This is the age-old question that most homeschooling families have been asked at least a time or two. My children have always known what “grade” they are in because I prepared them from an early age. I used to stutter out some kind of silly answer like “Well, this one is in 1st grade math but 2nd grade language arts. And, this one is in K for language arts and 2nd grade for math…” Not exactly that quote but very close. I would get dumbfounded looks.
I decided to give my children a grade to be in. It has actually helped them to better understand when people ask as well. They just say preschool, 1st, and 2nd grades. The general public is very curious about homeschoolers and don’t completely understand why we don’t assign grade levels. I like making things a little easier for them by going along with it.
That does not mean that we adhere to all of the “rules” for that specific grade level. My 2nd grader is just about to be in 3rd grade but will still be doing 2nd grade math until at least December. We chose a curriculum that is rigorous and even though it’s labeled 2nd grade, it really is a little higher than that. It’s the same with my 1st grader.
As far as language arts goes, they are both a little behind but not really. Compared to the public school standards, they are way behind. I don’t compare them to the public schools because I find that I would never measure up. Part of the beauty of homeschooling is that you work on the child’s level. My children have all been late readers. That doesn’t mean they are dumb or have a learning disability. It means they have a different way of learning.
The point of this whole thing is, my kids enjoy telling people what grade they are in. They don’t know any different. We get smiles of affirmation when folks at the grocery store or church ask what grade and we can tell them without stuttering over words or hesitation. If they want to know more, I go into more detail about what they are learning and such. If you choose not to do this, that is okay too. Each family is different and unique.
If you want to know more about homeschooling check out The Ultimate Guide To Homeschooling by Debra Bell. It is a really good resource for learning about the ins and outs of homeschooling.
