Report Cards can be a time to celebrate their teenager’s achievements. If your teen is consistently doing well, their report card reflects their hard work and can be a source of pride for teens and parents alike. However, for others, especially for under-achieving students, it can be a stressful and dreaded time.

But report card season can bring an entirely different set of challenges to parents of teens. It can be challenging to get teens to be open and communicative about their grades or academic progress. Parent-teacher interviews can also go terribly wrong, leading to frustration and a lack of understanding.

A Creative Solution: Neutral Third Parties for Teens

A creative solution has emerged, though, and it comes from an unexpected source—a school in Baltimore. One school decided to tackle the communication problem head-on by involving a neutral third party from Johns Hopkins University. These professionals, who are not emotionally invested in the teen’s report card results, step in to have a calm, unbiased conversation with the students.

The logic behind this is simple—a third party is less likely to react negatively or emotionally to poor grades in the same way a parent or teacher might. This reduces the likelihood that the student will become defensive or upset when discussing their performance. Instead, the conversation is more productive, with the focus being on progress, goals, and constructive feedback.

This service offers clear takeaways for parents: report card discussions are best when they are non-confrontational, focus on progress, and outline a goal for the future.

The Benefits of an Objective Approach For Teen’s Report Cards

Having a neutral third party involved in your teen’s report card discussions can make a significant difference. An objective person—whether a tutor, school counsellor, or mentor—can help facilitate conversations about academic progress without the emotional weight that often comes with parent-teen discussions. Teens may feel more comfortable opening up about their struggles, goals, and concerns. This is especially true when they are speaking with someone who isn’t directly involved in their day-to-day academic expectations.

Read more: 10 Tips to Reduce Stress During Your Report Card Chat

This approach can be especially beneficial for students who are too proud or embarrassed to ask for help. A neutral perspective fosters a sense of accountability and self-awareness while creating a supportive space for meaningful conversations about improvement and success.

How This Can Help Your Teen’s Report Cards

If you’re a parent of a teenager who is struggling with report card season, this approach may be something to consider. It’s a helpful reminder that while grades are important, communication and support are just as vital to helping teens succeed academically.

Instead of focusing solely on the grade itself, this method encourages teens to reflect on their own goals and progress. It also gives them the opportunity to talk openly about challenges they may be facing.

Explore Our Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Your Teen’s Report Cards

Want to learn more about how to handle report cards? Explore our comprehensive guide for everything you need to know about report cards! From understanding grades to offering your child the support they need, we’ve got you covered.

Read the Guide

This post was originally published in 2007 and updated in 2025.

The post Talking About Teens Report Cards appeared first on Oxford Learning.

Here’s how to use mid-year grades as a tool for success.

What Mid-Year Report Cards Really Mean

Mid-year grades provide a snapshot of a student’s progress so far. They highlight strengths, pinpoint challenges, and offer valuable feedback from teachers. But they’re not set in stone—there’s still plenty of time to improve, maintain, or even exceed expectations before the final report in June.

Reacting to Report Cards With the Right Approach

It’s normal for students (and parents) to feel a mix of emotions when reviewing report cards—pride, relief, or frustration. No matter the outcome, the key is to focus on the next steps rather than just the grades

Instead of asking, “Why did you get this grade?” try, “What can we do to improve or maintain it?” This shift encourages a problem-solving mindset and helps students take ownership of their learning. If grades are lower than expected, discuss challenges openly and identify areas for improvement, like time management or study habits. If grades are strong, celebrate achievements while reinforcing good habits.

A report card isn’t a final verdict—it’s a roadmap for the rest of the school year. With the right mindset and plan, students can use this checkpoint to finish the year strong.

Turning Feedback into an Action Plan

Teachers’ comments offer valuable insights into a student’s learning habits, strengths, and areas needing improvement. 

Use this feedback to create an action plan:

• Identify focus areas, such as which subjects need more attention.
• Set small, achievable goals and aim for steady progress rather than overnight perfection.
• Adjust study habits by trying new strategies like structured study schedules, active recall, or tutoring support.

