There are a lot of people that are home schooling their kids. How does that work? Do your kids have to take tests to go up on grade levels? What happens if your child does work for the 3rd grade, and it is too easy for them. Can you move your child up to the 4th grade level to try and challenge your child to do harder work, when the child clearly CAN do the work.
If a child is in 8th grade math, let's say.. can the student go up a grade or two in math. Let's say the 8th grade home schooled child is VERY smart in math or English.. or maybe all of their subjects.. can the child test and go up another grade or two?
Here are my questions:
Do home school children take tests like kids in traditional school?
How does a child advance from one grade to the next during one school year.. can it be done?
Do you have to record grades and send them into the state?
How do home school kids graduate?
[question posted by OreoCookie3]
responses and comments:
These are very good questions and I am sure te answers vary from stat to state. Another question I would like to know is what if the parent was ony an average student themselves and had trouble just finishing high school. Would they make a good teacher for their childern? Then when it comes to the sciences like for instance Biology and chemistry where a lab is needed for experiments? Perhaps home schooling should stop after the 3rd grade and then they should take a test and go to publich school. [muscles4me]
Hi Lilybug, no did not know that about our city public schools. i think it is a bad idea, how do they know its just the student taking the course and tests, they could be paying someone to do those courses for them; it is this reason that I am against earning a degree on line too. I am sure there are some not to honest individuals taking those courses. Good to see you. [muscles4me]
Good morning, Boo. Sorry i can not help u out on this at all just wanted to say hi & have a good Sunday. [ANTIQUELADY]
Boo, u know u don't need to be doing that. U ARE GOING TO MAKE YOURSELF SICK. Take care, love & hugs. [ANTIQUELADY]
glareof course they should. how would they know if they have learn something if they're not going to take the test after all the things that they did in terms of studying in classlol [LetranKnight25]
Home school isn't the same in all states. It's pretty liberal by what I've been reading.. some states the parents can determine what the child learns... and I read that some kids don't take tests.. I'm wondering how this all works. Some home schooling is directed by an academy, but some aren't.. it just depends on the states.. it sounds confusing to me... although I read that home school kids do better on average than class room taught kids. [OreoCookie3]
hi,oreocookies3,your topic is very significative,I think(not sure)home school children take test like kids in traditional school,for if not the teacher can not know whether they master the knowledge or not,and only they pass the exam can the teacher teach the next content.But I disagree this educational way,kids should go to public school where they can accept general education,and get on with the classmates. [monica7083]
Hi Monica.. It's not the same as in public school... the parents are usually the teachers... and some have said they don't take tests.. I think it depends on what state you are in to determine how strict they are. [OreoCookie3]
In BC here, our home school children fall under the Ministry of Education's (MoE) distance learning program. While the cirriculum is perhaps a bit more flexible that what you might see in a classroom, the end results must be the same. And there are standardized tests to make sure that the child is having satisfactory progress. We also have available through our district, a program which is available province wide, called E-Bus. This is home schooling done at home on a computer using the cirriculum of the program, which meets the cirriculum requirements of the MoE. But the children do have tests to ensure minimum standards are kept up. [BCMike]
We homeschool. States vary in their requirements. Our state doesn't even require us to notify anyone of our intent to homeschool . . . unless they've already been in public school and they are pulled out. The children can be in any grade level for any subject depending on their capabilities and needs. To make it easier for my child, whenever anyone asks what grade she is in, she just says fourth grade, which is the level she would be at in a public school. She is in third grade math, but has been well above her age/grade level, and in varying levels, in all other subjects since before "kindergarden". She was reading books by age 2. Students preparing for college can take the same aptitude tests and entrance exams that others take. They don't have to test to graduate and we create their diploma. Some homeschoolers get a private school number from the school system, some don't. Some say high school students should take a GED test, but passing a GED test still has a stigma attached to it as a negative thing . . . failing or dropping out . . . so, around here a GED is NOT recommended. Homeschooled students work at their own pace. Some parents elect not to test their students, while others do. By high school age, it is good practice to test students in order to prepare them for testing in college. So many colleges are doing distance and online learning now and in the future and testing for students who elect to do college in that form won't have traditional tests. Colleges are offering scholarships to homeschooled