Report Cards are Coming!

Jun 03, 2013 • Report Cards

With report cards on their way, we thought it would be helpful to remind you of our tips for the “report card chat”. Every family should sit down and discuss the positives and negatives of the report card, and come up with a plan to catch up and get ahead this summer to be ready for better grades next year!

Here are some guidelines to ensure that your family’s report card discussion goes as smoothly as possible, especially if the report card was far from straight A’s:

1. Sit down together. Have everyone sit down at the kitchen table. Don’t talk about the report card in the garage, or in the car, or anywhere there are distractions or when time is short.
2. Remove distractions. Focus on each other—no cell phones buzzing, televisions on, earbuds in, or laptops open.
3. Make a statement of intent. Make everyone aware that the report card discussion will be happening and when.
4. Start with the positive. Highlight something positive about the report card, no matter how trivial. A positive teacher comment, a grade that’s higher than last year, or a decent grade in a tough subject, etc.
5. Recognize the struggle. Listen to your child, and include his or her thoughts, comments, and worries in the discussion. Listen to the complaints. Children who have the most issues are usually the most vocal.
6. End with optimism. Make a comment like this: “There’s still plenty of time for improvement, and we’ll work together to make the necessary changes.”
7. End with a plan. Identify the following before you leave the table: your role in helping with learning, your child’s role, and what the next steps are. Summer learning is a family goal!