Building Better Study Habits for a Strong Finish

Success isn’t just about working harder—it’s about working smarter. Here are some effective study habits to help students stay on track:

• Stay organized: Keep a planner or digital calendar for assignments and tests.
• Break it down: Study in short, focused sessions instead of last-minute cramming.
• Ask for help: Teachers, tutors, and study groups can provide extra support.
• Stay consistent: A little effort each day adds up to big improvements over time.

Discover everything that you need to know about report cards here!

A Path to Report Card Success

Remember that mid-year report cards are a checkpoint, not a final verdict. They provide parents and students with an opportunity to reassess, make adjustments, and set a course for success. Whether the goal is to maintain high grades or improve weaker areas, the most important step is to take action now.

If your child is struggling with school and their report card, Oxford Learning can help. Our personalized tutoring programs build strong study habits, boost confidence, and support long-term academic success. Contact us today to learn how we can help your child finish the school year strong!

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10 Tips For a Stress-Free Report Card Talk

1. Be intentional: Ensure your child knows you want to review and discuss their report together.
2. Clear your schedule: don’t rush, and reduce distractions so you can both focus on reviewing the report card together.
3. Start with the positives. Highlight increased marks or emphasize a nice comment the teacher made.
4. Involve your child. Ask what they learned in each subject area— math, English, science, etc.
5. Review grades against any tests or assignments. Marks on projects should align with the overall grade.
6. Recognize that school can be challenging. Effort doesn’t always align with achievement, and sometimes, a low grade indicates where attention needs to be focused.
7. Listen to your child. The children who struggle the most are usually the most vocal. Ask them if they feel satisfied with their grade. If they aren’t, discuss what could be done to improve their mark.
8. Discuss other sections of the report card, such as comments, absences, attitudes, etc. and give your child an opportunity to explain each indicator.
9. Be optimistic: there is still plenty of time to pull up low grades.
10. Create a plan to address low grades together. Use the CAM system to set some goals for the next report card.

Great Grades Begin at Oxford Learning!

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This guide covers everything from the basics of report cards to interpreting grades, recognizing the importance of teacher feedback, utilizing report cards for academic improvement, and tips for discussing them with your child.

1. What is a report card?
2. How do you interpret grades on a report card?
3. Understanding different grading systems
4. Importance of teacher feedback on report cards
5. Using report cards to improve academic performance
6. Tips for discussing report cards with your child

What Is a Report Card?

A report card—sometimes called an assessment, progress report, or achievement report—is a formal document that schools issue to communicate a student’s academic performance and progress over a specific period, usually a term or semester. 

It provides valuable insights into a child’s strengths, areas for improvement, and overall progress in school, serving as a crucial communication tool between teachers and parents.

Check out these four report discussion tips.

How to Interpret Grades on a Report Card?

Grades are the most visible part of a report card and can vary in format—letters (A, B, C), numbers (1-100), or descriptive categories (Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, etc). It is key to understand what each grade means and how it reflects your child’s performance.

Understanding Different Grading Systems

Grading systems vary widely. Knowing the system used by your child’s school ensures you interpret report cards correctly. Click on the link for your province below to better understand your province’s specific grading system.

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Interpreting grades correctly is essential for assessing your child’s academic performance. Different schools use different grading systems, so understanding what each grade represents is important. 

Report Card Letter Grades

Letter grades are widely used and easy to understand. Here’s a typical scale:

• A+/-: Excellent performance
• B+/-: Good performance
• C+/-: Average performance
• D+/-: Below average performance
• F: Failing

Report Card Numeric Grades

Numeric grades provide a more detailed view of a student’s performance. For example:

• 90-100: Excellent
• 80-89: Good
• 70-79: Average
• 60-69: Below average
• Below 60: Failing

Report Card Descriptive Categories

These categories offer qualitative insights, often used in younger grades:

• Exceeds Expectations: The student surpasses the expected standards.
• Meets Expectations: The student meets the expected standards.
• Approaching Expectations: The student is nearing the expected standards.
• Needs Improvement: The student is below the expected standards.

Understanding these systems helps you gauge where your child stands academically and where they might need additional support.

Understand report cards at every stage here.

