| Every family that decides to homeschool must | | | | has been made, then the parent is satisfied that |
| tackle the issue of grading. Do grades help you | | | | the material has been mastered or the skill |
| assess your child's progress? Or is the whole | | | | acquired and no grade is needed. The idea here is |
| reason for grading a throwback to a content | | | | that children do not need that external grade |
| standard in public schools that is not really relevant | | | | system if they are not comparing themselves to |
| to homeschoolers? Every state has content | | | | others and are doing their best. |
| standards that can be obtained from your local | | | | Option Three: Consistent Grading System: Parents |
| superintendent's office. | | | | who decide to grade their children consistently |
| These describe what should be taught in a given | | | | whether from choice or state requirements can |
| year and a grade. And in public schools, | | | | document their chid's progress in a number of |
| standardized testing measures how well a child | | | | ways. If you need to review some of these |
| meets those standards. Are those the standards | | | | ways in more detail, you can print out a grading |
| you want to use to evaluate your child, or do you | | | | chart or different grading rubrics free from the |
| want to use those standards as a guide or not at | | | | internet by doing a Google search under Grades |
| all? The answers to these questions go to the | | | | or Grading Charts or Grading Rubrics for |
| heart of why you homeschool in the first place | | | | homeschoolers. A worksheet can be graded by |
| and how you see your homeschooling relationship | | | | simply dividing the number of problems correct by |
| with your child. Your own core beliefs and values | | | | the total number of problems to receive a |
| will dictate some of your answers to these | | | | percentage that translates to a grade on the |
| questions along with the legal requirements for | | | | grading chart. An essay can be graded based on |
| homeschooling in your state. Listed below are | | | | the standards that you have explained to your |
| some of the options for you to consider in | | | | child for excellence. |
| grading or not in your homeschooling family. | | | | You can break these down into elements |
| Option One: No Grading: (at least through | | | | especially for older children and you can either |
| elementary school). This is an option that can be | | | | create your own rubric or follow one printed from |
| pursued by families who do not have state | | | | the internet. For end of the year grades, you will |
| assessment standards for homeschoolers. If you | | | | have to tally up all the grades and divide by the |
| are not required by law to send in yearly graded | | | | total number of assignments to get a final grade. |
| reports or to do yearly testing with your child, | | | | Be aware that this system does not reflect |
| then you have the freedom to decide for | | | | improvement or distinguish between assignments |
| yourself whether you think that grading is a | | | | that are more or less important. To do that you |
| helpful assessment tool with your child. If you | | | | will have to give some work a greater weight in |
| choose not to grade your child, you will still want | | | | order to have it count more towards a final |
| to keep a good portfolio of their work and track | | | | grade. |
| their progress through the year in some kind of | | | | Regardless of what grading system you use, if |
| planner. | | | | any, remember that it is important to keep track |
| You will also probably want to commemorate | | | | of your child's lessons and work in a planner |
| your child's achievements in some way unless you | | | | journal that details your weekly progress with the |
| are a firm believer that a job well done is reward | | | | child. You need this to assess your own progress |
| enough. Many parents who do not grade at all in | | | | in teaching and it is very handy to have good |
| the elementary years find that they need to do | | | | teaching notes when you have multiple children |
| so in high school in order to create an acceptable | | | | that you homeschool. You will also want to keep |
| portfolio for a college-bound student. Philosphically | | | | representative papers, art work and photos in |
| speaking, parents who do not grade are focusing | | | | some sort of portfolio you can store in a large |
| on the individual child learning from within and | | | | binder, a file cabinet, or a box. You will want to |
| working to a standard that is family-related but | | | | review this yearly work yourself as you plan your |
| not state-related. | | | | next homeschooling year. |
| Option Two: Limited Grading: Some parents do | | | | At the heart of homeschooling is the loving |
| not want to get bogged down in grading every bit | | | | guidance that you provide a child that you know |
| of written work, so they simply give a numeric | | | | well. If you do your best to prepare your child's |
| score for work in math and do not grade written | | | | lessons so that they love learning and grow in |
| work at all. They may insist that a child rewrite an | | | | understanding and wisdom, then they will develop |
| essay or report if they either have not | | | | interests and skills that will serve them for a |
| understood the material or not given their best | | | | lifetime. They will then truly acheive mastery |
| effort. Once a good and consistent writing effort | | | | regardless of what grading system you choose. |