Making the most of your child’s report card
It’s that magical time of the year again – no, not Christmas time – report card time. Report card time truly IS magical because it’s the perfect moment for your kids to gauge their progress both inside and outside of the classroom. In addition to receiving feedback from others, report cards provide time for self-reflection, the opportunity to see if your child is on the same page about their progress as both you and their teacher are!
Divided into three EASY steps, this week’s blog post is a guide to what you and your kids can do before, during and after receiving that juicy report card!
1. Before: Self-Reflect
Although report cards are amazing pieces of information that straight-up tell you how your kids are doing, I’m sure you already have an idea of their marks and what their teachers think. So, instead of relying on what the teacher actually writes on paper, take a moment to invite your kids to think about how they’ve been doing in class. Ask them whether they’ve been completing homework, handing in assignments on time, and putting forth their best effort. Do they feel like they come to class every day ready to learn? If not, then what can they do to improve? Take a moment to think about all of these questions BEFORE your teacher hands you that report card. You might be pleasantly surprised and wonderfully relieved to see that you, your kids and your teacher are on the same page!
2. During: Keep Calm
Report cards can be daunting because we’re always nervous about what they contain. Remember, this is just a snapshot in time, from the perspective of the teacher. So, once you get that piece of paper, start with this: KEEP CALM. Read through everything SLOWLY and THOROUGHLY. Teachers take their time to write comments, give marks on not only schoolwork but on other EQUALLY IMPORTANT categories like class participation and homework completion. Do not RUSH through that report card because it can tell you SO much about where your kids are at and can give you very important clues on how to help them progress throughout the rest of the school year.
3. After: Discuss
After reading through your child’s report card and have shared it with them, make sure they don’t bottle up thoughts and feelings about the feedback. Instead, ask them to reflect on what they have read. Do they agree with what their teachers have said, are their comments fair? What did they do well on, what did they do not so well on, what are the areas that they feel that they can improve upon? After reflecting together, it’s time for the fun part: creating a game plan on how to attack the rest of the school year so that your child feels like their goals are within reach. Remember, report cards are just a signpost along the way. School is a marathon - not a sprint!