Importance of Teacher Feedback on Report Cards

Teacher feedback is an essential part of report cards that can help you better understand your child’s grades. Teacher comments provide you, as a parent, and your child with context for the grades, offering a better understanding of your child’s performance beyond mere numbers. Detailed feedback can help shed light on your child’s behaviour, participation, and effort in class, giving you a clearer picture of your child’s school experience.

Behaviour and Participation

This feedback provides insights into how your child engages in the classroom environment. Teachers can comment on social interactions, group work contributions, and overall classroom demeanour, helping to identify any social or behavioural issues early on.

Effort and Attitude

Comments regarding a student’s diligence and attitude toward learning are crucial. They highlight the student’s work ethic, perseverance in facing challenges, and overall enthusiasm for learning. This feedback aspect can help you as a parent understand your child’s motivation levels and areas where encouragement might be needed.

Specific Strengths and Weaknesses

A teacher’s detailed notes and comments on areas where your child excels or struggles are invaluable to you as a parent. They not only pinpoint specific academic strengths and weaknesses but also provide actionable insights into how these areas can be addressed. This can guide you as a parent in supporting your child’s education more effectively at home.

Positive feedback reinforces good behaviour and effort, encouraging students to continue their hard work and maintain their positive attitude. Constructive feedback, on the other hand, is crucial for guiding improvements. It highlights areas needing attention and suggests strategies for overcoming challenges, fostering a growth mindset in students.

Teacher feedback on report cards is a multifaceted tool that is vital to your child’s educational journey. It bridges the communication gap between school and home, ensuring parents are well-informed and involved in their child’s progress.

Recognizing Patterns in Report Card Comments

Comments on report cards can provide valuable insights into a student’s academic behaviour and performance. Identifying recurring themes in the feedback can help highlight consistent strengths and areas needing ongoing support.

Investing time in understanding and effectively utilizing report cards can significantly impact your child’s academic journey. 

Recognizing patterns in report card comments is essential:

• Repeated strengths are areas where your child consistently excels.
• Recurring challenges are subjects or skills that frequently need improvement.
• Behavioural insights are comments on class participation, effort, and attitude.

Recognizing these patterns can address ongoing issues and reinforce positive behaviours.

Using Report Cards to Improve Academic Performance

Report cards are not just a reflection of past performance but a valuable tool for future improvement. Here’s how to use report cards to improve your child’s academic performance. 

Identify Areas of Improvement 

Carefully review the report card to pinpoint subjects or skills where your child scores lower. Look beyond the grades to understand specific feedback from teachers. This will help recognize the exact areas that need attention.

Set Achievable Goals

Once you identify the areas needing improvement, work with your child to set realistic and achievable academic goals. Ensure these goals are specific and time-bound to provide clear direction and motivation. Download our goal setting toolkit here.

Create an Action Plan

Develop a detailed action plan to address the identified areas of improvement. This may include creating a structured study schedule, incorporating regular practice sessions, and seeking additional resources such as tutoring. Regularly monitor progress and adjust the plan as needed to ensure continuous improvement.

Foster a Positive Attitude

Encourage a positive attitude toward learning and improvement. Celebrate small successes and progress to build confidence and keep your child motivated. Address challenges with a growth mindset, emphasizing that effort and perseverance lead to improvement.

Communicate with Teachers

Maintain open communication with your child’s teachers to stay informed about their progress and any additional support they might need. Teachers can provide valuable insights and suggest strategies tailored to your child’s learning style and needs.

Engage in Continuous Review

Review and discuss report cards regularly with your child. Use these discussions to reflect on past performance, celebrate achievements, and set new goals. Continuous review helps maintain focus and adapt strategies to support your child’s academic growth.

By actively using report cards in these ways, you can turn them into a powerful tool for enhancing your child’s academic performance and fostering a love for learning.

Tips for Discussing Report Cards with Your Child

It is crucial to have open, supportive conversations about your child’s report card. Here are some tips to make these discussions productive and encouraging for everyone involved.

