We aren't in a state that requires us to submit grades of any sort, so we've decided not to bother with them. Anyone else? Do you do tests? We have yet to introduce the idea of a test. The spelling curriculum I chose this year has weekly drills and that's the first test we've tried.
Also, is anyone else avoiding labeling their children by grade level? People keep asking my kids what grade they are in and my kids look at me really confusedly and then just say, "We do school at home." I don't even know how to label them by grade. I could go by their ages, I guess. But none of my kids are really doing work from the grade they should be in (for example, my oldest would be in 1st in public school based on age, but he's doing 2nd grade math, 2nd grade spelling, and fourth grade reading - how do you even classify him??). I'd rather just let my kids go through their educations knowing that there is an end goal in sight and when they reach it, they will graduate. It has nothing to do with completing a certain number of grades, but more to do with accomplishing the goals that we set for them.
I'm not quite sure why either of these things really bother me, but they do. I have been referring to my DS2 as a Kindergartner lately, but only because it's his first real year of "school" and that seems like a label for someone who is starting the process. Once he's in the swing of things I'm pretty sure that label will drop.
Re: Do you plan to give grades? What about grade levels?
But, it might be easier to just teach them their PS grade level for the sake of making polite conversation.
GSx1 - 05/13/2013
GSx2 for T&B - EDD 6/21/2015 - They're having a GIRL!
But I've taken a much more laid back route this summer than I was expecting. We've barely done anything. As soon as many #3 shows up, we need to get back to it, especially in math.