School’s out or almost out for most of our children. Reports cards have been issued or are on their way. Your children are undoubtably relieved and happy that another school year is done, and everyone’s thoughts are turning to summer vacation.
But before you close the chapter on the last school year, why not spend some time making sure your child is on track and in good academic shape? Here are some tips on how to do this:
- Year End Teacher Check In: Just because the schools don’t schedule a parent teacher conference after the last report card doesn’t mean you can’t connect with the teacher to discuss your child’s progress. Reach out to the teacher via email and schedule a time to talk. Be prepared with questions about how your child progressed during the year, whether his/her skills are on or above grade level, and what you can do to support your child over the summer.
- Readiness Check: Learning Heroes has a great tool, The Readiness Check, to help determine how your child is progressing. Have him/her take the brief test for the grade just completed. The results will give you both a sense of whether there are any areas which need strengthening over the summer. If you have him/her take the test before you check in with the teacher you should discuss any areas that you see need improvement.
- Chat With Your Child: Before your son or daughter gets too caught up in summer fun, talk with them about how they felt about the school year. What subjects did they feel most comfortable with? In what classes did they feel they learned the most? What do they feel they need help in (if anything)? What did they enjoy most about this school year? What are they most looking forward to in the fall? No need to drill them with all these questions at once or connect this discussion with their grades. Better to get this information in a few chats, in a relaxed setting.
Spending some time focused on this now will help you guide your child’s summer. Make it a fun and productive one!