First, Celebrate Successes

It’s important to acknowledge and celebrate areas where your child performs well with your child. Recognizing their achievements builds confidence and reinforces positive behaviours. Start the conversation by highlighting their strengths and expressing love and support for their hard work.

Stay Calm and Supportive

Approach areas of weakness with your child calmly and supportively. Avoid reacting negatively or showing disappointment. Instead, focus on understanding the challenges your child faces and discuss ways to overcome them together.

Encourage Open Communication

Allow your child to express their feelings and perspectives on their grades. Listen actively and validate their experiences. This creates a safe space for them to share their thoughts and feelings, which can help identify underlying issues affecting their performance.

Focus on Effort, Not Just Results

Emphasize to your child the importance of effort and improvement over perfect grades. Highlight instances where they have put in significant effort, regardless of the outcome. This fosters a growth mindset, encouraging them to view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.

Be Positive

Start the conversation on a positive note. Acknowledge your child’s efforts and any progress they have made, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement can motivate them to continue working hard.

Be Constructive

When addressing your child’s areas needing improvement, be constructive rather than critical. Discuss specific strategies and steps they can take to improve. Offer your support and resources, such as tutoring or additional study materials, to help them succeed.

Set Goals Together

Encourage your child to set achievable goals and work towards them. Collaboratively set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. This will give your child a clear roadmap for improvement and help them stay focused and motivated.

By following these tips, you can make report card discussions a positive and constructive experience, helping your child feel supported and motivated to achieve their best.

Have more report card questions? Schedule a report card consultation with Oxford Learning. Click here to find a location near you.

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But what is grade inflation and what can parents do to ensure their child’s grades are an accurate representation of their child’s academic performance?

Understanding Grade Inflation 

Also sometimes known as grade creep, grade inflation is an issue impacting educational institutions across the country. Grade Inflation is a trend that gradually increases average grades over time, often without a corresponding improvement in students’ actual academic performance. 

In other words, better grades that don’t actually correspond to better academic achievement.

Provinces like Ontario have seen significant shifts in grade inflation, with historical systems giving way to a culture where high grades are increasingly common. In 2007, 90% of Ontario students earned a B average or higher.

Similar trends have been happening in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia. Discrepancies between teacher-assigned marks and provincial exam results highlight the challenge of maintaining consistent grading standards across different educational jurisdictions.

Impacts of Inflated Grades 

Grade inflation has several consequences for students, such as:

• Devalued grades: Inflated grades can reduce the value of academic achievement, making it difficult to assess students’ actual abilities accurately.
• Admission disparities: Students from provinces with high inflated grades may need help applying to universities in other regions with stricter grading standards.
• Educational rigour: The loss of academic rigour from inflated grades can impact students’ preparedness for higher education.
• Perception of performance: Inflated grades may create a false impression of students’ post-secondary education readiness.

Recognizing Effort

The real issue behind grade inflation lies with student motivation: if students are getting great grades for minimal effort, where is the incentive to put in any effort, develop perseverance, or try when things become challenging? Grade inflation works the same way that praising intelligence rather than praising effort does.

In studies about the value of praise, researchers noted that Instead of recognizing students for being naturally gifted, it’s better to focus on praising students for the effort they put in to reach their goals.

When students think they are born with a particular skill, they are less likely to put in additional effort. They practise less, study less, and try less. When students think they can achieve great results without putting in effort, it can erode their motivation.

Praising effort rather than skills or natural ability helps students of all ages learn that the work they apply leads to the results they want. Skills such as perseverance, dedication, and determination help students learn to take risks, learn from their mistakes, and move on from setbacks.

Find out everything you need to know about report cards here.

Dynamic Assessments for Academic Clarity

Oxford Learning students benefit from a comprehensive assessment called the dynamic assessment. The assessment unveils academic strengths and areas needing improvement. The dynamic assessment is a proprietary combination of licensed testing activities combining both academic and cognitive learning subtests. The dynamic assessment is designed to give insight into your child’s academic performance and how they think.

Throughout the assessment, we aim to provide parents with a clear understanding of their child’s academic abilities and potential areas for growth. Having this knowledge helps parents make informed decisions about their child’s education and support them effectively.

