Placement Question – just starting out

Hi Megan,

I to am new to CM/homeschooling and from what I’ve learned here and from reading, it seems to me that you are on the right track. As you mentioned, one of the great things about homeschooling is the ability to go at the child’s pace. You may find as you are looking at materials that your daughter is a grade level ahead in one subject area and not in another. Really it seems that the “Year 1, 2, 3” etc. are most helpful to give us materials that fit age ranges. Looking at the SCM Cirricuculm guide I can see how it could fit a 5,6,7 year old – it seems that it really just depends on the individual child. Also, aren’t grade levels more useful for educators and publishers trying to match materials with the average age and ability level anyway? I attended both private and public schools and looking back, the material that was covered in each grade was aimed at the average student in the hopes of getting everyone. There was ALWAYS someone is my class that was ahead or behind. Some were real math whizzes for example. I guess where I’m going with this, is I’d look more at matching your subject materials up with Emma’s abilities, instead of feeling like you’re starting her late at 7 in year 1. if using the Year 1 “label” so to speak, helps you plan and organize, and you can use the majority of the materials from this with your daughter – great! It will likely save you some time. But I wouldn’t worry too much about whether she’s starting “late”. Worse case senario, and you find you are in fact late, I’d bet she catch up soon enough. From what I’ve read, there is more potenial for harm by starting children in academics too early, not by starting them late.

Also, awhile back I read an eye-opening post from a member here (I think it was Robin), anyway, she didn’t even bother telling her kids what grade they were in, when they finished covering the material in a subject, they just started up with the next grade level. Not to knock long term planning here but it seems to me to be awfully hard to predict now if Emma will graduate at 18 or not. I’d imagine you’ll find her learning pace as you go along.

This is a fabulous group, and they have done an amazing job at providing information, and answering questions. In addition to posting a question, I’m sure you’re aware that you can search the forum posts. I’ve found lot’s of my questions have already been asked and answered, and in one case recently, I just used the wrong tag words in my search, but the very same question was asked by someone else a year ago – I just missed it when I looked. 

This is a great group and I’m sure someone with more expeirence will kindly step in and correct me if my opinions are incorrect for your situation. But from one “Newbie” to another – welcome! Best wishes in your planning and I hope you find all the answers you’re looking for!

I agree, Megan, that it makes sense to start at the beginning for history/geography/Bible. The other suggestions for first grade that are listed on the curriculum guide might be a good fit for your daughter or might not, depending on what she has already covered. 

One of the great things about homeschooling is that we can customize our child’s learning. So many times a child might be in one grade level in math, another grade level in reading, etc. So feel free to pick and choose the materials that fit your daughter best.

Does that help or just confuse things?