Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

Tagged: Determining grade level, when to start 1st grade

This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 2 months ago by Melissa.

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

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March 28, 2017 at 1:05 pm
Melissa
Participant
My daughter will turn 6 on August 8th of this year. In keeping with the CM idea of not starting anything formal until around age 6 I am confused as to what grade she should be entering this year. Kindergarten? 1st?
She knows some of her letters but I have not done any sort of official curriculum plan with her yet. I’m not sure if I should do the SCM plans for 1st grade or just continue “enjoying the early years” until the following fall and start her “1st grade” year then.
I am not all hung up on grade levels but people do ask. You know how it is.
March 28, 2017 at 2:42 pm
sarah2106
Participant
Personally with summer or early fall (Sep) I prefer to hold the child back for grade. So I would say she is enter kinder. I know many families that wished they had held their child back but so far none that wish they would not have.
She would be 18 at start of Senior year instead of barely 18 when starting college.
You can always call it a specific grade but vary the school by ability too 🙂 I also feel like easier to “bump up” school but social/peer maturity is different and I like them on the older end than younger end. (But that is just me 🙂 )
March 28, 2017 at 7:28 pm
Tristan
Participant
Do you have anything where the grade/age will matter? For example, in our church the childrens classes are based on age – all children who turn 6 this year will be in the same class. That means it will have kids who turn 6 in January clear to kids who turn 6 in December and would fall in a different grade. What grade are kids of similar age in your area in (public school)?
Here in Ohio we don’t have to formally register a child as homeschooling until the year they will be 6 years old before the age cutoff date (Sept. 30th). So if you lived here your daughter would need to register – but you still have the choice of Kindergarten or 1st grade. I know, no help.
My kids have been all over the map. I would suggest that if she doesn’t know letters she falls more in Kindergarten/Early Years skills. But you know your child best!
March 28, 2017 at 8:39 pm
Renee Gould
Participant
My son turned 6 on June 22 a few years ago. At home I put him in Kindergarten that August.
Fast forward to this year (he will be 8 June 22) and I have him in a Christian enrichment for 4 hours a week. The leader suggested I put him in 2nd grade. (even though at home I have him in first) I also have him in 2nd grade at church. I originally had him with 1st grade and he was noticing all his friends were moving up, but he wasn’t. (Because in younger years they combine them, they don’t move them until they start 1st grade. So, his age level moved up before he did.)
So, for ‘the worlds’ sake, he is in 2nd grade. At home, he is in first. The lovely thing about homeschool is, it doesn’t matter. He reads at 4th grade level, he does math at 2nd, he does organization and attention at about kindergarten…etc. (ha ha!) My point is, you can give him a grade for the rest of the world and when teaching at home, I believe it happens just as it is supposed to. Some things they advance in, some things they don’t and we can go at the pace they need. It is the best of both worlds. Out ‘there’ they get to be with their peers and age group, but at home you can cater to their needs.
Obviously, all states are different for requirements with homeschooling. I think that is where things can get sticky too, if we take our time and do at a child’s pace vs keeping up with grades and years. In Colorado, they allow us to get assessments (instead of having to do the official school tests) by a registered person in our home. I know many folks who do this, and it falls more in line with CM methods. I am not there yet, but I have been swayed into thinking I need to hurry, so he is ready for this. Then I just relax, because all that matters to me is that he is learning and I just don’t worry about him passing some test.
Anyway, that is my two cents and a bit of my story. 🙂
Blessings,
Renee

March 29, 2017 at 8:39 am
Melissa
Participant
Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts here.
Sarah, yes, I have seen the same as far as people not regretting keeping them “back” a year. In fact, I just had a conversation w a friend yesterday whose summer-birthday daughter is now in 8th grade (in public school) and is very happy that she is not in 9th with the rapid pace of everything, particularly socially-speaking these days.

Tristan, I am in Ohio, too! 😀 Right–so I will notify the superintendent but, you indicated, it is not necessary to assign a grade level. I am almost positive that I will consider her to be kindergarten/early years this year. I am really comfortable with the idea.
Renee, I am so with you on the way that you are thinking. Out in “the world” put them where it makes sense but at home we can have them do as we think best. I also have done portfolio assessments since we started hsing a few years ago. It does seem to flow better in my mind with a CM approach.
Appreciate you ladies! ❤