Crafting a Personalized Game Plan

Following the assessment, not only will our team at Oxford Learning sit down with you to review the results, but we will also develop a tailored strategy for your child’s academic development. This personalized game plan addresses any identified learning gaps and equips your child with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed academically.

How Oxford Learning Can Help

It’s important to realize that grade inflation is a prevalent issue that demands attention. Oxford Learning is committed to providing parents with the tools and insights to navigate this challenge effectively. 

Our comprehensive dynamic assessment and personalized strategies ensure that your child’s academic progress is grounded in genuine achievement and readiness for the future. 

Learn more about our offerings and schedule your child’s assessment at Oxford Learning today.

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Regardless of which style of report card your child brings home, it’s important to cut through the school jargon and academic gobbledygook to get a clear picture of your child’s progression in school.

Whether your child is starting elementary school or taking a victory lap in high school, here’s what to keep an eye out for on your child’s report card at every stage.

Report Cards in the Early Years—Kindergarten to Grade Two

From the ages of five onwards, children are learning to adjust to an academic setting. Report cards tend to report on students’ behavioural and social progress, such as how they are getting along with their peers and whether they can stay focused on a task.

Academically, young children are being introduced to the basic skills that they will use to build all future learning. Reading progression is critical during the early years. Students should be continually meeting, if not exceeding, the reading progression standards.

While young students may have their entire academic future ahead of them, poor report cards could mean potential problems in the long run. If issues are cropping up time and again, parents should consider getting extra help for their child so that the issue doesn’t become a major learning roadblock.

Children are changing greatly during the early years, and what was a problem today may not be a problem tomorrow. Even if a particular area might be of concern, parents should watch for incremental improvement from one report card to the next. Always discuss report cards with the teacher, who can give a better picture of a child’s progress.

Each report card marks a milestone of achievement. Just because a child is underperforming on one report card does not mean that there won’t be significant improvement by the next report card.

• watch for incremental improvement from one report card to the next
• watch for developing basic skills
• watch for excitement about school and learning
• get help early on if grades are low

Report Cards in the Middle Years—Grades Three to Eight

The middle years of school are all about progress markers. While the early years focus on behaviour and development, the middle years become more important academically. Children are introduced to increasingly difficult academic skills, and their ability to learn these foundational skills is very much the focus of report cards.

Low grades on report cards, while problematic, are not as much of a cause for concern as grades that are dropping. Consistency is key on report cards during the middle years; children should not be going down in grade points.

At this stage, the emotional impact of report cards becomes an issue. Worrying about grades can cause stress among children and parents alike. Parents can offer incentives to students to help increase their study time or learn to ask for help in order to maintain grades.

When poor grades are present on multiple report cards, parents should consider it a red flag and seek help before the problem becomes a major issue.

• watch for incremental improvement from one report card to the next
• watch for developing skills
• watch for emotions and stress
• get extra help as soon as an issue appears

Report Cards in High School

In high school, report cards are the biggest indicator of academic performance and progression. The first report of the school year is a warning flag—if there are issues, students should get help as soon as possible. There is plenty of time for students to improve grades before the second and final report cards.

In high school, students’ grades should reflect their short and long-term goals in life. Students need to consider the long-term outcomes of what their grades will mean to them based on what their future goals are.

The pressure is on; students are moving quickly on the fast track toward higher education, and every grade counts. Students should seek extra help as soon as they realize that they need extra support, whether in a particular subject or in study or homework skills. The sooner that students get the support that they need, the less stressful that report cards become.

• watch for incremental improvement from one report card to the next
• watch out for dropping grades
• watch for emotions and stress
• get extra help early on to bring marks up

Explore our guide for everything you need to know about report cards!

Report Card Concerns? Oxford Learning Can Help!

Oxford Learning’s personalized programs help students of all ages and grades stay on track with their learning; with frequent progress reports, parents are always in the loop with their child’s academics.

Take the stress out of report cards with help from Oxford Learning. Contact a location near you to enrol today.

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In fact, by checking in on school progress more often and by being regularly engaged and informed, you can reduce the stress of waiting for the report card and even increase your child’s school performance.

