Tag Archives: grades

Don’t Be Shocked About Grades- Stay Informed

It happens every year all over the country at every school in most every grade. Parents are completely shocked when their children comes home with a failing grade on his/her report card. The shock comes from two persons to blame- the parent and the teacher. There is no excuse for parents not to be continuously aware of how well (or not so well) their child is doing in school on both academic and behavioral terms. However many parents and teachers tend to wait to become educated on the situation until it is too late to be reversed. Once the grade … Continue reading →

Update: Should Kindergarteners Receive Traditional Letter Grades

Last week I wrote a blog about whether kindergarteners should receive traditional letter grades as opposed to pass/fail grades. The idea was spurred by an article in our local paper debating the merits of this new policy here in Mobile. In Sunday’s paper, a retired child management specialist for the Mobile Mental Health Center and a former public school teacher wrote a guest editorial concerning this new policy. The headline was Grading Too Soon, so I knew right away what his opinion was. In the article he wrote that kindergarteners need encouragement not labeling. He went on to say that … Continue reading →

Should Kindergarteners Receive Traditional Letter Grades?

When Tyler came home two weeks ago with his report card I had no idea this was the first time kindergarteners in Mobile County Public Schools were receiving letter grades. I was aware that some school didn’t give the traditional A, B, C, D, F grades but instead received either P (pass) or F (fail) or perhaps S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory). Still I didn’t give much thought to it until Sunday when I read in our local paper that this is actually the first time grades are being given. I also found out that it’s causing somewhat of a … Continue reading →

How To: Respond To Your Child’s Report Card

When I received Tyler’s report two weeks ago, there were no surprises. I knew already that he had made all A’s because the honor’s program was held the day before. But for those parents who don’t know in advance what their child’s grades will be, report card day can be a time of fear and worry. How do you respond to your child’s grades? I subscribe to a newsletter called Family Education and in the current issue they offer these tips on how to respond to your child’s grades. (1) Accentuate the positive- No matter what grades they bring home, … Continue reading →

Seven Ways to Get the REAL Scoop on Your Child’s Homework

Children with learning disabilities and other special needs require a lot of parental involvement when it comes to homework. It may be difficult for these kids to keep track of assignments and deadlines, and they may be fearful to ask their teachers questions for clarification. And even when there really isn’t any tangible homework, there might be tests or quizzes scheduled for which your child should be preparing. Here are seven ways you can keep tabs on your child’s homework while still giving your son or daughter a feeling of independence and accomplishment. Meet with your child’s teacher(s) early in … Continue reading →

Willpower Not Smarts Determines Grades

The school year is starting and as parents many of us are concerned about the grades that our child will get. I recently wrote a blog about how parents can help their teens in school and the ideas I shared can definitely help. But I just read an article that discussed how a teen’s willpower is the greatest factor in determining their academic success. Cordelia Fine in her article “Willpower is best used with care” tells about a librarian, Anne, who could predict which students would receive first-class or highest level degrees. She was almost always correct. Her secret – … Continue reading →

Using Portfolios to Assess Students Performance

What is a portfolio? Just like a collection of a person’s finest work is brought to an interview, the same can be done within the classroom environment. Teachers began using a portfolio for their students to assess their writing. One of the most common ways is to have the student put all of their assignments in a special folder. Then two weeks before the quarter or semester ends, have the student go through all of their writings and decide which ones they feel best portray their strength. Once the writing assignments are chosen, the student then has two weeks to … Continue reading →