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October is a great time of year! There are cooler temperatures, apple-picking, and all those beautiful leaves changing colours. It’s also the time of year that parents receive progress reports regarding their child’s progress at school. However, often times, the importance of a progress report can go unnoticed. It might also happen that both the parent and child might focus too much on the outcome versus the performance component of the progress report.
The value of progress reports are that they are quick checks that indicate whether the school year has gotten off on the right foot. This is an excellent opportunity to reflect on routines, process, and goals. Here are questions to ask if your child has gotten poor remarks on a progress report:
- Are they prepared for the school day? Things to consider are the morning and evening routines, homework routine, and sleep schedule.
- Is your child lacking skills necessary for success? For example, are they not getting assignments in on time or finishing them at the last minute?
If your child is doing well you might be even more tempted to dismiss the progress report. However, it’s a great opportunity to get your child to reflect upon what he or she is doing well. For example, here are some questions to ask if your child has positive comments on the progress report:
- Are they putting a good effort towards completing homework?
- Does the teacher remark on constructive participation?
- Are they keeping organized? Will the system work as things get more complicated?
Positive behaviours should be reinforced through praise about their choices and effort and less about their ability. If children are told too often that they accomplished something because they are smart or clever, they begin to identify as that and have difficulty accepting more challenging situations in which they need more effort.
Overall, progress reports are a great opportunity to take a breath, check-in, and make adjustments as needed. Most importantly, they provide an opportunity to reflect upon the learning process at home and at school instead of focusing on outcomes. So as you look over the progress report, take the time to have a conversation with your child about what is working and what is not. It may make the difference in the weeks and months to come.
Is your child on an individualized education plan (IEP)? Check out The ABCs of IEPs for helpful tips on managing the process.
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