Homeschool Questions and Answers: Skipping a Grade

Q: My child homeschooled child seems to be above grade levels in all areas. How do I know when to skip them a grade?

A: Ask a homeschooler what grade he is in, and he will likely give you a look of confusion. That is because as homeschoolers, we meet the child at his or her own level, in each individual subject. So a child may have a 5th grade reading book, a second grade math book, and a 3rd grade science book. That would explain the look of confusion, wouldn't it?

The homeschool parent, however, will know the child's grade, chronologically. They normally calculate the grade the child was in when they started homeschooling, and how many years have passed to produce a grade level for the curious by-passer. The same child with the 5th grade reading book, the second grade math book and the 3rd grade science book would be in the 3rd grade if they began homeschooling in first grade and are in their 3rd year of homeschooling.

As kids get older though, and their grade level becomes more muddled, it may be necessary to go ahead and skip a grade. But how do you know if the child should skip, and if you do skip a year, will they be missing something in the curriculum? These are the questions that should be asked.

Is my child bored with their work? Even if they are not above grade level and giving you resistance to doing their work, they may be ready to skip to the next level. Instead of doing extremely well, they may may struggle out of boredom.

Is my child excelling beyond their grade level in math and reading/language arts? If your child is advanced in these two key areas, then the rest can be caught up. Plus Science and Social Studies information is often repeated from year to year, so your child won't be missing much.

Is my child done with their curriculum each year by January? If your child can finish a half-year's work then why not move them on to the next year? If it take 6 months to homeschool a year, then they can do two years of homeschooling in a 12 month cycle, or with breaks, they could actually accelerate a grade level every 2 years. Just move them on to the next level when they have completed the last.

I know I skipped my daughter a year when she was taking homeschool classes (a couple of days a week). As a middle-schooler, she had been in a class with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders for 2 years and it was clear that she was working on an 8th grade level across the board. Even in your least advanced class, she was at least at grade level for the higher grade (pre-algebra in 8th grade), so I felt very comfortable moving her forward.