
Report cards give families important information about how their children are doing in school especially their strengths and weaknesses. A quick look will not be sufficient to truly get the picture of children’s progress in school. The cards need to be studied carefully.
- Look at every letter grade, number, and percentile.
- Check that children are performing on grade level.
- Read the teacher’s comments.
- Pay close attention to information about classroom behavior.
Consider report cards a benchmark of children’s progress. Don’t expect every child to have straight A’s; however, a slide from last year’s grades is a red flag as are negative comments about behavior and skills. These red flags mean it is time to have a talk with the teacher about turning things around.
Finally, families should not chastise their children about negative grades and comments. Instead, they need to work with the children as well as teachers on ways that will lead to more positive outcomes in the future.