children . . . ivy league colleges are even seeking out homeschooled children. Homeschool is not an easy out. It takes a great deal of dedication for the parents and the children. It is flexible. The negative "social aspect" of it is just a myth. There are many ways to socialize children that are way more fun and productive than sitting at a desk all day with only one age group of kids and waiting around like a herd of cows for the next thing to happen. We don't have to record grades, or give them grades for that matter. We (our state) do not require attendance records before age 7. After age 7, they must be "in school" 150 days per year . . . we are actually in school just about all year around, but less strenuous in the summer. Some don't even give grades at all, some do. Colleges require diploma and transcript, but we make our own diploma and the transcript only needs to show pass/fail and credit hours. There are homeschool coops and plenty of activities and classes that are given by people who are qualified in various fields. This is a big help when parents feel they can not provide what their child needs. For instance, I could never teach nuclear physics! There are many "subjects" available that students would not normally be exposed to in a school setting. Students can also concentrate more on their passions than they would be able to in school. Homeschooling isn't for everybody. Public school isn't for everybody. Choice should be for everybody. Why should children be in a one-size-fits-all atmosphere that includes exposure to bullying, voiolence, sex, drugs, and sit there miserable for 7 hours a day with same-aged peers? It works for us. [Annie2]
Thanks Annie. You have made it very clear. I kind of which there was home schooling for when I was a kid.. I might have done a lot better in school. I did good in college, but didn't do well in regular school. I think it had a lot to do with self-esteem issues back then. [OreoCookie3]
I had a friend who home schooled her son but i am not sure on the actual process. But I do know she had him take all of the state exams that his counterparts did and he always scored well. I do know that one summer she took him to play Hockey in Europe where he realized that he was the only person who spoke one language. He was going into 8th grade at the time. Besides his regular school work, he studied French like there was no tomorrow. He completed each regents exam for French and master in one year what the NY schools considered a 4 year program. The next year Mom sent him to a private school that could challenge him better. The young man played piano, soccer, baseball and hockey as well. [Debs_place]
Hi Debsplace... thanks for your input here. I think it is different in different places. I wish I could have been home schooled. [OreoCookie3]
In West Virginia, you can only teach up to the grade that you went to school for. So if you've graduated high school you can teach a child all the way through high school. If you only went to school for 10th grade, you can only teach up to that point. And yes, you do have to take tests. The state has to ensure that you are actually teaching them something and that your kids are actually learning something before they can begin to move onto the higher grade. I know in other states though, there is no curriculum and no set way to level up. It just depends upon your state law. The best place to find out about homeschooling is to go to the Board of Education. [highflyingxangel]
Well, that's what I thought, but some folks said they didn't have to turn in any work or scores or tests... like ...hello!? how does the state know your kid is in school? [OreoCookie3]
It really depends on the state and how the parents want to school the kid. I was homeschooled for high school. I did not have anyone working with me and just independently did things (mostly correspondence courses through the local university). I did not have to take any tests other than those required for the courses I took through correspondence. The state did not care about any checking in with them at what level I was at. I technically never graduated either, but my parents just declared I was done with high school and I applied for university at 16. The university has different requirements of applying as a homeschooler and where I went I basically just needed an average SAT score and I was automatically accepted. [antarcticpostcards]
Wow! Thank you for sharing. It seems so (I don't know the word to use) it's completely different than going through school and having to meet standards and either pass or fail a grade. I failed second grade, and had to go to summer school in order to pass the next year.. or would have flunked in twice. I wish I could have home schooled my daughter, but then maybe she wouldn't have learned anything.. she didn't graduate going to regular school. She can hardly add without a calculator. I let her quit at 16 because she had already failed 2 grades and would not have graduated anyway... tried to get her in GED school, but she loses interest when it gets harder... I tried to teach her at home... but I guess I don't know what to do. [OreoCookie3]
