Successful Parent-Teacher Interviews:

• Part One
• Part Two
• Part Three

The Parent-Teacher Interview. Those four words can raise anxiety levels among both students and parents. However this interview can be highly beneficial to your child’s school year success. By following our key steps to success, parents can make the interview a more informative and rewarding experience.

Hopefully you’’ve read our previous post about preparing for the parent-teacher interview. Now’’s it time to get the most from the interview itself.

The Interview Itself

Take a note pad with your questions and take notes

Taking notes lets the teacher know you are interested and serious about your child’s education. You also have a better chance of remembering what you have discussed and agreed upon

Don’t be confrontational

Nothing positive is accomplished if you are hostile or confrontational. This is a time to exchange information about your child and agree on a plan of action.

If you do not agree with the teacher’s opinion, stay calm. Ask the teacher to elaborate on his/her view point and assure the teacher that you are not there to criticize but rather to work closely and foster a team approach to your child’s education.

Ask for suggestions

Encourage the teacher to provide you with suggestions on how you can improve your child’s skills. If you pose the question “Do you have concerns about my child’s reading skills level?” and the teacher responds with “He/she’s coming along, give him/her time.”, then counter with “What can I be doing at home to help him/her along? Can you recommend materials?”

Don’t waste time with broad questions

Due to the short amount of time you have with your child’s teacher, bring a list of prepared questions and avoid the broad “How’s my child doing?” question. You want to ensure you are maximizing this valuable time by seeking out as much information as possible that will help your child reach their full potential.

In our next post, we’’ll discuss the third step for a successful parent-teacher interview, making a follow-up action plan.

Successful Parent-Teacher Interviews:

• Part One
• Part Two
• Part Three

The Parent-Teacher Interview. Those four words can raise anxiety levels among both students and parents. However this interview can be highly beneficial to your child’s school year success. By following our key steps to success, parents can make the interview a more informative and rewarding experience.

Parents’ Advance Work

Review your child’s most recent report card, together with past report cards

Report cards can actually tell you a lot more than a first glance may indicate. Take out a highlighter and mark the areas of concern. Look for any trends or common themes that are repeated from the previous report card. Look to see if the same challenges exist or new challenges have developed.

Review your child’s most recent school work

By reviewing the report card first, you can now review your child’s school work with more background information. Is the work organized? Does the work generally look complete and accurate? How is the spelling and grammar? Think about the grades and comments on the report card and check if the school work reflects this view. If you have concerns, write them down and ask the teacher.

Discuss your upcoming parent-teacher interview with your child

Interview your child before the parent-teacher interview! You will be amazed at what you learn! Sometimes our perceptions as a parent are not aligned with our kids. Ask your child:

• What is your teacher going to say about your work?
• What will the teacher say about you?
• What do you think you do really well?
• What do you need to focus on?
• Do you want me to ask the teacher any specific questions?

Come with prepared questions

While there is no time limit when it comes to a parent’s love for talking about their children, there is a definite time limit to every parent-teacher interview. The meeting is usually no more than 10 to 15 minutes.

In order to maximize the time, make your questions specific and organize them in order of importance. Here are examples of good questions for a parent-teacher interview:

• Do you have any concerns about my child’s skills level?
• Does my child have difficulty listening to and/or following instructions?
• Does my child have difficulty staying on task?
• Does my child have difficulty organizing notes, work, stories, etc.?
• Does my child have difficultycompleting assignments?
• Does my child read with comprehension?
• How well does my child read and understand words?
• Does my child actively participate in your class?
• Does my child hand in assignments on time, complete and at an acceptable level?
• What work areas does my child like best?
• What areas are more difficult for my child?
• What are my child’s learning strengths?
• Are there things we can do at home to help my child?
• Do you have suggestions for me to discuss with my child?
• Does my child seem to enjoy coming to your class?
• Is there anything about my child’s behaviour or performance that you would like to share?

In our next post, we’ll discuss the second step for a successful parent-teacher interview, making the most of the interview itself.

In case you missed it, read part 1 Deciphering Your Child’s Report Card Part One

Oxford Learning recommends that parents and children examine report cards together. This can help open lines of communication about the child’s achievements and needs for improvement. Be positive and avoid arguments. This is the time to begin developing goals and an action plan that can lead to strengthened skills, improved grades, self-confidence and motivation.

