just curious if anyone does the somewhat 'traditional' (for lack of a better word) style of report cards for their kids? i just did one up tonight for dd(10), mainly because she wanted one -- her brother is still in PS and all of her neighbourhood friends are as well (she does know a few hs'ers now, but they don't live in our area) and today was the first report period for them (they get 3/year), so they were all waving their report cards around today and i caught her looking a bit...well, 'wanting', y'know that sort of look ...so i roamed around online and found a word doc one that could be altered and stuff and did one for her - which she loved :lol: if she hadn't wanted one, i prolly wouldn't have done it - because i can give her "progress reports" in many other ways than the 'traditional' form like that --- heck, i give her that everyday when i tell her how proud i am of her work, compliment her on a job well done, offer corrections where needed, etc etc etc (she also gets 'awards' and stuff)... but she was wanting the kind "the other kids" have, so she has it now... she was laughing earlier, saying that she'd have to get her dad to "sign and return it" :lol:
I think the closest we ever get to any kind of record or grades is when I check Catherine's work. She insists I check her worksheets with a coloured pencil. I usually go over them to point out the wrong bits so she can correct them but she likes the marks. I'd do a report card if she asked but I don't even think she knows they exist.
I start making Transcripts in 8th grade. Before that I don't bother. I do that in case things change and they DO go to school, then I have that all ready. Course, it can't be just ANY school, it has to be a very special one. I happened to find one like that and it was just what my oldest ds needed. So, having those transcripts came in handy! (I got a template from a friend of mine that works really well!) Oh, I guess I don't actually give them a report card, I just kep track of how they do more, and finalize the transcript at the end of the year.
I am new at hs.. I started out keeping a gradebook of sorts.. but that didn't last long because I realized that all I was doing was continuing with something until he had "All A's" anyway. (I still have some pesky ps habits I'm trying to break..) I think I will want some type of report, or transcript, as Deena mentioned, when he is older, for purposes of college and such.
I think we did "report cards" intermittantly for a few semesters, but I haven't done anything for a long time. I don't give out "grades" because typically the kids will learn everything we study and we don't move on until they do. So if I were to assign a grade it would be more for attitude and effort than material.
We don't do report cards but will do transcripts starting in 7th/8th grade. We do test for different subjects that are "testable" and we grade based on that. But...yep we usually make sure we understand it before we test so...
Our umbrella school does these. I think they're hysterical 'cause I always know more than the 'teacher'. lol. They're based on the submitted work (dept. ed., requirements in QLD) which I've done with her. I even sent in a note after the standardized testing because my far too clever bunny got bored with the written assignment & began drawing instead!!! Ditz likes getting them though. They are always glowing though not always deserved (after all I get all the attitude.)
I started out witht the intentions of report cards.. but I have found I hate grading his work..I check it and tell him what is wrong and make him rework it so he knows what was wrong and why it was wrong. But I don't keep grades at all.
I keep track of grades, but I don't really give her an official report card (my son either). I keep track more to know that she's doing well, and not slowing down, or falling down in areas. I feel it's more for ME knowing that I'm teaching her well. I occasionally share with hubby how they're doing, but we don't make a huge deal of it.
I don't do report cards or even keep track of grades. I am not required to keep track of anything so I'm not going to make more work for myself. I do keep a running list of all books read or used as well as any videos we watched and field trips we go on. But that is for my own beneift. Just so I know what we have covered. I will begin keeping track of credit hours somehow when Samantha gets to high school age. She is in 6th grade now so I still have a while to go.
The only thing I grade is spelling tests. My dh would like me to keep better records but I tell him that the kids never get anything but A's. lol. I mean I don't allow my kid to move on until they have mastered a subject. For instance, my dd is having a terrible in division. She is so good at math that I don't quite get this but she is just not getting it once there are remainders. I am not going to give her a poor grade and call the subject closed. So, I figure why keep grades if we are always a work in progress anyway. lol. My kids can clearly see their accomplishments and development.
Ava we work the same way. We don't move on until something is mastered. It is impossible to get a bad grade. What is the point of moving on with anything if they don't understand it? That is one great thing about hs'ing! I didn't mean to say I don't grade things - I just don't keep track of those grades. I grade her math tests.
I keep waiting for my oldest to ask. She was in ps the longest. Fortunately their school didn't do letter grades but E (exceeds standards), M (meets standards), S (satisfactory), L (limited progress, needs improvement) and then numbers for citizenship/behavior....so none of them are accustomed to traditional grades. I do grade their math tests (which they just do as any regular lesson from their Horizons math books). I grade their spelling tests (although I've been lax at doing spelling here lately). That's about it so far. VA doesn't require grades...just a year end standardized test in math and lang arts. I plan to keep track of grades in middle school...since I foresee my oldest doing high school work then. Rhonda C.
I also will start keeping a transcript and a reading list for my kids once they reach late middle school/early high school level. That being said, from my background as a teacher--report cards are just a communications tool the school uses to let parents know how their child is doing in school. For homeschool, it seems silly. Transcripts are the same, except it is communications between the student and a university. Unfortunately, one needs these if he/she wants to go to college. Otherwise, as the parent and/or student, you definitely know what you're learning. Carol
