As homeschoolers, the children are dismayed at always having to answer the ubiquitous question of “What grade are you in?”
We are not a “school at home” family — we educate instead. It is a profound difference and makes the “grade level” question irrelevant.
In many cases we don’t even use a graded book. We go to an authoritative book and we stay there until we have mastered a subject. (You will find this was the norm in the 19th century.) There is often uneven development between subjects depending upon the child’s unique talents and gifts, so even if it were possible to assess an objective grade level in a subject area, it is often way different for other subjects.
I wish all children could experience this liberation. It saddens me to think of all that lost potential. Under our current system, the struggling ones are made to feel inferior because they aren’t at “grade level” while prideful attitudes are being fostered in the so-called “gifted” ones by being made to think they are somehow superior to all others. This is so destructive. All children should be encouraged to do their best, whatever level that is, and not be made to feel inferior or superior while doing so.
There is also much more to being a well-rounded person than academics and sports despite our society’s obsession with these things. What about a man’s heart and character?