“Sit down with your child after dinner when the household is quiet and review the report card together,” says Kelley McGregor, Director of Training and Operation, Oxford Learning. “Always start with empathetic and positive comments such as: This is a big year. I know it’s harder this year. We are really pleased with your spelling; or, you are showing great improvement in science. Next, review learning strengths. Children need praise. Congratulate them and tell them how well they are doing. Now is the time to address challenges and set the plan for the rest of the year. Children quickly sense if you are on their side. By telling them how proud you are, you give them the confidence and support they need to manage difficulties and strive for improvements. Only after you have accentuated the positive should you address the key areas that need improvement.”

When the News Isn’t Positive: Your Child is Not Alone

Most children have at least one subject that could benefit from special attention, and it is often the same subject as the year before. Chances are that if a student had trouble with a subject last year and didn’t work on it over the summer, the challenges are even more overwhelming and demoralizing in the new school year. If the child had difficulty with reading comprehension or problem-solving, it is crucial that it be addressed as soon as possible.

“Don’t be surprised or disappointed if the comments are similar to the previous year, this is a clear signal that your child needs help,” says Ms. McGregor. “Look for common themes and quickly recognize the symptoms of academic challenges. If your child complains about or is very unhappy about a particular teacher or course, take it seriously.”

Traditionally, children who are doing well in class and achieving their potential, do not complain very much. It’s usually those students who are struggling who are most vocal. Their complaints are often a call for help. Listen carefully without interruption. Parents are often amazed by how much they can learn about their child through the process of reviewing a report card, and listening to their explanations.

Once parents have reviewed ’the facts’ of their child’s report card, the most important section to look at is the teacher’s personal comments. Teachers will usually provide their insights into learning strengths and identify areas that require improvement. Some reports also provide a comparative analysis between your child and the rest of the class. This will help parents gauge whether or not their child is picking up as easily as most of the other children in the class.

A child’s approach to homework, assignments and studying, is often a good indication of their comfort with their school work. Study skills are often a child’s biggest problem and too often students are never taught how to study and how to learn. This basic skill will help every child improve their success. “Spend a few moments watching how your child does homework,” recommends Ms. McGregor. “You will be surprised at how much you can discern from this little task, and be optimistic, because new and better study skills can be learned at any age.”

“What did my teacher say about me? How did I do in science? Am I failing math? What will my parents say? Students’ stress levels often rise as the first report cards of the year arrive at home for parents to review, analyze and decipher.

The report card can be a helpful tool to guide parents and students in setting an action plan to achieve success. It can also help identify learning issues quickly, so students can gain confidence and make the most of their school year.

But what’s the key to breaking the code? How can a parent read between the lines to get the most information possible from the report card? Oxford Learning reduces stress for students and parents by providing advice on how to decipher report cards and make valuable use of the information to help advance your child’s love of learning.

Making the Grade

“Parents can play an integral role in the success of their child’s education by taking the time to review the report card,” says Kelley McGregor, Director of Training and Operation at Oxford Learning. “Report cards measure how well our children are doing in school, but are only effective if they are used to inspire and encourage action and improvements.”

We recommend that before evaluating the most recent report card, parents should review report cards from previous periods and past years. If your child is currently in grade four, review the report cards from grades two and three before reading the most current report card. Look for academic strengths and challenges. Check for common problems, consistent comments and most of all, improvements or new challenges.

“When reviewing past report cards, look for common threads such as homework completion, interest in participating in school activities and organization,” says Ms. McGregor. “Once you have done this comparative analysis, it is much easier to evaluate the current report card and address key areas that your child has either improved or still requires improvement.”

Continue reading part 2 Deciphering Your Child’s Report Card Part 2

It is important for parents to allow students a chance to breathe, to relax, to unwind over the holidays. We are entering that time of year where tests, final exams and report cards loom large and many students are beginning to accumulate a certain level of anxiety. Therefore, make sure that your student has fun over the holidays!!!

Having fun means activity. Lying in front of the TV or staying at the video game or computer terminal for days at a time does not qualify! Make sure that life is balanced. Go for family walks to look at the holiday lights. Go skating. Sing carols in your neighbourhood. Play in the snow. Ski. Toboggan. In other words, get active!

The very worst thing we can do is to allow our kids to just drop down on a couch and veg for two weeks. By December, our children should be in full mental gear. They will have recovered from the summer holidays and will be alert and mentally active. The holiday should give them a breather but not cause them to become mentally passive again. You can prevent this by planning fun activities. The issue is to keep our students mentally active and focused. We can do this in a number of ways.