Don’t Wait—Stay Involved Before Report Card Time

Report cards are typically upheld as the ultimate indicator of school performance. However, report cards don’t always paint the full picture. Moreover, waiting for report cards to come home to check in on school progress can prevent you from dealing with possible problems that could be addressed right now.

Instead of relying only on report cards to track your child’s progress, check in regularly with your child’s school performance. Talk to teachers regularly to better understand how your child is doing. Follow up on homework assignments and ask to see tests and essays after they are returned to students. And be sure to watch for these signs that your child might be having school issues.

Signs Your Child Might Be Struggling

Children don’t always come out and say that they are having trouble in school. But, there are often clues that something might be amiss. Watch out for these telltale indicators and take action as soon as you suspect something might be amiss.

1. Declining grades. A sudden drop in grades or consistently poor performance in specific subjects indicates that your child may struggle.
2. Changes in behaviour. If your child’s behaviour at home or school has changed, such as increased irritability, withdrawal, or reluctance to attend school, it could be a sign of underlying problems.
3. Lack of interest. Loss of interest in school, extracurricular activities, or hobbies they once enjoyed may suggest academic difficulties.

The Importance of Regular Check-Ins Before Report Cards

Staying involved beyond report cards helps parents and students address any school issues before they become bigger and avoid unpleasant report card surprises.

Five Tips to Stay Regularly Involved :

If you notice these signs from above before report card time, it’s essential to take action. Here’s how you can stay involved before report cards.

1. Have open communication with your child. Talk to your child about their feelings, concerns, and struggles. Create a safe and non-judgmental space for them to share their thoughts. Check out these questions to ask your child about their day.

2. Meet with their teachers. Schedule meetings with your child’s teachers to discuss their performance and seek their input on how to help your child improve.

3. Get tutoring or extra help before problems escalate. Consider tutoring for your child to address specific academic challenges. Tutoring helps your child to stay on track before they start to slip. 

4. Establish a routine at home. Help your child establish a consistent study routine at home, including dedicated homework and study time.

5. Encourage a growth mindset in your child. Teach your child that mistakes are a part of learning and that they can improve with effort and persistence.

Get informed: Everything you need to know about report cards.

Three Reasons Regular Check-ins Are Essential:

1. Timely Intervention 

Have frequent and open communication with your child’s teachers. An open line of communication with your child’s teacher will let you know if they struggle in any subject areas. This allows for timely interventions and prevents problems from snowballing.

2. Reinforce Positive Habits 

Consistent check-ins allow you to celebrate your child’s successes and encourage them to maintain good habits. This positive reinforcement can boost their self-esteem and motivation. Celebrating successes on homework assignments completion or tests will motivate your child to continue working hard. Learn how to use positive reinforcement with kids here.

3. Healthy Parent-Child Relationship

Engaging in your child’s education creates a stronger bond between you and your child. It demonstrates your interest in their well-being and sets the stage for open communication. By having a healthy parent-child relationship, your child will be more open to discussing difficulties that they are having at school. Meaning that you can work together before they become a bigger problem.

Waiting for report cards doesn’t have to be the primary way to gauge your child’s school performance. You can ensure they succeed in school by staying involved, noticing when your child is struggling, and giving them the help they need when they need it. 

Commit to regular check-ins and active involvement in your child’s education. Watch their confidence and academic achievement soar.

Stay In the Loop With Oxford Learning!

Stay informed of your child’s learning progression at every milestone with a personalized tutoring program at Oxford Learning. Every student’s program meets his or her needs exactly. With regular ongoing reporting, you will never have to wait to learn how your child is progressing academically.

Find a Location Near You to get started today!

The post A Parent’s Guide to Staying Involved Before Report Cards Hit appeared first on Oxford Learning.

For many parents and guardians, the first formal report card is their first look and indication of how well (or not-so-well) their child is performing at school. Report cards are important for parents to utilize as a tool to check in on their child’s academic performance and development. 

Learning how to interpret the information provided on a report card is essential. Reading a report card correctly is key to assessing your child’s progress. The first-semester report card is especially important as if there are any issues, parents and students can make a plan to get ahead of any challenges. 