We home school our kids, they take tests after one their modulues is done to see how much they have retained. My son is advanced in math, he is going into the 4th grade but does 5th and 6th grade math, public school would not advance like that so home schooling benefits us in that regard. Grade years are based on their ages but that doesn't mean they have to learn at that grade. We record our grades and keep reciepts for all the school curriculum we buy. We are registered with Oklahoma schools and they do not require that you register with the state for state testing. When they are ready to intergrate back into public school they will be more advanced because of the one on one training. Home schooled kids can take state tests to see how advanced they are and they can graduate at 16 years old from high school. Scholarships are differnent because colleges base their decisions on high school sports. We can graduate them with other home school programs. Hope that helps. [gitfiddleplayer]
Awesome! I think it helps too if the parents know the material so that they can help, if necessary. I know one home school mom who works a lot and doesn't have the time to work with her two sons... one is doing okay the other isn't... it's like he has to try and figure stuff out on his own. [OreoCookie3]
I home school my daughter.Laws may differ from state to state,I know some states require that you be certified to homeschool your child.My state doesn't require it.Yes they do take tests like in public school.They get a report card at the end of the school year.They advance in grades just like in public school.If the child is getting terrible grades they aren't gonna advance to the next grade.I've been homeschooling for two years now.My daughter likes it because she can have a snack when she wants,and use the bathroom,in public school they don't let the child use the restroom.She doesn't have to worry about what to wear.She loves being homeschooled.She's starting 8th grade this coming school year. [Java09]
Hi Java.. Yeah, the laws are different... one of my responders said they don't even need to test their kids. It seems like they would have to be tested in order to graduate. [OreoCookie3]
I homeschooled my son half of his sophomore year and all of his junior year and he wanted to go back for senior year. He did fantastic homeschooled. Learned it wasn't him that was so stupid, but more how he was taught. He aced things at Home school, that he was lucky to get a C in school. We went the first monday of the month to the homeschool office (handled through the high school anyway) and he got assignments for one class, for instance English, and homework for 3 weeks. The Thursday of the fourth week, he had to go in and test for 2 hours. Next month, he'd get math, next he'd get history, etc. It seemed to work so much better to do several weeks of one thing, instead of 30 minutes a day of everything.He learned so much more. He did that same homework and studies at homeschool as they did in actual school, since it was run by the highschool itself. And he was still able to do all school activities, sports, dances, football games etc, that the school did/had. But I do say, he learned a whole lot more at homeschool than they kids did in actual school. His friends would often say, "oh, we haven't learned that" or "they didn't teach us that". They were even coming to him for help. Grades...they kept them. He got credit for all the homework and the tests. Homework was turned in at the end of the 3 week period and then the test was taken there. [coffeebreak]
Yeah, he was getting C's and D's and worked for hours on the homework... he just thought he was dumb! My brother mentioned home school, saying how he wished he'd been able to do that so I checked into it. It was the best move ever made. My son went to A's and B's and ENJOYED his homework! I didn't actually correct it, that is what they wanted to do, but I did review and mentally correct just so I knew how and what he was doing and he was on the money most of the time!!! After awhile I told him..."see you aren't stupid. Much of learning what you are taught, depends on who is doing the teaching". I said that cause another reason I did HS was cause so many of his teachers were flakes. I was always having to talk to them, taking work in that they miscorrected or other problems. After his year and half of HS learning American History - he was taught more than they were taught in actual school...he got hooked on it and studied all about American History from the git-go and up to the end of WWII and just became a history buff. His Senior year back at school, after a few weeks, his teacher called me and asked if it was okay if my son taught his history class on days revolving around the Civil War and WWII since, in his own words.. "he knows more about it than I do". I talked to my son, he was okay with it. The teacher later called me and told me that kid ought to become a teacher..."he had those kids spell-bound with his teaching and the facts" and also said he'd "never had so much discussion and participation in his class before!" He had his friends over one day later on and they were goofing around and I said. "you'd better be nice, or he's (referring to my son) going to give you a bad grade in history!"... those 3 boys said they wished my son would teach the class more often, said they sure did learn alot when he was teaching those sections! So definately... majority is in who is teaching and how. [coffeebreak]
Each state has their own rules for home schooling. In Georgia they were pretty easy. All you had to do was submit a letter of intent at the beginning of the school year and tern in attendance records each week. You could teach anything you wanted and didn't have to post grades. Supposedly after three years of home schooling the child was supposed to be tested to see if they were on grade level. However to get their high school diploma they would have to take the GED test. [savak03]
