HOW TO AVOID REPORT CARD SURPISES

Even if you were a good student, chances are you have at least one memory of riding home on a school bus and dreading the moment when you’d have to hand your report card over to your parents. What probably made it worse was that you saw it coming. After several low test scores and days when your teachers seemed to be speaking in some indecipherable code, you were pretty certain that your grade for the quarter would be a C, D or worse.

Now, as your own children head back to school, you have the opportunity to help them avoid having to go through the same experience. Doing so is a two-step process. First, you need to let both your child and his or her teachers that you’re going to be gently vigilant in observing progress throughout the school year. Second, you need to create your own calendar with ongoing check-in points and benchmarks to know about in advance. Here are some recommended steps for doing both:

Build a rapport with teachers.

You should begin the year by attending an open house, or setting up a meeting or phone call with your child’s teacher within the first couple of weeks of school. This will help you get to know your child’s teachers, and will give you an opportunity to ask several important questions, such as:

• How much homework will you be assigning, and how much time should my child set aside for completing it? This type of information will help you budget your child’s afternoon and evening activities.

• When are the homework “pressure points”? These are the periods prior to major tests or days when major projects are due. Times like these should be clearly marked on your calendar so you’ll know when your child needs extra time and support.

• What would you like to know about my child’s progress to date? Most teachers will appreciate learning more about your son or daughter’s academic strengths, weaknesses and extracurricular interests. This can guide their instruction and help them determine whether your child needs extra support in certain subjects or types of assignments.

Find out about the big tests.

Most public school students take at least two major tests mandated by their schools or school systems during the year. Parents and caregivers tend to focus most on the tests in the spring, which are increasingly used for high stakes decisions such as whether or not a student will move on to the next grade or graduate. But the tests that are given in the fall are especially important for parents who want to find out about problem areas while there’s still ample time to address them. Although it’s natural to look at these scores to determine how well your child “measures up,” you should remember that the tests are diagnostic tools for revealing academic strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these strengths and weaknesses will enable you to determine what kind of tutoring and other support your child might need to ensure that the fall, winter and spring are all winning seasons for high test scores and overall achievement.

By talking with teachers and visiting the Department of Education Web site for your state, you can usually learn which tests will be given to students by grade level, and when. You can find out the key subject matter that will be tested, and when you should expect to see your child’s results.

Create the right home learning space.

 Studying is hard work, even more so amid the myriad distractions of television, technology and other factors that may get your child off-track. Establishing a quiet, neat, well-lit space for studying will help your child focus on homework and significantly enhance his or her ability to retain material. Be sure to have materials such as paper, pencils and pens, a dictionary, a thesaurus and a calculator readily at hand. The seating area should be moderately comfortable – with a straight-backed chair that will keep your child relaxed but alert as opposed to soft upholstery, which can encourage drowsiness. It’s also a good idea to have enough space to read and write in the same area.

Make plans to celebrate success.

While it’s certainly important to ensure your children know you’re “on the look-out” for difficulties, make sure they also know that you’re prepared for – and expecting – success. All students are bound to struggle at some point, so remind your children that you’ll be there with plenty of support for overcoming whatever obstacles they may encounter. And when you see real progress, try to do something wonderful as a family to celebrate. “Report Card Day” should always be a major occasion, even when it doesn’t yield surprises.

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Dr. Raymond J. Huntington and Eileen Huntington are co-founders of Huntington Learning Center, which has been helping children succeed in school for more than 26 years. For more information about Huntington, call 1 800 CAN LEARN.