Tips For The First-Semester Report Cards

Review the Report Card—On Your Own

Your initial inclination might be to search for areas where your child needs to improve when you receive the report card. Before you talk to your child about the results, processing all the information yourself is crucial. Learn how to decode a report card here.

Start by taking note of all the positives, such as improved grades. Next, identify any areas of weakness or subjects that may be slipping. It’s important that you, as a parent, understand the report and what areas need attention.

Ready to master report cards? Learn everything you need to know here!

Plan a Report Card Conversation

It’s crucial to prepare for the report card conversation in advance. 

Always begin and finish the conversation with positive news. If you’re giving any negative comments, make sure to follow it up with a position one!

Beginning with positive news will give students the self-assurance they need to process any negative news. Additionally, ending with good news will give them a sense of empowerment rather than defeat.

Check out these 16 tips for talking to your child about report cards.

Meet Privately With Your Child

Sit down together for an interruption-free report card chat. If you have more than one child, talk to each one separately. Ensure you allow adequate time to talk about their academic performance at school and how they feel about school in general.  

It’s understandable that children may be uncomfortable talking about their report cards. So, ask your kid how they felt like they did before letting them see the report. This will show how aware they are of their own performance.

Ask what they took away from each subject. This will help gauge how well your child thought they did and what they can improve on for the second semester. 

Praise, Praise, Praise, and Strategize for Improvement.

Share your pride in your child’s accomplishments in the subjects they did well in, and point out any advancements they’ve made. Children need encouragement just as much as they need constructive criticism. 

Talk to your child about areas where they may improve, and together, you devise a strategy for the second semester to address any issues. And always remember to end positively by expressing how proud you are of them. Check out these 5 tips for dealing with a bad report card.

With these suggestions for handling school report cards, you’ll be better prepared to interpret the information provided by the report card and engage in a meaningful conversation with your child.

• Recognize accomplishments
• Identify areas needing improvement
• Create a plan for success in the second semester

Need Help with Report Cards?  

Our tutors at Oxford Learning can help your family create a great learning routine for the school year ahead.

Contact a location near you to get started today!

The post 4 Report Card Discussion Tips appeared first on Oxford Learning.

Now that families everywhere have settled back into their new school year routine this year—it’s time to begin thinking about report cards. 

Families too frequently settle into the school routine after the back-to-school frenzy has come to an end. The first report card then shows up, and POW! The not-so-good news: it’s not going as smoothly as it should.

Luckily, parents can use plenty of stay-in-the-loop tricks to prevent a bad report card.

5 Tips for Taking the ‘Oh No!’ Out of Report Cards

Communication 

Take five minutes to communicate with the teacher weekly, via phone, email, or in-person, to ask how your child is doing in math, reading, spelling, listening, and overall.

Don’t forget to praise, praise, praise. Reassure your child that despite the grade, they’re not a failure and that you will work together to develop effective solutions. Praise them for doing well and start working together on their struggle areas. Learn how to discuss your child’s report card here. 

Go Online 

The Internet is a beautiful tool for keeping informed. If your child’s class has a student portal, log on and get involved. 

There are usually tons of materials that you can use to help your student. You can ​​usually find materials such as articles, lectures and videos that you can review yourself, making it easier to help your student out at home. 

Review Past Report Cards

Chances are that school issues from last year will re-appear, so review previous report cards and keep your eye out for repeat problems. 

If you see repeat patterns, you’ll be able to nip it in the bud. Usually, children struggle in one specific subject, so this allows you to go back and see if they’ve always been struggling or if this is something new. It will also give you a better idea of their repeated patterns to help you break them. 

Follow Up 

When tests and assignments are returned to your child. How did it go? Were the results what you were expecting? 

Sit down and do it if you need to help them outline their time. Your child is counting on you to help them out, which is not the same as bailing them out. So make sure you follow up with the teacher and your child. You need to make sure that they’re staying on track before they bring home the report card. 

Create a Plan

If there are any issues, seek help as soon as you learn about them. The earlier you address the problems, the easier it becomes to fix them for the entire year.

