In the weeks leading up to the pre-Christmas, ahem… I mean, Thanksgiving holiday, what’s on many parents mind is the first card marking, and the parent teacher conferences they’re headed into. Measuring success simply by a percentage point or grade is never advisable, but of course, this information is still necessary to determine overall strengths or areas needing improvement. Since most times the answers to that are actually hidden in the work that led to the grades, I wanted to offer a few suggestions on questions to ask to be sure you know exactly where your child is at each quarter of the year.

Do you have any concerns with how quickly or slowly my child is completing the work?

Sometimes working too quickly can be a sign of ease or boredom, or it can indicate a lack of careful, thoughtful effort. On the other hand, working too slowly may mean that a student is struggling with comprehending the text/instructions, or that they are distracted while working. Either way, monitoring patterns is key. It may not be a concern just yet, but efficiency is an excellent indicator of strength, and of weakness.

Does my child ask for help?

Seems so simple, but self-advocacy isn’t always automatic. Thankfully, it can be taught. Ensuring your child asks for help when needed is a skill that follows them into adulthood, so you want them practicing this as early on as possible. It will also help both you and the teacher know how independent they are with the skills as they’re learning them.

Are there any concepts/lessons from previous quarters or grade levels that you’re concerned my child hasn’t mastered? Of the upcoming lessons, any areas you anticipate will be more challenging than others?

These questions are to really help you be more proactive than reactive. Knowing that two chapters ago was a struggle, but he/she survived and was able to move on to the next is crucial information that you can use to go back and review at home. Again, the goal is mastery, so ensuring there are not holes left along the way is going to benefit the student, and their future teachers. Same idea with asking about what is to come. Your child’s teacher knows them well, so asking if they’re anticipating a challenge, allows them to help you prepare your child for mastery of skills to come.

I really want you to walk away from your sit down with the teacher with a big picture look at your student, their needs, and of course, their successes. Advocating for your child, while teaching them to advocate for themselves is going to be an amazing help in their educational journey.

Have other suggestions for questions to ask, or want help with how to ask about a different concern? Feel free to comment, or go ahead and click here to send me a message!

Happy Parent-Teacher Conferencing!

Tia