“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