Parents don’t need a report card to know how their child is doing in school—staying involved every step of the way helps avoid report card stress and gets school problems taken care of before they get out of hand.

After all, the only thing that should surprise you about report cards is how quickly they arrive.

Discover everything you need to know about report cards!

Get Report Card Support with Oxford Learning. 

Your kids need your support between now and their next report card (and after that, too). That’s what Oxford Learning is here for! 

Contact a location near you to get started today!

The post 5 Tips for Dealing with a Bad Report Card appeared first on Oxford Learning.

Does your family have an annual report card discussion? Do you take time to review end-of-year grades and celebrate all of the successes? 

Well, when it comes time to discuss final grades, students and parents alike can feel stressed and worried—especially if poor grades are a concern.

However, by sitting down together, celebrating the positives, and making a plan to improve poor grades over the summer, you can reduce report-card-related stress and have a chat that everyone can feel good about.

Having an open conversation as a family about reports is important for any student’s success. We’ve rounded up five helpful tips for having a productive conversation about the student’s report.

5 Helpful Tips for Discussing Report Cards

1. Schedule It: Don’t casually discuss grades on a short car ride to the store or when you’re getting ready to head to work. Sit down together and make sure you have a decent amount of time to discuss the year and each subject/grade fully.
2. Highlight the Positive: There will be something positive no matter what grades show up on the end-of-year report card. A compliment in the teacher comments, a higher grade than last year’s, or a pass in a difficult subject. Try not to focus on the negatives.
3. Listen: Parents and kids are in this together. Listen to each other and recognize that you both want the same thing: school success! Recognize the struggle while listening to their thoughts, comments, worries, and complaints. Be empathetic.
4. End with a Plan: Before your report card discussion ends, develop a plan together on how you will make next year better than this year. Summer learning should be part of your plan, and Oxford Learning can help! Catch up, keep up, or get ahead during the holiday, and next year, your report card chat will be a breeze.
5. Mark the Milestone: another school year has passed, and a LOT has been accomplished. Report card aside, your child has learned a lot this school year, and that alone is a reason to celebrate! It doesn’t have to be a graduation year to commemorate all your child has accomplished. Whether it’s monetary rewards for high grades or some ice cream, marking the milestone of another grade is a great way to recognize achievement at every stage.

Find out everything you need to know about report cards here.

Summer Learning Goals 

Make next year’s report card shine with summer learning!

Creating summer learning goals can help students from losing or forgetting about what they learned in the previous year. By creating a summer learning program or finding one at your local Oxford Learning Location, you ensure that your student is ahead when they start school again in the fall. 

Here are some of our favourite summer learning tips:

1. Active Learning Activities. Look for exhibits, events, or concerts happening in your town over the summer. Bring them to museums, parks, or anywhere where they can learn about the world around them. 
2. Encourage Writing. Get your student a summer notebook and encourage them to write in it whenever they have something on their minds, or even dedicate a solid 15 to 20 minutes where they can write a story or their feelings. Here are 7 ways to encourage writing.
3. Build Reading into Activities. Reading is an important skill, so try to incorporate reading time every day. If you can’t fit in some reading time, make sure that you incorporate it into activities you are doing during the day, even if they are ready at the back of a box at the grocery store.
4. Active Bodies, Active Minds. Not only do active students have active minds, but keeping active also helps with self-confidence and self-esteem. Have them play games outside, or bring them to a park where they can run around and play sports. 
5. Garden Together. Gardening is learning about the world around us and healthy eating habits. Gardening together can help both reading, writing, and math skills. You can quiz them on different plants, how tall plants are, and where they should be planted.

You can encourage any of these habits all summer long while doing everyday tasks. For example, if children are riding their bike to a friend’s house, ask them how long it will take, ask them to draw you a map and write down the street names. Not only is this fun for the student, but it’s helping them with summer learning, and they don’t even know it!

Oxford Learning Can Help with Summer Learning

Contact your local centre today to learn more about how Oxford Learning can help your child summer learning and get the most out of their education this fall. 

Contact Us

The post How to Discuss Report Cards appeared first on Oxford Learning.