In looking at the progress report, family members can discern the following:
- Is my child meeting program work habits, behavior and attitude expectations? If not, how can we as a family work to help our child in that regard. This is a good conversation to have with a child prior to the next year of school.
- Is my child generally meeting the grade-level standards. If he/she is meeting those standards, you may want to foster practice over the summer. If he/she is not meeting the standards you may want to use programs like Khan Academy's grade-level mission standards-based online venue to review and practice those standards prior to the next year.
- Can my child explain his or her mathematical thinking and problem solving? If this is an issue, you may want to start a back and forth math journal with your child. In this journal, you pose a question, your child answers, and then you respond. For example you could pose some of these questions:
- What is the difference between even and odd numbers?
- What do you know about the number 2 (or any number 1-20 and landmark numbers after that)
- What polygons do you notice in our house, neighborhood?
- How many cubic inches would fit into the box in the kitchen?
It's important to gather that snapshot from your child's report card and think with your child and family about next steps with regard to academic performance. It's also important to recognize that many of life's greatest skills and attributes are not listed on a school progress report, and it's important for your child to recognize and value his/her terrific characteristics that lie outside of this report too.