That's what I wondered about.. if they took a ged test or graduated formally from a high school even though they were home schooled. Thanks! [OreoCookie3]
I have often wandered about this too. We have some home schooled children in our area but I do not think the parents are actually teaching them anything like they should be. I think they just do not send the children to school. They are actually dropouts here. I hope someone can anser this for you. [stephcjh]
Thanks Steph... I think that is the way of it with some students here also. Some states are more strict with it. [OreoCookie3]
I know kids that are homeschooled. They go to an online school that has the same classes and curriculum as a regular school. They just happen to take the tests and learn everything online. It's simpler than it seems. [boboguitar1]
hi first of all kids should not study at home they must go to the nearest school............with this kids usually get confidence in school.........yes the home students have to take tests and their grades should be sent to the state regards shahab [shahab006]
Yes, if your child is very intelligent, that child can be accelerated. But there are conditions that must be met, and an IQ test is necessary to serve as proof of the child's advance thinking. As for the question about the difference between home schooled and traditional schooled children. There are differences. One major factor that's going to affect the child is the social factor. If a child learns alone, he may be become very intelligent, but sadly he will grow up with an antisocial attitude. [al2fenrir]
I agree with Gtargirl that kids are not necessarily antisocial. If you live in a neighborhood of kids, they are bound to mix and mingle. [OreoCookie3]
Hello OreoCookie. I think that it is a special education system in the States so far as home schooling is concerned. Well, we don't have this kind of education system in China. When a kid reaches six years old, s/he will be sent to school until s/he graduates from high school or higher school. I think that the system of yours is more flexible to families based on their own family background. Thank you for the discussion, my dear friend. [williamjisir]
Hi Williamjisir! Good to see you again... that's the way it used to be when I went to school.. things are so different here.. I kind of wish i was home schooled. rolleyes [OreoCookie3]
Yeah, our homeschool kids probably take more tests than traditional schools. We are required to go onsite to take tests. It's way organized. My boy actually did the online school thing, so he had a teacher for each subject including me. He was required to sit in a chat room scheduled by each teacher. He even did the PE tests--physical and theory classes. By the time he went into the public school system he was a grade up than most kids his age. He's now a sixteen year old senior. [gtargirl]
Hi Gtargirl.. I think it depends on where you are from... That's good that your son got to do online study.. some just do books and don't take tests, from what I am hearing.. I know I have a friend who homeschools her boys and one is doing well and the other one is sort of just sitting there like a bump on a pickle.. he's not learning anything and not being tested by any school authority. [OreoCookie3]
Hi Oreo, these are very interesting questions you asked. I've no knowledge about home schooling thats the reason I am reading all the responses to gain knowlege on these points. [comfort55]
Hello my friend OreoCookie3 Ji, WEll, in our country there are many cases, where parents do not send tehir children to schhpls upto V std. They teach them at home and then they take examination and continue. Even just few days back, not even one week ago, our Education Ministry ha s wiped out Class X board exams and in case if students need tehn only examination would be conducted. The main idea is taht children must be educated. Home schooling is good, but development of child may be rsetricted to limited are only. May God bless You and have great time. [maygodblessu44]
In NC all home schooled children used to have to take a standardized test each year. The test could not be given by the parent. The results had to be sent to the department of non public education which regulated home schools. We home schooled our children for many years. They did take chapter and unit tests just like you would in school. It was important for to see if they had retained the information. You can move up and down the grade levels but what was most important to us was that they learned at a steady rate, they meet the standards for what children their age were learning and most of all that they had fun and enjoyed learning. It wasn't about pushing them to be at a higher grade level. In NC we had to record attendance and report that top the state then retain records of all the materials and lesson plans that were used in case of an audit. [wlee9696]
We started homeschooling our older son (who is 9) a few months ago. We are in India where there is no structured homeschooling and people homeschool for different reasons and in different ways...the approach of each parent is different. From what I understand, most parents (including us0 are working towards the High School Diploma (of different boards based on the interests and academic levels of the children). There are no tests unless the parents decide to test the child. Having said that, the percentage of homeschoolers in India is very low. The children will graduate by giving their exams privately. [SViswan]