improve your own personal homeschooing experience. For that reason, i would not spend a ton of time on this, nor let it drive your day to day. I would also not start putting grades on all of your dc's assignments as this can make the classic question "Just tell me what I have to do to get an A" arise in dc's minds.

I look at each box of the plans as an objective to be met (this would be similar in some ways to "outcome based learning"). When child completes the box, a checkmark is placed in the corner of it, and a point is given for it. (You could just write "1" in the corner to give a point if it was earned. This would work well for hands-on type things, such as geography, history activity, science experiment, music, active parts of Bible study box, listening to Storytime and orally answering questions, hands-on math, oral narrations etc. If child refused to do the box or did not participate in it fully, then a point would not be given (and you'd talk to child and expect an improvement the next time ).

For written things, a point can be given if the assignment was completed properly. I work with my ds to help him fix/make changes as necessary to written work until it "passes the test" of being a product done well. I'd just give a point when it reaches your level of satisfaction. This works well for things like art work, science lab sheets, notebooking assignments, written narrations, creative writing, etc.

There are some things that can be graded quite easily. I would only grade things once the child is past the "introductory stage" of a skill. For example, when teaching percentages for the first time in math, it's not a good time to grade a child's work for that. The next day, when that skill is in the review stage it could be graded, or better yet - it could be graded when the Practice or Review pages come up. Then a straight percentage can be used. Same for spelling. On the last day of the week, a spelling test can be given and a percentage given. Same with grammar. On Review days, this could be graded. The 5 questions and answers of Science each week (in PHFHG) can be graded, etc.

Then, at the end of the week you could tally up the points earned out of the points possible for each subject area and assign a grade for each subject for the week. You could average in the percentage grades you took as well, and wah-lah! I hope something here as helped, but whatever you do, I'd make this as easy on yourself as possible, and not make it a big deal for your dc.

In Christ,
Julie

Julie--thanks for your reply! You gave me some great examples of what I can do! I did have to grade last year also and we were using HOD. I went more with how I "felt" they were doing than actual scores. I just wanted to do a better job this year. I don't like to grade them either. I think it stresses them out more. I also work with my kids to "fix" their mistakes and to understand what they did wrong. For some reason, I'm really stressing about grades this year. Your suggestions have helped me relax a bit. Thanks!

Thanks for your response here, Ann! Please don't let grading stress you out - though I can see how it could. I think ball-parking a grade for each subject is just fine too - do whatever gives you the least amount of stress and takes the least amount of time. So you can just enjoy your year to the hilt!

In Christ,
Julie