A friend came over today during her girls spring break to gauge how much they have learned at school. She wants to homeschool them next yr. and is worried about the change in curr. We did an online placement test, from ACE. the Fifth grader failed the test, it said to start her out at the beginning of 5th., in both math and english. Her 3rd grader did ok, but with some learning gaps. Now, I understand that some say ACE is slower than most.... but in public school I would have tought that they would have learnned some of the stuff, like writing in cursive in 3rd grade. Another reason I love homeschooling..... even though we are slower at some concepts (like x) but at least I know what they are learning. I feel sorry for the 5th grader, after she was done she felt so bad, but I told her that only means that she needs to learn it and not worry. I love homeschooling!
I am looking so forward to homeschooling my daughter this fall and love that you have the ease to do anything you want!
So true!! It's nice getting to see first hand what they are learning and what they struggle with before you move on to something else.
I suggest trying the CLE placement tests for LA and math -- they're free to print out at www.clp.org -- then look at both ACE and CLE tests to see which specific skills they didn't "get" in ps.
I would be careful not to place the 5th grader in the 5th grade books again unless absolutely necessary. Many concepts get repeated each year anyway. I would think for history and science, possibly even LA would be able to just dig into the 6th grade book instead. If there are issues with math, either use a different math program or purchase the 6th grade curr. and work on the areas she needs help with. Going into homeschooling for the first time AND dealing with grade retention is just not a good combination.
Brooke - there is no grade retention in homeschooling! just learning gaps that need to be filled with whatever materials (regardless of the numbers on the front of the book) need to be covered to gain the needed skills! Besides, ACE "disguises" their grade levels by having twelve units or PACES per grade level, numbering them in order from 1001-1012 in first grade, 1013-1024 for second grade, 1025--1036 for third, 1037--1048 for fourth, etc., so if nobody tells this kid she's doing fifth grade books, she'll never know it unless she "breaks the code" herself.
I was going on the OP stating the girl knew she should start in the 5th grade books. We don't look at grade levels like that here, either, but it seems the girl is already aware of what "grade" she tested in.
Ah, I must've read too quickly to get that... Well, anyway, maybe in ACE she can go fast, do more than twelve units per subject and get up into the sixth stuff sooner! Maybe she'll find that more of it is review for her than she thinks?