High School Students:

Exams are looming. High school students should plan 2 hours of study per day over the holiday. Each subject should be analyzed and divided into units. Let us assume that the Math exam is scheduled for January 20. That means that there are approximately 30 days (or units) left before the exam. Divide math into 30 units and study one each day. Make sure students use a Day Planner so that they can do a little every day. When they get back to school, they must keep their current work up to date.

Grade 1-3:

Read, Write, Play! Read and play games that require concentration and memory. Make a family journal for the holiday and write in it every day. Talk about stories, books and TV shows. Don’t just let them be passively absorbed. Discuss what happened. Why? What else might have happened?

Grade 4-6:

Work on planning. It is often hard for kids to master the Day Planner while they are at school. Use it every day to plan family activities such as feeding the cat, walking the dog, putting up the Christmas tree, buying a present for Aunt Millie, going skating and so on. Make it part of your life and make it fun! Writing is often a problem for this age group. The family journal is often a hit here too. Write in it every day. Describe the holiday fun and activity. Encourage reading by purchasing magazines. Choose specific activity magazines that match the interests of your child – skiing, history, cats, and so on. No pressure but lots of attention and encouragement.

Grade 7-8:

If exams or tests are planned for January, then use the same strategy as High School. Again, focus on Day Planners. Make sure that they are written in every day. Use them to prioritize activities and plan events. Plan TV viewing. Try to get as many history and nature specials as you can then discuss them – go to the library or on the internet to do more research on these subjects. If you just watch these programs and then do something else, your kids will see that remaining passive is OK – don’t! Work with the material.

Play strategy board games – chess, Clue, Risk and so on. Games that are competitive and yet require thinking are the best.

Don’t forget to plan activities and have fun!

In case you missed it, read Tips for Parent-Teacher Interviews Part One

Sample Parent/Teacher interview questions:

• Does my child hand in complete assignments on time, and at an acceptable level?
• What work areas does my child like best?
• What areas are more difficult for my child?
• Are there things I can do at home to help my child?
• Does my child seem to enjoy coming to class?
• Is there something about my child’s behaviour or performance that you would like to see improve?

Read Tips for Parent-Teacher Interviews Part One

Toys that combine technology and tradition are among the top playthings rated for 2006 by the Canadian Toy Testing Council, a non-profit group that, for more than 50 years, has assessed toys on the basis of design, function, durability and play value. The toys are tested by children who play with them for weeks, then help to rate them. The council also offers recommended books for preschoolers to pre-teens.

The best toys blend new technology with the basic characteristics of a great toy, especially for toddlers. Leigh Poirier, the council’s executive director, says the top 10 toys will all keep children entertained for hours.

Toy of the Year

Leapster L-Max Learning Game System by Leap Frog for ages four and up. It’s a hand-held computer system with a touch screen and stylus that runs various learning games. The system can also be hooked to a TV.

Top 10 Toys

1. Baby Gymtastics Play Wall by Fisher-Price for ages 6-18 months
2. Classic Rock & Bounce Pony by Radio Flyer for ages 9-24 months
3. Learning Connections Train by Leap Frog for ages 9 months and up
4. Lego Duplo Dragon Tower and Lego Duplo Knights’ Castle by Lego Canada for ages 3 years and up
5. Balloon Lagoon by Cranium Inc. for ages 4-7
6. Knights Empire Castle, Knights Tournament and Red Dragon by Playmobil Canada Inc. for ages 4 and up
7. Zoo Tycoon 2 by Microsoft Canada for ages 8 and up
8. Things . . . Humour in a Box by Outset Media for ages 8 and up
9. Books in a Cup Lime & Orange by Klutz for ages 8 and up
10. Tamagotchi Connection Version 2 by Bandai for ages 8 and up

For a complete listing of the recommended toys, visit the council’s website at www.toy-testing.org

Sample Parent/Teacher interview questions:

Do you have any concerns about my child’s skill level?

Does my child read with comprehension?

Does my child have difficulty:

• listening to and/or following instructions?
• staying on task?
• organizing notes, work, stories, etc.?
• completing assignments?

How well does my child read and understand new words?

Does my child actively participate in your class?

More tips for parent/teacher interviews due out later this week.

Continue reading part 2 Tips for Parent-Teacher Interviews Part 2

If you’ve got a college/university freshman in your family, fitting them back into your family with its old rules and expectations can upset everyone involved when kids come home for a weekend.

Your student may have new friends, new freedoms, maybe even a new look.

