Turning Report Cards Into Roadmaps: Reflect, Reframe and Reset With Purpose
As the school year comes to an end, it’s natural to reflect on your child’s academic growth. Typically, report cards are the measuring stick we use to assess one’s abilities and progress. For some, the report card brings pride and celebration. For others, it may invoke a mix of frustration and concern. While grades are important, they cannot capture the whole story and are only one part of a much larger picture. Focusing solely on grades can cause us to miss the full story of who a student is and how they learn. To truly understand a learner’s journey, it’s essential to look beyond the report card.
As parents, we want so much for our children and we maintain high hopes for their future. While I am certainly NOT suggesting that one needs to lower their expectations for their childs’ success, I am proposing that we look to recognize the broader growth that took place over the school year. For example, did your child attend extra help sessions, join a club, participate in an after school activity, enjoy a particular class or teacher, meet a new friend,??? Well, you get the idea. Recognizing progress in social skills, increased responsibility, effort or resilience can be as equally significant as acknowledging grades. For some, school can be really demanding and at times, feel overwhelming. Let’s face it, it doesn’t feel good when we don’t do as well as our peers. Celebrating areas where your child showed improvement - no matter how small - can not only show your child that you acknowledge and appreciate their growth, it can help to REFRAME how they feel about school and their learning journey.
The end of the school year isn’t just a time to look back; it’s also an opportunity to look forward and RESET our future goals. If the review is done right, we can help children to feel encouraged and inspired about their learning journey. We can invite them to consider what support might help next year to go more smoothly. Reflecting now gives families time to prepare thoughtfully for the fall. By identifying patterns of struggle and matching them with structured, skill-building support, parents empower their children to start the next school year stronger and more self-assured. Executive function coaching is not about fixing a problem—it’s about unlocking potential.