Blog

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking on the link and making a purchase, I may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that we love and use in our homeschool. Please click here for full details on my Disclosure Policy. 

Should you give grades in your homeschool? I can honestly say this was one of the first things I thought about when we began our homeschool journey. After all, I had taught in public and private schools for almost a decade. We always gave grades. So, I wondered if I should be giving grades in our homeschool?

Well, the summer before we started homeschooling (my kids were entering 1^st and 3^rd grade), I searched all over the internet looking for sample report cards. I then started to piece together a report card to use with my kids.

After that, I started looking at our curriculum to figure out how to assign grades in our homeschool. For example, HOW would I grade projects, book work, oral work, etc.? Would they all be worth the same? Or would projects be worth 50% of their grade while workbook pages are only 30%?

Then it led to other questions.

So, what if one of my kiddos does poorly on an assignment? I’m certainly not going to accept they can’t do it and move on. But, if we keep working on the material until they master it, what is the point of grading then? I can SEE they are making progress.

After all that work (and stress), I saved all my work in a file on my computer.  And from there, I decided NOT to use grades in our homeschool. Well, at least, at that time.

If you are interested, here are two different report cards I developed back in 2015.

Why You’d Give Grades in Your Homeschool

I decided against giving grades in our homeschool when my kiddos were young. But, there are some valid reasons to put a grade on their paper and/or do report cards. Let’s take a look at what they are.

1. Your State Requires It– Each state, province, and country has its own homeschool requirements. For example, some may want a report card as proof of progress or the material taught in your homeschool. Look into your laws to see if this is required. Here in the U.S, you can go to HSLDA and find out your state requirements.
2. You Have a High School Student– Currently, this is why I am grading in our homeschool. But, whether your child is going into college or the workforce after high school, creating a transcript is a good idea. And, you guessed it, you need grades on the transcript. One crucial thing I learned from The HomeScholar while taking her Comprehensive Record Solution course is that kids change their minds. So, a few years after high school, your kiddo MAY decide to go onto some type of further education. And if that happens, you need to come up with grades on a transcript.
3. For Your Sanity– Are YOU someone that needs to keep grades so YOU can see progress? Sometimes saving work samples for a portfolio isn’t enough. You might feel better if you have some type of grading system to determine progress. If it will make you feel better, do it.
4. Your Child Wants Grades– Just as some parents need grades for reassurance, some kids might too. Little kids might be satisfied with a smiley face or sticker. Others might want a number or letter grade to let them know they are doing a good job. I’m sure your kids will let you know what they want.
5. Get Your Kids Used to Grades– Maybe you have a child that will flip out when they, all of a sudden, start receiving grades. Or maybe, you want to prepare them for higher education or classess outside the home. The reality is that outside of your homeschool, kids will receive grades. Some kids might need to be prepared for it, so you want to start giving grades in your homeschool.

These are just a few reasons you may want to keep grades in your homeschool. But it is a few things to keep in mind when deciding what to do.

Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Grades

In the younger years, I don’t think you really need a grading system for one simple reason: Our kids work on the material until they master it.

I don’t know any homeschool parent that would allow their child to fail an assignment and then be like, “Oh well. Better luck next time. Now let’s move on to the next lesson.”

Seriously. We wouldn’t do it.

However, it doesn’t mean that our high schoolers don’t need to work on things until they master them. It just means we need to officially record grades. Honestly, my daughter doesn’t see most of her grades. I’m using an online program I heard about from Jennifer at Homeschool Fanatic to track her grades.

Usually, if my high school freshman receives less than 80% on something, we continue working on it. I then average the old score with the retake because I want her to get used to grading in higher education. Her career aspirations do require college.

When Grades Can Be a Problem

I also don’t think kids need to get hung up on grades. We want to create life-long learners. But, unfortunately, sometimes grades can sap the love of learning out of something, especially if someone tells you that you aren’t doing well at it.

I can remember working really hard on a project in school. I was so proud of it, and I had so much fun doing it. However, I got my grade back, and the teacher marked me down quite a bit. It took all the drive and excitement out of me.

If I know my kiddos haven’t done well on something, I tend to circle things for us to go back and look at. I don’t put a big red X next to it. They realized we needed to work on it, and the circled numbers were crossed out after reviewing the incorrect problems.

In the early years, I do a lot of rubrics that give feedback. It is a lot more helpful. Or, with some things, I may write a few comments of praise and something to work on. Kids need feedback to improve. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a big letter A or F on the paper.

The reality is that in life, we are all assessed in some way. So I keep the official grades to a minimum in younger grades. Instead, I start giving grades on some tests in middle school and grading all subjects by high school. Again, though, my focus is always on feedback and improving, not a final letter grade.

So, Should We Have Grades in Our Homeschool?

That is up to you and your family situation. It is a resounding “YES!” for some families, while others say, “No way!” I wanted to give you a little food for thought, so you can make the decision that is right for your family. Because at the end of the day, that is what homeschooling is all about. We all must do what is right for our family. So it is YOUR decision whether giving grades in your homeschool is what is best for your family.

If you need a little help with knowing what skills you could potentially grade at various grade levels, check out My Teaching Library. They share some helpful lists.

As always…

Happy Homeschooling!