Children in first class are only 6 years old and they are way too young to handle a grade. They do not know what is in a grade and the only right thing to do is to let it be that way.
When our children starts first grade they are small children with a very little knowledge about “the hard life” out there. We start early with tests and analyse them carefully to see how well the children are doing. Is that not enough? Is it really necessary to be a grade on the tests also? No, let the children be children. Let them play and have fun for the first years in school. Let them not be worry for grades when they just are small children. Grades can come later.
Young children always compare their test results with each other. Some of them are always getting good results and some of them are always getting bad results. Why should we strengthen this behaviour and let them compare their grade. It is bad enough that they compare results. Think of the children who are not that good, and always feel ashamed when telling how the last test went. It must feel even worse to tell the classmates that you got a bad grade.
But of course we must have some kind of control of the children in school. We can not just let them past trough school like that. We must write something about them. Not a grade but a written appreciation of some kind. And that should be shared with the parents, for when the children are in their early school years parents have a huge responsibility towards school and education.
When the schoolchildren are about 12 years old and have started the junior high it is time for grades. Now they need something to fight for, otherwise they will not see any point going to school.
So, no grades until the children have grown up and can handle them. Let the children be children for as long as possible. There is plenty of time to get grades and so on later.
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Dear Frida!
SvaraRaderaYou have done a nice and well written text. You have many “wise words” and I really agree with you in many of your points. I have the same opinion with you when you write about the fact that we already have different tests and analyses and we don’t need grades also.
Your Thesis Statement is in my opinion clear; I can read your point in the first sentences. I can easy follow your thoughts through the text and your paragraphing is very good. Maybe your refutation could be even more refuted. I would have liked to read more about your meanings round grades for 12 years and why they need grades for their motivation. You could have written a longer paragraph about that.
I think you have done a great job grammatically and your spelling is good as far as I can see. I just have some small things to write about. Maybe you can add “it” in the second sentence( what it’s in a grade) I suppose you can write “about grades” instead of “for grades” in your first paragraph. I think you should write “pass through school” instead of “past” in the middle of the text.
Look forward to read your next blog!
Best regards,
Ewa Bryntesson
Dear Frida,
SvaraRaderaThank you for an enjoyable read! Your ideas are well backed up and arranged in a clear and logical way.
As to your introduction, you could have made it slightly longer by starting off with something more general before you get into the thesis statement. Also, the thesis statement could be a bit clearer, you could e.g. have added a sentence such as “There is no need for grades in primary school”. The following paragraphs deal with one idea each (splendid!), and all have topic sentences. Perhaps a shorter topic sentence could have been added to paragraph 5, such as “The use of grades should be related to age” (or the alike), before you go on with what you have now. In the fourth paragraph you have a counter-argument which you refute: well done! There you also start with “but”, which shows the reader the function of this paragraph. In the final paragraph you summarise your thoughts before you give a concluding remark, which is the way to go!
As far as language is concerned, think about when to use the definite article and when nouns are used in the generic sense. In the title, as well as in the text, you say “the children”, when really it should be “children” in the generic sense. Also, think about subject-verb agreement, as in “children starts”. Note tat there is a difference in meaning between “little” = lite, föga and “a little” which means to a low degree (see §148 A3). In the second paragraph I guess it’s “little” you want. Also, you “worry about” something, but you are “worried”. Check out the difference between “past” and “pass, passed, passed”, as in paragraph 4.
Best,
Marika
Dear Frida,
SvaraRaderaI think you have written a good blog about grades. Your thesis statement are clear and you refeer to it many times in your text. It is easy to follow your thinking.
Your paragraphs deal with one thought all through the text and you use good paragraph topics.
I think you have refuted the 4th paragraph very good!! And it is good to have a countable argument to give the text some balance.
I can see that the comments before me have written some words you should think of in the future. I'm not that good at english to do that. So I live that for this time... I do think you could use some word as alinking device in the 5th paragraph...maybe like "So, I think that grades..." but I am only a beginner at this so..
Keep up the good work of yours, gal!!!
See you soon!
Eva-Lena