Grading: 4 Reasons It Matters

“Celebrate what’s working. Correct what’s not.”

–Anonymous

Grading.

UGH.

Grading.

It may be one of the most toilsome chores of teaching. I get it. Grading takes time. It feels monotonous. And it can certainly seem thankless, especially if we have a student who doesn’t take the feedback well. 

And yet it’s important to keep up with the day to day work that helps build solid math foundations. A little bit of effort on your part every day is a great gift to your student–even if they don’t appreciate it in the moment!

Not convinced? Here are 4 Reasons to Make Grading a Priority:

1. It holds your student accountable. Students should be showing their work every day, in an orderly fashion. If they know no one will look at their work, they tend to get sloppy in it. They may try to do more in their heads than they should. Their writing may get messier. But if they know you will look at it every day, and that you will hold them accountable, then they are more likely to maintain a higher standard. That knowledge will help them as they calculate each day, and as they move on in Saxon math levels.

2. It prevents repeated mistakes. Contrary to the old saying, practice doesn’t make perfect, it just makes things a habit. And that can be a big problem when the habit is an incorrect math procedure! But over time, as you grade, you’ll be able to notice patterns in a student’s work. This can help your student troubleshoot in real time. Small course corrections are always easier than a major overhaul, so a little bit of daily time and effort will keep you from serious problems later.

3. Having a helpful teammate can build confidence. Sometimes a student just needs a few minutes of time with a grownup when working through a concept that’s new or challenging. This can be as simple as pulling out the solutions guide and working through a problem or two, step by step. A little bit of affirmation and teamwork can go a long way toward instilling confidence that they can also do things on their own.

4. It allows you to celebrate the good. Has your student made progress in how many mixed practice problems they are doing? Are they getting more of them correct? Has working with them helped them nail a concept they didn’t get before? That’s something to take note of! When you grade work daily, you can more easily see the successes a student has gained–and then celebrate them!

I know grading can feel like a hassle, especially when you’d rather spend your time actively teaching. But I encourage you to prioritize this important step in your student’s math work! It’s so important in building skills in math AND the life skill of confidence. 

The great news is that there’s more than one way to grade your child’s work. There’s the old-school way of pulling out the answer key or solutions manual. Does that take too much time or effort? I’ve also been blessed to offer my subscribers an online grading option this year. With online grading, you get daily feedback on how your child is doing, without having to sacrifice precious minutes in your busy day.

Online grading also gives you control over how your child approaches their math. You even get to choose how many attempts your child can make at each problem! (And no, multiple attempts isn’t “guessing,” it’s guided feedback to help your child when they aren’t sure which way to go!). Then you can decide which concepts need another listen to the lesson or a sit-down session where you work together.

Old-school or Online, if you stick with grading, you’ll see the benefit of a grading routine. It’s an essential part of a disciplined Saxon math education: Daily practice with new and old concepts, plus accountability through grading. That consistency, over time, will lead to strong foundations and mental agility in the math skills your student will take with them for a lifetime.

Talk to you soon,

Nicole the Math Lady