Do you? I haven't been, because I've saved every scrap of paper in case I need it for our review . Feels like a bit of a disservice though... like my kids should get a chance to see what they missed. Then again, we sit at the table together, and I generally catch the mistakes as they happen, so they have immediate feedback. They also know if they make too many mistakes, they'll get it back and I'll make them redo it. Do you guys give your kids back their corrected work?
There's not much that needs correcting right now, mostly math and copywork, but I correct it right in front of him so that he always sees what he got wrong and what the right answer is.
Part of my kids' assignments for any given day are to look over what they missed on the previous assignment and correct it themselves or with me. I used to correct it immediately with them, but now that I'm working in the middle of each day it is difficult to do it that way.
yes I do. I show them what they did wrong and if they want to look it over to make it right that is fine. I feel it helps them learn better. Like in math if they miss something and I don't tell them then they might think they are doing it right and keep doing it over and over again. That way we all are on the same path.
Yes I give it back. For math, they usually find their own mistakes but if they can't we do the problem together. For other subjects I usually ask if they can find the mistake and if not I show them. I want them to learn from their mistakes. After the work is corrected, it goes into their binders for the year. I'm not required to do this but I like having a binder of work for my own peace of mind.
My kids do their work, then hand it in for checking. Either dh or I mark what's incorrect, then give it back for them to correct it, then they hand it back. If it's still incorrect, we go over it with them to find out WHY it's still incorrect and HOW to correct it. When it's done, checked, and corrected, then it goes into my "completed" folder. Except for dgs. We sit with him while doing his lessons, so we fix it as we go, but he's only in first grade.
For Math I check it and then give it back to dd to correct. All her other work I correct it and go over it with her, most of the time having her do the corrections. We keep all her work in a binder and I clean it out each quarter.
I 'grade' worksheets as soon as they finish them, give it back right then and make them correct it. Once corrected it gets a sticker or stamp and goes in the file or the trash (I keep a sampling in case I need it and for sentimental reasons, but we don't have to turn in a portfolio or anything in GA)
The reason I grade anything is so that the kids can see what they need to correct. On some things like copywork for my son I'm right there and correct it as he does it. I feel (especially after listening to a Susan Wise Bauer lecture) that writing is something he really has to work into his memory and the more mistakes he is allowed to make, whether I later correct them or not, the more he WILL make. And math should always be corrected as far as I'm concerned. I generally expect 90% correct on anything and then expect the kids to go back and make it 100% correct. It sounds strict but the kids don't really think anything of it at this point.
Ems corrects her own math. If she gets the problems wrong on the second round, we work it out on the whiteboard. I correct her other papers and hand them back for correction if necessary. I do not see any purpose in moving ahead if she doesn't understand.
I do. I have the girls work the problem with me, that way they know what they did wrong. this really helps in Math and English.
I always hand back corrected work, to make sure that they understand it. I feel that it is important for them to learn from their mistakes so to speak. That's just my two cents.
Thanks guys. Part of my confusion is that I have perfectionists for kids. For instance, ds got a 97 on a sci test. I was extremely impressed! He was nearly in tears. dd had a similar issue with her handwriting sheet. She didn't like the way her cursive 'y's looked at all and nearly gave up, so I held her hand and we did a few together. I explained that I certainly didn't expect hers to look like mine. I explained that cursive takes practice, just like printing did. Then she did another she was happy with on her own, and we called it good. I'm strict, but they are far harder on themselves than I am. I don't think I have the sort of kids who would ever do an entire math sheet wrong- because both will cry first. They are their mother's children for sure. If they miss any, it will be one. I could probably count on one hand the number of times they've missed 2 on the same math sheet. I've had to tell both of them that if they were to fail something, it means *I* haven't done a good enough job explaining the concept. At any rate, thank you for your wonderful thoughts. It had crossed my mind that maybe handing work back (so that they see lots of good things) will help mitigate the few things they miss as well. hmmm.. I like the idea of giving it back then saving it in a folder.
You know your children. If handing it back will only discourage them you can check for understanding in other ways. Making mistakes, especially in math, happens to people who know how to do the problem backward and forward. Yes, learning to pay close attention to detail is important but that can also be reinforced in other ways as well. With my boys, while they love to see a 100 on a paper, they don't beat themselves up over a lower grade. Having them redo work is helpful and not harmful. You do what's best for your kids. It sounds like this is one way in which homeschooling will greatly benefit them. You are able to help them see that learning is much more than a number on a paper. You can help them see their successes over their perceived failures. Children rarely seem to get that in school these days.
