EDUCATION HOT TOPICS
QUESTIONS TO ASK THE TEACHER “HOW IS MY CHILD MANAGING SOCIALLY?”
TRACKING PROGRESS AS YOUR CHILD MOVES THROUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL There is a world of difference between being involved, supportive and aware of how your child is faring at school and being the dreaded ‘helicopter parent’, always hovering and not allowing a child to develop as an independent and responsible person. Lily is in Year 7 at Woombye State School on the Sunshine Coast. Lily’s mother Terry says: “The way I track Lily’s progress has changed over the years as she’s advanced through primary school. In the early years, I was in the classroom a lot and so had plenty of opportunity to discuss things with the teachers. Helping out in the classroom also meant that I was able to get a really good indication of how she was progressing. I used to attend parade every week, so found out a lot of the general school information, like upcoming events, that way as well as from the newsletters and notes sent home. “Now that she’s in her final year of primary school I really only go into the school when something special is on, but I still feel that I’m kept in the loop. The school holds a ‘meet and greet’ at the beginning of each year, as well as parent–teacher interviews throughout the year. It’s lucky that the school has a Facebook page and electronic newsletters to keep me informed about upcoming events because the notes often don’t get retrieved from her school bag until it’s too late! “Apart from formal report cards, which are issued twice a year, I can usually judge how Lily is going at school simply by asking her, or by looking through her homework book at the previous week’s marks. There have been times when I’ve noticed she’s been having trouble with a particular area so I’ve either just worked with her at home or else approached the teacher for some guidance on how I can help.”
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This is the most important question to ask a teacher before you ask about grades, as slow school achievement is often associated with not fitting in or being bullied. An unhappy, fearful child will not be motivated to learn. If you discover the unpalatable truth that your child is bullying other children, work with the teacher to form an action plan to improve your child’s behaviour.
“WHAT ARE MY CHILD’S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, AND HOW CAN I HELP?” Knowing the answer to this question means that you can encourage your child to pursue interests that give satisfaction and success while being alert to opportunities to strengthen any weaknesses.
“DOES MY CHILD NEED ANY EXTRA HELP BEYOND THE CLASSROOM?” It is not easy for teachers to tell a parent that a child is well below grade level in any area, but you need the full picture in order to help your child.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY CHILD IS KEEPING UP? Naplan (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) assesses the skills of all state and non-state school students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The tests measure how well your child is performing against national standards. School reports from your child’s teacher usually arrive in June and December. These are probably more useful to parents as they give a rounded assessment of how your child is performing over a longer period, and not only academically.
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