Don't Let the School Year Wrap Before Asking the Teacher These 8 Questions

Summer is here, and students of all ages are starting the countdown to the end of classes.

While summer break is a healthy time for children to reset, it also represents a long stretch of time away from the classroom. Many parents want to be pro-active leading up to and during the holidays to ensure a smooth transition to the next grade level in September.

Before the school year ends is the perfect time to schedule a chat with your child’s teacher about academic and social progress. The ideal outcome is to provide direction on where to focus student efforts for the remaining months.

The Teachers on Call team has put together these 8 questions as a starting point to kick off the conversation:

1. How is my child doing in the class in relation to peers?
2. How does my son/daughter view himself/herself as a learner in the class?
3. What are my child’s greatest academic strengths?
4. Where is there room for growth and improvement?
5. Do you have any feedback about my child’s overall social development?
6. Can you recommend any games or apps to support my child in learning at home?
7. Is there any area that you feel my child may struggle with next year that we should begin to focus on now?
8. How can I help my child in preparation for the next grade level?

Depending on the outcome of the discussion, families may seek out academic support in different ways. Recommendations can range from parents working directly with students, professional tutoring, summer enrichment programs, and visits to the library. 

The benefit is that you will have a clear academic picture if your child needs extra support in advance of the final report card (with no surprises). Equipped with this knowledge, you can proactively plan how you’ll incorporate learning into the summer holiday.

Looking for educational summer resources?

• Ways to avoid summer boredom.
• Strategies to prevent the "summer slide."
• Ways to make math fun this summer.
• Fun educational games for family road trips.
• Learning French over the summer.

Previously published at Teachers on Call.

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