When we first decided to homeschool Lillia, I was adamantly opposed to giving her grades. I wouldn’t have dreamed of giving her a report card. But, after talking with my mother-in-law (a high school French teacher) about people who are completely externally motivated and how difficult it seems for them to muster up the willpower to do a good job, she suggested that maybe I try grading Lillia. So, I gave it a shot, and the response was interesting. She actually argued with me about some of the grades! But, overall, I think it is a great way to gauge how she is doing so far, and give her a little push toward trying harder.
Also, we have started using a behavior chart, so she will earn a star each day she does her best work (meaning no whining, or writing things like “I hate Anne of Green Gables” on the border of her language arts worksheet…). If she earns enough stickers, she can trade them in for a prize. It always amazes me how much she thrives on rewards. I’m mostly internally motivated, so I never needed this type of reward system. It’s really important for me to remember that we are different people with very different temperaments.
Here’s her first semester “report card”:
(click on images for larger size)
back and front
inside
insert
And, just because it’s way too amusing not to share, here is the “report card” she made for me! A “C” in “funness” and a “D+” in “time with kid.” Looks like I have some areas in need of improvement! Though, I notice I did get an “E+” (E=Excellent) in “Allowance.”
back and front
inside