Report Card Review: Turning the Year Around

Report Card Review: Turning the Year Around

 Though hard to believe, the school year is nearly halfway over. As the holiday season quickly approaches, your elementary student will soon receive his or her second report card, which serves as an even more revealing indication of academic performance than the first. Why? Unlike the first report, which includes assessment of a substantial amount of review material, the second report card demonstrates how well a student is handling new, more challenging concepts.

 While a less-than-stellar midyear report card can be disheartening, with proper remediation a student’s next report card can show significant signs of improvement. So when that second report card arrives with grades that cause concern, turn to a tutoring program. Whether your child needs a math, spelling or reading tutor, a tutoring program with individualized instruction can make a world of difference.

While parents know that tutoring is a highly effective measure to boost academic success, many are often interested in ways they can complement a tutoring program and continue to help turn their student’s academic year around. There are many helpful measures parents can take; consider the following:

Foster Open Dialogue.

As you and your elementary student prepare for a tutoring program, ask your student how he or she feels about school. Open dialogue is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about why your child received a certain grade or what skills and concepts he or she struggles with the most.  A conversation with your child’s teacher can also provide helpful insight to all parties invested in a child’s academic success. Continue to invite input and reflection from your child after each tutoring session as well. 

Embrace Goals.

While learning goals will be established as part of your child’s tutoring program, it helps when parents continue to embrace and discuss these goals outside of a session. Talk with your child about the ways he or she is working to achieve a goal and why the goal is important. Perhaps write out goals to post on the refrigerator or in your child’s room, or make plans to celebrate after each goal is reached. Parents may even write out learning goals of their own to demonstrate that learning is an ongoing process.

Pursue Positivity.

As your student engages in a tutoring program, cultivate an atmosphere of positivity. Ensure your child understands that tutoring is not a punishment, nor should it carry any negative connotation. Explain that tutoring is simply an extra measure to help him or her advance even farther in school. To sustain a student’s confidence and self-esteem, be sure to praise other successes in both academics and beyond.  

Be Engaged at Home.

Ask your child’s reading tutor about ways you can continue to work on certain skills at home, or integrate math into daily conversation. Spell out signs you encounter while in the car or create fun games with math flashcards. Set aside time each day for reading, and ask questions about the stories your child reads. Efforts to keep your child positively engaged in academics at home can benefit both skill and motivation.

Visit Huntington Learning Center for more information about our proven tutoring solutions for elementary students struggling in various subjects.