As you may already know, we are bringing the kids home to HS again in the fall after a 5 year break with them in private Christian school. We kept them home today to do some placement testing in preparation for the fall and to help us figure out where to start. We are planning on using Switched on Schoolhouse for some subjects. Well, today DS12 who will be in 8th grade in the fall, tested to start all 6th grade work in the fall and is heartbroken. We didn't even move on to the 7th or 8th grade placement tests. Suggestions?
Homeschooling curricula is often of a total different world than what she was most likely using in her school. You can use this tidbit to reassure her that it's not her, that the curricula may be way ahead so that what a homeschooler would be doing in 6th grade is the same as what a more traditional student would be doing in 8th. I would also look at other curriculums maybe?
I was going to say something similar. Also, that the beauty of homeschooling is that she can also work at her own pace. She might find that the first half of the year in those grades will be super easy and fly thru it, until she gets to the things that she's really struggling with. Which of the subjects is she testing into that? Math? L/A? Really, she shouldn't worry!!!!
She is testing at the 6th grade level all the way through. She is an A, B student at her private school right now. I just wonder how she will respond to us bringing her home to do work that is 2 years "below" her grade level... Honestly, the way I see it, the only two subjects that really "need" to be on a grade level are math and language. Maybe we should just go on grade level for the other subjects? Pondering...
I agree with the others... just assure her that every publisher has their own ideas about what a ___ grader should know, and that's why many have entrance tests. I don't even tell my kids what grade a book is. I say "book 5" rather that "5th grade". I'm not sure you can do that with an online program, but still... try to assure her that it's normal. Try testing with other tests as well (like DORA & ADAM) or other publishers' entrance tests.
Check Teaching Textbooks for math for her, it works more on a traditional math level and may have her working "on level" so she doesn't feel behind. As far as not telling them a grade level of the material, I'm not sure how you can pull that off, most things we use say the grade level right on them. McRuffy Math Grade 2, Total Reading Grade 2, etc.
I agree, grade level on other subjects. However, what was her main problem with math and language arts? I wouldn't start her 2 years behind unless the problems are major. If at all possible, work with her over the summer so she can start pre-algebra in 8th grade. I let dd get behind. I have her doing MUS pre-algebra this year (8th grade) with a calculator! She still has problems with fractions, but we work on that as it comes up in review lessons. Grammar after a certain point is just review each year. Reading and comprehension take practice but I never really thought of it as a grade level thing. I am not familiar with the curriculum you are testing for, so I can't advise! We use several different publishers, not an all-in-one. Is mixing and matching an option for you?
If she were to take a state exam, I'm sure she would place just fine. Like others have said, much of the homeschool material is much farther ahead than the mainstream school curriculum.
Could she have test anxiety? Could it be the wording of the placement tests are confusing? My oldest gets frustrated - especially with word problems - when they're worded weirdly! (((HUGS)))) I know how frustrating it is as a parent to watch our kids measure themselves by "grade". I would DEFINITELY not worry about Science/History/Bible - not sure how SOS tests grade level in those!!! I'll say honestly that my 3 kids do very minimal science....but when my oldest jumped into an honors leveled class in 7th grade, got A's with no problems. And it had nothing to do with never seeing the material before (which she hadn't!). I would DEFNITELY do those on grade level. For Math and Language Arts....is it specifics she's having trouble with (like getting similar type problems wrong, so maybe it's ONE thing she struggles with that's completely skewing the results?).
