The Cure For Report Card Stress

Sylvan Learning of Hunterdon County Offers Effective Communication Tips to Help Parents and Children Avoid "Report Card Surprise"

It seems like school just began and it is already coming to report card time.  Report card day can often be a stressful experience for both parents and students. Parents facing a poor report card find themselves disappointed by the results and apprehensive about the best way to discuss failing grades with their child's teacher.  Students feel discouraged if they've been struggling to do better, but are just not able to make the grades.  Sylvan educators in Clinton and Flemington believe that report card time doesn't have to be a source of mutual frustration and unhappiness for parents or their children. 

By following a few simple steps, parents can empower their child to bring home a report card that will make everyone proud of progress and accomplishments.

The first report card of the year can create feelings of pride, happiness and excitement for many parents. It can also produce feelings of anxiety and frustration for those who are surprised by their child's grades. However, effective and continuous communication among teachers, parents and students can help minimize the 'report card surprise.

Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring services to children of all ages and skill levels, offers the following tips to ease report card stress:

• Communicate with your child. Don't wait until the report cards are issued - it's too late then. From the first day of school, make sure your child knows that there will be a conversation about school every evening.  Conversations do not include one-word answers and half-hearted attempts at discussion. They demand open-ended questions. 
• Meet with your child's teachers.  Keep an open line of communication with your child's teacher. Talk frankly with the teacher about any skill deficiencies that are causing performance problems and work with the teacher to address these issues. At Sylvan, we offer this type of communication as part of our services, but it does not serve as a replacement for your communication with the teacher as well. 
• Establish a study plan with your child. Work with your child to develop regular study habits and to spend an adequate amount of time daily on homework and studying for tests. Be aware of assignments and whether your child is using time effectively to tackle homework and study. Encourage him to put forth his or her best effort and to persevere.
• Get help immediately if you see a problem. Don't fall prey to your child's promise to do better. He or she may not be able to correct certain issues without help from the adults in his or her life.  If your student is having melt-downs during homework time, it may not be that they don't know how to study- It may be that the work itself is too difficult and avoiding the homework is easier than trying because the work is too hard.  

A report card is more than just a series of letters. It's an invaluable tool to help parents evaluate their child's academic progress and assess his or her strengths and weaknesses. "You and Your Child's Report Card," a free parents' guide is available from Sylvan Learning. The guide gives parents numerous tips and suggestions to turn report card day into a day of achievement and celebration. 

Sylvan can help!

Call us today:

Flemington, NJ: (908) 806-4010

ACADEMIC ANTI-RESOLUTIONS FOR 2013

Sylvan Learning offers simple suggestions for better academic results in 2013

New Year’s academic resolutions are pretty much off the list of most students. We adults don’t set a better example either. Since the beginning of time, we have been making and breaking New Year’s resolutions. Our well-intended resolutions often don’t work because changing deeply ingrained habits is never easy, even for the most determined among us.

So if you want to secure a successful change in your student this year, particularly with regards to academic performance, try a new tactic:  The Anti-Resolution.

By saying no, students can create some new, positive academic habits.  Allow your student to brainstorm a few things he or she will NOT do, in the pursuit of higher grades and a more positive school experience. 

Here are 10 anti-resolution suggestions from Sylvan Learning to get your student paving a path toward better academic results in 2013:

1. I will NOT start studying the night before a test. Procrastination is one of the biggest grade-killers. Children who get into the habit of studying earlier – or tackling a school project well ahead of its due date -- will get the higher scores they were capable of achieving all along.

2.  I will NOT tune out in math class. For many students, all-important math and algebra classes are the biggest challenge. Simply paying attention can pay dividends.

3.  I will NOT be afraid to raise my hand in class. This is a big one. Asking questions is a key part of learning. A teacher’s answer to a single question may clarify a student’s understanding of an entire lesson.

4.  I will NOT play video games before I do my homework. Today’s children have an almost limitless variety of electronic diversions that can lure them away from schoolwork. Students need to get into the habit of making sure that schoolwork takes precedence.

5.  I will NOT miss out on reading for 20 minutes every day. Children cannot improve reading skills or develop a love of reading if they don’t do it regularly.  Twenty minutes per day is the bare minimum.

6.  I will NOT participate in social media during every spare minute. As useful and entertaining as Facebook and Twitter can be, they also can be constant sources of interruption during academic tasks, both in and out of class.

7.  I will NOT talk in class when I should be listening. Teachers often hear students offer the excuse, “I guess I didn’t hear it.” Students need to realize that the teacher’s job is to instruct; the student’s job is to pay attention.

8. I will NOT forget to write down my assignments.  A student can’t do homework he or she doesn’t know about. Frantic last-minute calls to classmates for homework assignments waste time and demonstrate a lack of discipline.

9.  I will NOT sit in the back of class.  Sitting closer to the front of the class encourages participation and shows the teacher you’re interested.

10.  I will NOT forget how important school is to my future. The daily routine of school may blunt a student’s perception of just how important academics are in the grand scheme of things. Children should remain aware that how well they do in school really matters.

There you have it – 10 things for students not to do in 2013.

For additional information and educational resources, visit us on the web at www.sylvanlearning.com or call us at (908) 806-4010.