Placement for an 8th or 9th grader

[Mumkins]

My 7th grade DD is at a Christian school. She will be home possibly for 8th, definitely for 9th.

She went to school near the end of 5th and tested 2 grade levels ahead in English. She was only part way through ENglish 3. She never really grasped diagramming. I didn't push it too hard, admittedly, as I don't like it myself . I never took it in school.

I see the highschool English says 'extensive experience with diagramming', or something like that. I am concerned she wont do well with that. She does very well with her English material at school and did quite well with oral and written narration before she went. She was in CTC.

Ideally, I'd like her and all the kids to just do the 4 highschool programs, but I"m not sure if that is the best choice.

If I put her back in English, does that mean she can't get credits? Should we focus the summer on diagramming? I think it's Growing with Grammar that has a book on just diagramming. Maybe that would help her bed ready?

[Carrie]

Mumkins,

I'd be inclined to use the rest of the first page of the placement chart (especially the reading and writing areas) to help place her accurately. Her level of independence and ability to read and follow extensive written directions will also make a big difference in her success in her HOD guide. So, once you get her placement figured out (without grammar), then we can look at grammar and decide how big of a factor that is in her placement.

With what you've shared so far, I'd lean toward placing her in grammar 5 done daily no matter which guide you end up using. Grammar 5 is a foundational year in Rod and Staff and includes great diagramming instruction. No child (or momma either) is going to want to diagram through the summer (even I wouldn't love that and I don't mind diagramming)! In all actuality, just doing Rod and Staff English 5 daily all year will achieve far better results. After that she could go to English 6 (half-speed) over 2 years and then do half of English 7 (or however far she gets by graduation). Rod and Staff is so well-done that getting through English 6 and into 7 by graduation is still wonderful preparation for life and for future college/life writing.

However, if you shoot too high in your HOD guide placement for reading (both level and quantity) and writing (both level and quantity), your child will struggle mightily with her year. Then, adding even Rod and Staff English 5 daily on top of that will be way too much. So, be sure that you take time with proper guide placement to ensure success in reading, writing, and independence.

Blessings,
Carrie

[my3sons]

Hi Mumkins! Carrie already gave good advice, so I just wanted to say I'm excited you will be able to bring your dd home soon. I am sure that she will be just fine, and it will be wonderful to have her with you those last years. God bless!

In Christ,
Julie

[Mumkins]

Not being her teacher anymore, I really don't know how to answer most of those questions on the placement chart. She is an absolute bookwork, loves to read.

[TrueGRIT]

Not being her teacher anymore, I really don't know how to answer most of those questions on the placement chart. She is an absolute bookwork, loves to read.

As previously being both a homeschool student/teacher and teaching in a small Christian school. . .
The parents would usually talk with the teacher, also the student, and rely some on test scores to give them an idea of placement for a student. Talking with the teacher(s) being the most important.
I certainly did not mind talking with parents about where their children were at!

[Mumkins]

I guess I'll look at her report card at the end and e mail her teacher

[my3sons]

I can see how difficult it might be to answer specific placement questions when dc have been in ps for a few years. As far as R & S English, starting at 5 would be just fine. You could certainly start that now, and just do a lesson a day, should you so desire. By the time dd graduates, she'd probably complete R & S English 7, which would be more than 'enough.' Grammar is not technically even required in most high schools, and R & S English is advanced already. By starting with 5, dd will be able to pick up on the diagramming and move forward nicely.

As far as overall placement, for 8th grade it would seem you'd be choosing between RevtoRev and MTMM. For 9th grade, it would seem you'd be choosing between MTMM and WG. In general, not knowing much about the specifics of dd's placement, I think RevtoRev or MTMM would be good to do first. If she can do MTMM for 8th grade, I would think she'd be able to do WG for high school. If she doesn't do 8th grade and starts in 9th grade, I'd probably have her do MTMM for 9th grade. With my ds Wyatt, RevtoRev and MTMM seemed to be somewhat lateral - quite similar in difficulty and not a huge amount of difference in the workload. The change from MTMM to WG was greater. The level of difficulty of reading across all subject areas, the length of readings, the length of the school day, the length of pages read dc are orally narrating upon, the level of expected independence, and the amount of writing all increase. Reading the classics and doing BJU Lit for WG, for example, is harder than doing DITHOR 6/7/8 for Intro to Lit in MTMM. The 5 to 5 1/2 hour school day of MTMM (this is without extensions though) compared to the 7 hour day of WG is a change as well. The science lab in WG is quite difficult and doing MTMM's science prior to it certainly helped. Having a 2 year break (if I'm reading that right) in practicing and increasing the skills of narrating - both orally and written - assuming these skills were not taught in ps, does make a difference in placement too. I am hoping something here can help as you consider placement for dd! HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[Molly]

I just would like to encourage you also to review the placement chart with your daughter. I'm sure she would be at an age where she herself would be fairly good at realising where her abilities lie.

[Mumkins]

Thank you Julie.

Having her look is a good idea Molly.