Time to be honest and real about reports. A child’s marks do not define them. They purely serve to provide an indication of your child’s performance. It is also impossible for marks to be 100% accurate as there are many factors that come into play during assessments. Some schools have different code systems, we will be explaining a code system that is out of 7.
If your child failed a subject or received code 4 or lower out of 7, please consult a professional to assess the reason for their marks.
If your child gets code 5 or 6 out of 7, it means that they might need more support to fully understand their work. It also might mean that they made careless mistakes or had a bad day when tested. Sometimes children know everything required for the grade, but something is stopping them from achieving their full potential.
A common misconception is that if your child is getting a code 7, they know everything required. Code 7 still allows for quite a few errors. Another factor is that not all concepts are tested every term. For example, you notice a decrease in their marks this term because they didn’t understand division. However, it was already taught in the previous term and just not tested. There is always room for learning. On the bright side, a code 7 is amazing because it means that your child is on the right track and is grasping the necessary concepts.
The reality of school is that there are many children in a class and the teacher’s attention needs to be divided amongst the children. It is one of the “teacher frustrations” that we cannot spend more individual time with learners. It is also one of the reasons why I started Sense Education, finally I get to see immediate progression in the small groups and build strong relationships that help the learning process.
As a parent, it is important to assess your child’s potential and recognise their strengths and weaknesses. Do you think they can do better? Are they being challenged enough? Education is key but one day these marks won’t matter. What does matter is the performance of their brain and the knowledge they can give back to society. Let us know if we can “give the brain a workout!”
How were your feelings towards your child’s report this term?
