Published midway through the marking period, interim report cards serve as a barometer of your student’s academic progress, while still providing enough time for positive changes to be made that can impact that term’s grades.
What should you do if you see an unexpected comment or grade on your child’s interim report card? Maybe the average grade in a given subject is 79, when you really expected an 84. Perhaps a skill is marked “Basic” instead of “Proficient.”
If your child gets receives a less than desirable mark, the first line of action is to talk to your student. Do not scold or express disappointment. Instead, use open-ended questions, that ask your student to identify what may be challenging in a given class or subject. Questions such as: “Do you know what happened in this class?”, “What makes this subject hard for you?”, and “Why do you think that is?” may prove invaluable and provide insight that you may not have considered.
In addition, this approach will encourage your student to open-up, trust and confide in you. Do they know how to take notes? Is your student actively reading? Do they self-advocate in class? Do they use their planner to make sure assignments are handed in on time? Perhaps there are multiple areas from which your student would benefit from study skills – after all starting in the 6th grade, with an emphasize on a content-based curriculum, study skills are not taught! If you think your student might benefit from this extra support, talk to their guidance counselor, or look for an outside resource for workshops or tutoring.
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Contact us by phone 203-307-5455, or via web, info@S4StudySkills.com, to find out about upcoming study skills workshops that may benefit your student!
