Report Cards: Advice for Parents

A child's report card can bring feelings of joy, excitement, and pride; it can also cause concern, frustration, and uncertainty. In either case, the reporting period marks a new beginning to set goals and reflect on past work habits, achievements, and hardships. Most important, it is a time for you to communicate with your children and determine a path for future academic enrichment and social-emotional growth.

Focus on the Positive

Regardless of the grades your child brings home, you must first focus on positive aspects of the report. This is not always an easy task. For some, this might mean highlighting a strong effort or citizenship grade, or praising an academic accomplishment or a perfect attendance record. Starting on a positive note shows your child that you truly care about the accomplishments, not only areas that need improvement.

Ask the Right Questions

Be careful not to overreact to low grades, or grades you view to be unsatisfactory. Instead, use this time to look at past performance and plan for the future. Talk to your child, asking questions to understand how a particular grade was earned:

Was the work too difficult?
Could the pace of the class be inappropriate (too fast, so that your child feels "lost," or too slow, causing your child to feel "bored")?
Does your child complete all homework and ask questions when problems arise?
The answers you receive might indicate a need to review your child's study habits. Determine whether or not your child is recording all assignments and bringing home all materials necessary to complete them. Does your child have a specific nightly homework time (Sunday through Thursday) when he cannot be disturbed? If not, this would be a great time to establish one! If so, is it long enough? Does your child have a specific place to study where resources (including someone to answer questions) are available and distractions are minimized? Is your child completing all homework on a nightly basis, or are assignments being turned in late, or not at all? Once you have determined the problem, you can begin to create a solution.