"what grade are you in"
[email protected]
[email protected]
Sorry for any blank posts that come through. I really need a new mouse, my
mouse has TIAs that will develop into a stroke at any minute.
I had a question about what my children can say when people ask this question
"what grade are you in?". It has never been a problem until now. This past
week they have been asked at least 4 times by well meaning adults. My oldest
(8yo) says I don't know... we homeschool. But this last time I think he was
getting a little frustrated, he said "I don't know" then turned to me and
asked "what grade am I in Mom" I said "oh probably around 3rd or 4th
somewhere." Took me off guard a little. What is a good response for him to
use? I am comfortable sitting with them talking to them about grades, PS,
adult expectations etc etc. But what can they say?
My boys are pretty good about standing up for themselves, that isn't a
problem. They both have long blond hair and are often mistaken for girls.
They just say "we are boys" and if someone actually questions it they say "I
think we know if we are boys or not." Maybe we should talk more about the
concept of unschooling, information can be the best ammunition sometimes. I
guess it is just a way of life and we have never sat down and talked about
the ideas behind unschooling.
Pam G.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
mouse has TIAs that will develop into a stroke at any minute.
I had a question about what my children can say when people ask this question
"what grade are you in?". It has never been a problem until now. This past
week they have been asked at least 4 times by well meaning adults. My oldest
(8yo) says I don't know... we homeschool. But this last time I think he was
getting a little frustrated, he said "I don't know" then turned to me and
asked "what grade am I in Mom" I said "oh probably around 3rd or 4th
somewhere." Took me off guard a little. What is a good response for him to
use? I am comfortable sitting with them talking to them about grades, PS,
adult expectations etc etc. But what can they say?
My boys are pretty good about standing up for themselves, that isn't a
problem. They both have long blond hair and are often mistaken for girls.
They just say "we are boys" and if someone actually questions it they say "I
think we know if we are boys or not." Maybe we should talk more about the
concept of unschooling, information can be the best ammunition sometimes. I
guess it is just a way of life and we have never sat down and talked about
the ideas behind unschooling.
Pam G.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 12/19/02 8:12:40 AM Pacific Standard Time, genant2@...
writes:
Sometimes they look at me like we are nuts but oh well.
They could just tell the adult well if I was in public school I would be in
3rd grade, but I have the freedom to learn all kinds of things and I'm not
restricted by grade.
Heidi
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
writes:
> They both have long blond hair and are often mistaken for girls.Same here I always get your daughter is so pretty. I just say yes my son is.
Sometimes they look at me like we are nuts but oh well.
They could just tell the adult well if I was in public school I would be in
3rd grade, but I have the freedom to learn all kinds of things and I'm not
restricted by grade.
Heidi
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 12/19/2002 11:11:59 AM Eastern Standard Time,
genant2@... writes:
I usually just say "Well, he's 5 so I guess he'd be in K if he went to ps."
I'd like to discuss ways to get more distance from making comparisons to
what the public schools are doing. This year, all my son's little buddies
went off to K and I hear from their moms about what the kids are doing at
school. I know that we have much more freedom and fun, but I'd like help in
getting rid of the mental checklist where I'm thinking, "Yep, he does that,
and that, but not that...." Will this possibly come with time?
Amy Kagey
Give the gift of reading:
<A HREF="http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/default.asp?sid=Z0939&gid=462366"> Usborne Books!</A>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
genant2@... writes:
> Maybe we should talk more about theI usually answer "We don't do grades" if someone asks me. If they push it,
> concept of unschooling, information can be the best ammunition sometimes.
> I
> guess it is just a way of life and we have never sat down and talked about
> the ideas behind unschooling.
>
I usually just say "Well, he's 5 so I guess he'd be in K if he went to ps."
I'd like to discuss ways to get more distance from making comparisons to
what the public schools are doing. This year, all my son's little buddies
went off to K and I hear from their moms about what the kids are doing at
school. I know that we have much more freedom and fun, but I'd like help in
getting rid of the mental checklist where I'm thinking, "Yep, he does that,
and that, but not that...." Will this possibly come with time?
Amy Kagey
Give the gift of reading:
<A HREF="http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/default.asp?sid=Z0939&gid=462366"> Usborne Books!</A>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 12/19/02 9:11:48 AM, genant2@... writes:
<< But this last time I think he was
getting a little frustrated, he said "I don't know" then turned to me and
asked "what grade am I in Mom" I said "oh probably around 3rd or 4th
somewhere." Took me off guard a little. What is a good response for him to
use? >>
I wouldn't discourage the "We don't go to schoo" answer, because it won't
hurt those who are inquiring to CONSIDER that if a child isn't in school he's
not "in a grade."
So many homeschoolers who do a curriculum, though, and if their kids are
"ahead" they brag it up. So we can't say "homeschoolers don't do grades,"
but we can say (my kids do) "We don't do grades."
My kids state their age, if a person asks what grade. They say "I'm
thirteen, but I don't go to school."
Sandra
<< But this last time I think he was
getting a little frustrated, he said "I don't know" then turned to me and
asked "what grade am I in Mom" I said "oh probably around 3rd or 4th
somewhere." Took me off guard a little. What is a good response for him to
use? >>
I wouldn't discourage the "We don't go to schoo" answer, because it won't
hurt those who are inquiring to CONSIDER that if a child isn't in school he's
not "in a grade."