And while you might expect your student to come home, help around the house and participate in family activities and keep curfew, your son or daughter, who has been on his/her own wants to sleep late and catch up with high school friends.

The key is communicating with your child. Here are some tips to make your freshman’s visit home as stress-free as possible.

Tips for parents

• Respect your child’s new status as an adult. You sent him/her to a place that treats him/her as an adult, and you need to do that too.
• Don’t set a curfew, but asking your son/daughter to call if he/she expects to be later than a certain time. Explain that you worry about his/her safety and that this isn’t an unreasonable request.
• Say positive things, even if she’s dyed her hair purple or he’s tattooed his torso.
• Use your third ear — listen, listen and listen some more.
• Ignore unopened book bags.
• Give a big hug when he/she leaves and send him/her away with a care package of cookies, leftovers or a little extra cash.

Tips for students

• Talk with your parents about school, friends, finances, goals, your major and grades. They’re still your parents and want to be included in your new life. If you talk to them, the changes going on will be less scary for them.
• Prepare them ahead of time for changes in your appearance (piercings, tattoos, dyed hair) and give them some time to adjust if the change is drastic.
• Talk about how you want to spend your time over your break and be willing to compromise by setting aside some time for your friends and some time with your family.
• Respect their concerns for your safety and call if they’ve asked you to when you go out late with friends.

“I freeze up when I write exams! I study hard and think I know my stuff, but I freeze up and get low marks!”

Hundreds of high school students have shared this concern with us over the years When students “freeze,” their low grades do not reflect their true potential. Since the first step in beating something is understanding it, we began to ask students why it was so difficult to overcome “freezing.” Their answers surprised us.

We found that many students who had been exposed to study skills programs were not using these skills because they did not know how to apply them to their own lives. Often when students learn a skill, such as study skills, it is just memorized — not understood.

In order to be effective, study skills must be a new way of thinking! A new way of considering information. A student who truly knows how to study also knows what he or she wants out of school and life.

Students experience difficulty with organization, memory, planning, studying, listening, and writing tests for reasons that cannot be overcome by memorizing a bunch of new rules. The magic of a successful study skills program lies in the way it unlocks the emotional and motivational issues that are blocking success.

Many students arrive at exams in a state of mild anxiety, which grows until the teacher tells them to turn over their papers and begin. The first question looks a little familiar but they don’t remember exactly how to do it, so they go on to the second, promising themselves, “I’ll come back to the first question as soon as I remember.”

The Trouble Begins

Each question looks more and more like a foreign language. Remembering only a little of each, they try to fake it. That is called “freezing.” The struggle to remember actually locks the information farther and farther away. Their struggles “freeze” them up even tighter.

Feelings of fear and apprehension are not the problem! The real problem is that students “freeze” when they ask their memory to recall information that they have learned and filed incorrectly. The way most students file information for retrieval is similar to blindfolding a filing clerk and then asking that clerk to find a very important file.

What would your chances be of getting the correct file? Zero. But this is how most students use their memories. They learn information and then file it in their memories incorrectly. When sitting for an exam, they begin to search frantically for the missing files. When this happens, the memory often does not associate well. Mix a little anxiety in and you get the classic exam “freeze.”

An effective study program will address the emotional and motivational issues that are blocking academic success. The secret to overcoming “freezing” is shifting from a passive mind set (” I’ll just sit here and wait for the teacher to teach me”) to an active process of questioning, summarizing and integrating information.

Here are the procedures for active learning:

• Study Notes: Spend 10 minutes per subject every night and summarize the day’s lessons into study notes. Break the information down into Main Idea, Supporting Details and Sub Details. Make these notes short and in point form, in your own words.
• Review: 48 hours later, review your study notes. Don’t memorize; just make sure you fully understand what they mean and what the information is about. Turn the notes into a story or a complete picture — use visualization if possible.
• Keep Track: Keep a small student day book so that you can keep track of assignments, tests, homework and personal information. Make your entries in class as you get the assignments or test dates and look at your book every night before beginning your study time.
• Learn About Yourself : What things distract you? Noise? Movement? Crowds? When you discover what makes it hard for you to pay attention, make sure you change your environment as much as possible. If noise bothers you, don’t study with a radio on or at the dining room table. Find a quiet place instead.
• Set Long-Range Goals: Stop expecting school to entertain you. When you learn to stop blaming school for not meeting all your expectations and learn to keep your eye on your long-range goals and dreams, you will begin to feel more control and power over your life. Forget about blaming others; it’s your life! Take the responsibility to get the most out of it.

Enjoy!