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When you purchase a language arts program, you have a choice to make. Do you place your child according to grade level, or do you place your child according to ability? Your decision will play a significant role in whether your child experiences success or frustration and failure.

Watch the video below to learn the important difference between grade-level-based programs and mastery-based programs or read on to discover more. 

First, let’s take a quick look at the grade-level choice.

Why Isn’t a Grade-Level Program Best for My Child?

Let me explain it this way.

My dog Bea is three years old. She has participated in agility classes, and she loves running through the tunnels and weaving through the bars.

My friend’s dog is also three years old. Buffy has taken basic obedience classes, but she has never seen a tunnel or weaving bars before.

Would you put both dogs in the same agility class?

Of course not. Bea—with her natural aptitude and previous experience—is ready for the more advanced Level 2 class, but Buffy belongs in the Level 1 beginner’s class.

What would happen if you put both dogs in a Level 2 class? Buffy would likely fail because she would never be able to perform at the same level as dogs who have already mastered the Level 1 course.

So what does all that have to do with kids and curriculum? Let’s connect the dots.

Some people might say, “My ten-year-old is in third grade, so I need the third grade spelling book for him.” But we would never say, “Bea and Buffy are both three years old; they should be in the same agility class.” So here’s a question for you: If you wouldn’t expect a dog to skip the Level 1 course and go straight to the Level 2 course, why would you expect a child to?

Maybe it’s time to rethink how we place our children in reading and spelling programs.

After all …

Age Is Just a Number

The story of Bea and Buffy illustrates that age and grade aren’t reliable indicators of which level you should place a dog (or a child) in. Common sense tells us that since not all ten-year-olds have the same educational background, they probably don’t have the same reading or spelling ability either.

For example, some ten-year-olds can easily spell words like pigeon and partridge, while others may still be trying to grasp the idea that the letter G can make different sounds in different situations. Some ten-year-olds can spell circles around most adults, while others have their parents shaking their heads in dismay at their spelling struggles.

It really doesn’t matter whether the differences are the result of natural ability or previous teaching. The fact is, your child is very likely functioning at a different reading and spelling level than her friends. And it would be unfair to force your child and her friends all into the same level just because they are the same age.

Age is never the best indicator of academic ability, so let’s consider these five compelling reasons to opt for a mastery-based program instead.

5 Reasons Mastery-Based Programs Are Better for Dogs (and for Kids!)

Mastery-based curriculum makes learning easier by placing high priority on five important elements. Let’s take a closer look at these five elements and how we apply them in our curriculum.

Your child moves on to the next level only after the content has been mastered.

This is an area where mastery-based programs really differ from grade-level programs.

Completing a grade is not the same thing as mastering a level. In a grade-level program, when your child completes Grade 6, he moves on to Grade 7 regardless of whether he has mastered the content in Grade 6. Just imagine the miserable cycle of defeat and frustration that this can create for you and your child. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a mastery-based program, your child moves on to the next level only after he has mastered the content in the previous level.

Main Differences between Grade-Level and Mastery-Based Lessons

The video below summarizes the differences between the two approaches.

You May Have to Buck the System

The concept of a mastery-based program may be new to you and to those around you. After all, it is so “normal” to place your child according to age or grade. But there are so many factors other than age—including experience, innate ability, and opportunity—that contribute to where a child is academically. Just as we wouldn’t expect a ten-year-old to perform at the same music or athletic level as every other ten-year old, we shouldn’t use age as a way to determine placement in a spelling program.

When you teach a child at her instructional level, she can blossom! And you can relish the fact that you are providing long-term learning.

The Bottom Line on Mastery-Based Curriculum

Every child is more than just her “grade” or numerical age. A child’s unique experiences and aptitude play an important role in where she should be placed in terms of ability.

That’s why All About Reading and All About Spelling are mastery-based programs that:

• Place your child according to ability
• Teach your child at his or her pace
• Use consistent review to achieve permanent learning
• Have carefully sequenced lessons with no gaps
• Progress to the next level only after mastery is achieved

If you’re ready to buck the system and experience the amazing progress your child can make when she’s working at the right ability level, be sure to check out our curriculum! And if you ever need a helping hand, we’re here for you.

What has been your experience with mastery-based lessons versus grade-level lessons? Do you have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!