Is there a 'best age/grade' for transitioning from HS to school?

[dbsam]

I’m considering taking my children out of school and home schooling (with some outsourcing).

Eventually, prior to the start of high school, I would be putting them back into school. Is there an age/grade that is considered the easiest to transition into school? I realize it depends upon the child, the school, etc. but thought there might be a generalized ‘best grade’ for transitioning. In my mind, I thought I might HS through 4th, 6th or 8th grade - mostly based upon the grouping of our local schools.

TIA

[mom2ponygirl]

Well I've come to the conclusion that the best transition to school will be college for our dd. LOL However, if I were certain that I would be sending my child to our local public high school, I would look at 7th or 8th grade to re-enter. The schools around here start some pre-ap classes in 8th grade and if your child would fare better in the honors/AP classes in high school you need to be in the 'track' for those classes by 8th grade - in this particular school system.

However, you may have different options in your area. We have a charter high school that is much more flexible. Our dd actually attended classes there part time last year. If you have options like that, then you might find homeschooling until high school easier to do. Overall, we have found homeschooling to be so much more efficient, flexible, and fun that we've committed to hs'ing through high school and until college now. The transition to traditional classes was actually very easy for our dd. She had not attended school, taken notes, kept up with multiple assignments, etc before. She handled it fine and ended up with high 'A's easily.

I think another consideration would be making a social connection before high school and perhaps extracurriculars or sports. If you have kids interested in playing high school sports I would think being involved by 7th or 8th may be necessary. It might also make it easier for high school participation in stuff like band and/or orchestra. So I don't have any answers for you, but maybe a few questions you can ask parents in your area. Good luck!

[4evermom]

I'd guess middle school... I know I spent my 3 years of middle school (6th, 7th, and 8th) catching up in math. Each year I was placed in the next higher math class and consequently I was where I should have been all along by the time I started high school which had tracking. I wasn't homeschooled but I previously had gone to a relaxed Montessori school that was weak on math and didn't give tests. Maybe just 8th grade would have been good enough if my skills were more even and I tested better in placement tests. It will depend on the kid and the school, of course.

But with tracking, if you don't take a certain class your freshman year, such as a certain math class, you can't take other ones your senior year, like calculus. If you aren't in Advanced History, you can't take AP History. Etc. It's easier to move down a track if that's a better fit but really hard to move up. At least that's the way it was in both the private and public schools I went to for high school.

[moominmamma]

I would at all costs attempt to avoid the social morass that is middle school. My kids have started school at the high school level. Albeit part-time, though my 16yo is taking a full course-load this year. But this has worked well for us. The course-by-course structure has allowed them to find their appropriate level and continue to challenge themselves. So my middle dd is doing Math 10 and Science 9 which is just about right for her. Eldest finished English 12 and Math 11 last year but is doing History 10/11 this year.

Miranda

[tankgirl73]

I would agree with late middle school, or just straight into high school -- if you do any school at all, of course.

As I've gone through this journey with my kids, starting from knowing nothing and then piling up tons and tons of research and observations, I think that the most crucial time for hsing is up to age 7 or 8, then the next most crucial time is up to age 12 or 13. For the same issues and reasons, but just a matter of degree.

Up to age 12 or 13, kids are just SO different in their development. Not just academically, but socially and emotionally. Once they hit puberty, it really seems to even out a lot. And high school courses are often more general, as well. It's not like how the curriculum difference from grade 3 to grade 4 might be "place value to the hundred thousands" going to "place value to the millions", or whatever. Elementary curricula tend to be nitpicky down to the tiniest minutiae, but still all utterly arbitrary and not necessarily the right fit for any particular kid.

So I believe it's best to follow the individual development as much as possible. Then around the time of puberty, the slower kids have generally caught up to the "norm" -- not always, of course, but generally speaking. Even if there is stuff they haven't yet specifically studied, their brains are now ready to learn it.

So if I were planning to send a child to school, I would do so with that in mind. At the younger ages, they're more likely to struggle with being behind (frustrating) or ahead (boring) -- this it true even if they're in PS from the beginning, by the way, it's not a result of going to PS after homeschooling. Around grade 8, though, they're starting to actually MATURE. So they're ready to handle stresses and difficulties. They're better able to understand the "rules of the game" of grading and exams etc and how to play along for their benefit even if they think it's silly.

And they're got a solid foundation in self-study skills, motivation, etc, so they're ready to work hard to catch up if needed. And in high school especially, there's MUCH more flexibility in course options, so if they're 'ahead' they can just take the next level course.

When my son's father and I divorced (DS was 3 at the time), my ex would only agree to allow me to HS if I had him take a standardized test every year, and we would re-evaluate at grade 4. WHy grade 4? Because that was the year of late-entry french immersion at the time in that province. He didn't want him to miss that entry point. So that's another consideration to look into, if there are any particular school programs you might want your child to participate in that begin at a specific grade.

Grade 4 came and went without a peep from my ex! I told DS that he could decide to go to school for middle school if he wanted, I'd leave that up to him, but we'd HS through elementary. Grade 6 came along, DS said "no way, I don't want anything to do with school" so we're still going strong.

So now I'm telling him, he can decide to go to high school (grade 9 start here) if he wants. He could start in grade 11, too, that's another option -- many universities only look at your marks for grades 11 and 12, for instance. Right now, he still says "no way", so we just take it a year at a time. If he never goes, that's fine by me!!! But he knows he has the option.

But just because he's not in school, he still is getting some of the extracurricular benefits. He's just joined the middle school band program... I just asked. A lot of people had to ask each other if it was alright, and they all said "gee, I can't see why not", so he's in!

[dbsam]

Thank you for the great responses!
I lurk in this forum all the time and have always loved the idea of homeschooling and the benefits for our family. There are several concerns I am trying to work out and am a little afraid to make the leap to HS'ing. OTOH, I am afraid I am loosing precious time that we could be HS'ing since these young years seem to me to be the most important to homeschool.

Thanks again.

[zjande]

I'd like to just add my vote for avoiding the social craptasticness that is middle school at all costs. If you are forced to put the kids back in school, I'd wait until high school. Or, just buy them the Teenage Liberation Handbook & let them high school themselves. Then start college classes early.