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Reading school reports with your children

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I am constantly amazed by the number of students I teach who never see their school reports and who don’t spend time speaking with their parents about it. This is such a missed opportunity for parents to have some influence over their child’s effort, focus and outcomes. Show real interest by positively engaging with your child over their report, encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning and make the changes identified. Once they do this the difference in their attitude and results can be truly amazing.

Unfortunately, school is not the pinnacle of every student’s life, in fact I have seen many students over the past 30 years or so, who have found school an absolute struggle from start to finish. I’m not sure if it is because these kids learn to ‘never give up’, but I have seen many who leave to pursue something that they are good at, or have a strong interest in, who end up doing exceedingly well! Sometimes, as parents of these students, your main job Is to simply keep them positive about their school life. This is not easy!

It is usually the ‘bad’ reports that put both parents and students on edge, creating potential for unwanted ‘blow-ups’. Use these hints to make the conversation one that encourages positive self-image and improved effort at school:\

1. Understand that a poor report most probably upsets them more than you. Even if they don’t show it!
   This is so valuable to realise. Getting angry with them will probably only further their feelings of failure. When we mess up, we don’t usually want someone rubbing it in our faces. You might be understandably upset – you’ve spent time and money supporting them with their schoolwork – but try to turn that anger into helping them to find a manageable solution.
2. Remind them of their good qualities and what they are capable of
   School reports only grade particular skills, and they may not be the areas in which your child shines. Find some sort of achievement, behaviour or accolade of theirs that has happened in the same year, like a positive remark about effort, a sporting win or a good mark in an assessment task and remind them about it. Reinforce that they are worthy and capable of achieving great things, even if this report might not show it.

3. Discuss the value of education
   Many times, a poor report will come because students don’t apply themselves in class or put in enough time at home. Highlighting the importance of school, discussing where they eventually want to end up and helping them set a goal (even if it changes over time), will help them to see the significance of their education.

4. Pinpoint the problem/s
   Try to find out what the issue is. Was it that they didn’t understand something in class? Was it that they were too distracted sitting next to their best friend? Have they not been putting in enough effort at home? Or was it an issue with the teacher which they may not be able to solve or change? Identifying the problem is crucial in moving forward and improving those results. It may require you to become involved and follow up at school so that they can see that you are invested in the change, and that they should be too.

5. Offer your help
   As you plan strategies together, offer to assist them in whatever way they need. This could be in the form of helping them with their homework each evening, or it could be finding them a Maths tutor or English tutor to take the load off your shoulders. Having a private tutor working with your child makes such a big difference, as it can help them to address problem areas and stay on-top of homework and assessment tasks, giving them a real sense of achievement. Whatever you plan, make a date to follow-up and check how it’s working, as this will prompt your child to realise that they need to make an effort. It will also give you a point at which you may need to modify or change the planned action.

Get in touch with NEWPORT EDUCATION CENTRE today to discuss how we can help you and your child.

Note for Parents with Special Needs Students or those with Learning Difficulties.

School reports can be full of negative reinforcement for your child if he or she does not meet the report ranking criteria. I have seen some schools provide an alternatively formatted report to be shared with the child, in addition to the standard report which is sent to parents.

In high schools this could be arranged by the year advisor and may consist of a one-page qualitative document where all your child’s teachers write a short comment, highlighting their positive efforts and improvements. Even including a list of areas where they need to improve is helpful, as long as the tone is encouraging, and demoralising grades and marks are omitted.

For infants and primary school students, an extended paragraph or even a personal letter, reflecting a similar tone, listing positive achievements and efforts, can make a huge difference to motivation and self-esteem.

If you don’t ask, you’ll never know! Ask your classroom teacher or Year Advisor now if they can provide an alternative report and have your child finish each semester feeling good about themselves!!