So many homeschoolers who do a curriculum, though, and if their kids are
"ahead" they brag it up. So we can't say "homeschoolers don't do grades,"
but we can say (my kids do) "We don't do grades."
My kids state their age, if a person asks what grade. They say "I'm
thirteen, but I don't go to school."
Sandra
[email protected]
In a message dated 12/19/2002 10:11:52 AM Central Standard Time,
genant2@... writes:
us. But he's 9." Or, when he has asked me himself, I have said simply, "If
you went to school, you'd be in 3rd grade now." He so totally gets that he
lives outside of the school model. I don't have to explain it to him. When
others so totally don't get it, I continue by saying that grades are a way of
categorizing large groups of children for the convenience of teachers, and we
don't have large groups of children in our house.
Tuck
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
genant2@... writes:
> But this last time I think he wasWe say something along the lines, "We homeschool, so grades are irrelevant to
> getting a little frustrated, he said "I don't know" then turned to me and
> asked "what grade am I in Mom" I said "oh probably around 3rd or 4th
> somewhere." Took me off guard a little. What is a good response for him
> to
> use? I am comfortable sitting with them talking to them about grades, PS,
> adult expectations etc etc. But what can they say?
>
us. But he's 9." Or, when he has asked me himself, I have said simply, "If
you went to school, you'd be in 3rd grade now." He so totally gets that he
lives outside of the school model. I don't have to explain it to him. When
others so totally don't get it, I continue by saying that grades are a way of
categorizing large groups of children for the convenience of teachers, and we
don't have large groups of children in our house.
Tuck
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Rachel Ann
Technically she is listed as 3 or 4th grade...don't really know which..
but I tell her when she asks or when someone is really curious, that she
does work at the level of 1-6th grade....
People don't get it.
We had a schooled child here playing...met her via penpalling actually! And
she came up to my daughter and asked her: What is 7x5? Esther doesn't know
tables, addition, multiplication..she knows some facts but hasn't anything
memorized. I told the child twice, that isn't how we do math here, and I
think I had her flummoxed. How else does one do math? I could hear her
thinking....
-------Original Message-------
From: [email protected]
Date: Friday, December 20, 2002 05:13:14
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] "what grade are you in"
In a message dated 12/19/2002 10:11:52 AM Central Standard Time,
genant2@... writes:
to
us. But he's 9." Or, when he has asked me himself, I have said simply, "If
you went to school, you'd be in 3rd grade now." He so totally gets that he
lives outside of the school model. I don't have to explain it to him. When
others so totally don't get it, I continue by saying that grades are a way
of
categorizing large groups of children for the convenience of teachers, and
we
don't have large groups of children in our house.
Tuck
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
but I tell her when she asks or when someone is really curious, that she
does work at the level of 1-6th grade....
People don't get it.
We had a schooled child here playing...met her via penpalling actually! And
she came up to my daughter and asked her: What is 7x5? Esther doesn't know
tables, addition, multiplication..she knows some facts but hasn't anything
memorized. I told the child twice, that isn't how we do math here, and I
think I had her flummoxed. How else does one do math? I could hear her
thinking....
-------Original Message-------
From: [email protected]
Date: Friday, December 20, 2002 05:13:14
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] "what grade are you in"
In a message dated 12/19/2002 10:11:52 AM Central Standard Time,
genant2@... writes:
> But this last time I think he wasWe say something along the lines, "We homeschool, so grades are irrelevant
> getting a little frustrated, he said "I don't know" then turned to me and
> asked "what grade am I in Mom" I said "oh probably around 3rd or 4th
> somewhere." Took me off guard a little. What is a good response for him
> to
> use? I am comfortable sitting with them talking to them about grades, PS,
> adult expectations etc etc. But what can they say?
>
to
us. But he's 9." Or, when he has asked me himself, I have said simply, "If
you went to school, you'd be in 3rd grade now." He so totally gets that he
lives outside of the school model. I don't have to explain it to him. When
others so totally don't get it, I continue by saying that grades are a way
of
categorizing large groups of children for the convenience of teachers, and
we
don't have large groups of children in our house.
Tuck
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
~~~~ Don't forget! If you change topics, change the subject line! ~~~~
If you have questions, concerns or problems with this list, please email the
moderator, Joyce Fetteroll (fetteroll@...), or the list owner,
Helen Hegener (HEM-Editor@...).
To unsubscribe from this group, click on the following link or address an
email to:
[email protected]
Visit the Unschooling website: http://www.unschooling.com
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 12/20/2002 5:13:49 AM Eastern Standard Time,
tuckervill@... writes:
like that both in the "what grade are you in" and "A's, B's & C's". <G>
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
tuckervill@... writes:
> WhenAnd somebody here once said,"Grades are for meat and eggs, not children". I
> others so totally don't get it, I continue by saying that grades are a way
> of
> categorizing large groups of children for the convenience of teachers, and
> we
> don't have large groups of children in our house.
like that both in the "what grade are you in" and "A's, B's & C's". <G>
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 12/20/02 8:47:55 AM Eastern Standard Time,
kbcdlovejo@... writes:
My son loved that response and says he wants to use it. LOL
Pam G
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
kbcdlovejo@... writes:
> ,"Grades are for meat and eggs, not children".Kelly,
My son loved that response and says he wants to use it. LOL
Pam G
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]