Report Card Celebration!

The leaves are changing, and it's time for the first report card! Yesterday, I received a GOOD NEWS report card attached to an e-mail from a parent whose child has "graduated" from my training program. There is nothing better than a family discovering a child's true potential and seeing that child begin to stretch themselves onward and upward in learning.

Now, if you read my previous blog, you know that there should be NO SURPRISES on your child's report card!!! IF you followed my suggestions:

• You have been communicating with your child's teacher(s) to be sure that you are all working together to support your child's academic success.
  
• You have implemented an effective behavior plan and that assignment book is coming home completely and accurately filled out every single day.
  
• You child is getting that homework done every night with your support and supervision; however, YOU are not doing the work for your child, and homework is not taking longer than is appropriate for your child's grade level.

Assuming that your child has the underlying skills needed for optimal learning and all of the above statements are true, then your child's report card should be cause for celebration -- for the entire family!


Just remember to celebrate hard work and effort and improvement; avoid simply saying "you're so smart". Carol Dweck at Stanford University has done extensive research showing that "if you teach students that their intelligence can grow and increase, they do better in school. Dweck's latest book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, gives parents and teachers specific ways to teach the growth mindset of intelligence to children."



What if the report card is disappointing for you and your child??? The FIRST question is: were you communicating with the teacher(s) frequently and consistently? Good Parent - Teacher communication = No Surprises on report cards. IF you WERE communicating well but are not seeing the desired results, then it' s time to find out WHY your child is not achieving academic success. Learning problems tend to get worse and more difficult (though NEVER impossible) to address over time. So, EARLY INTERVENTION is the KEY to SUCCESS.



Please note that, sadly, not all report cards are effective learning tools. Knowing that your child has a "C" in math is not helpful, but knowing that your child got a "C" in math due to missing homework assignments and/or poor test grades is useful information. Effective report cards contain a narrative from each teacher detailing HOW each grade was earned, and WHAT your child needs to change in order to improve the grade. If your child's report card lists grades only, please contact your child's teacher(s) to find out what your child needs to do in order to improve his or her performance going forward. And, let the principal know that you would like to see more useful information on the report card. Think of report cards as Job Performance Appraisals -- they should be tools to improve performance, not just required paperwork!


As always, please don't hesitate to contact me regarding your child's unique learning needs. I look forward to hearing from you!