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At the beginning of the global pandemic in March 2020, schools shut down. Many schools made the transition to online learning, with students learning through video calls and programs at home. However, the school work they submitted during that time did not contribute to final report cards. That begs the question, does a report card still matter during this time?

Final Report Cards During Online Learning 

School has been vastly different over the past year. From social distancing to lockdowns, children and adults both have learned to navigate their education in a different way. Online learning has become a significant part of that. The different learning environment has impacted report cards drastically. However, that does not mean that report cards do not matter!

In fact, report cards are and will likely always be important. They help students and parents indicate academic strengths and areas for improvement. In addition, teachers make suggestions and provide feedback on how students can improve their grade or academic performance. These comments are a great tool to understand the progress of your student.

The next step is understanding how report cards work. Here’s a report card go-to guide:

Kindergarten To Second Grade

From the age of five and up, children are settling into their new learning environment. Kindergarten offers children a space to learn, interact with their peers, and ultimately, report cards will reflect this. Report cards for kindergarteners to second graders are based primarily on social progress and child’s behavior in school. Kindergarten to grade two report cards are essentially a checklist of developmental skills that are crucial to a student’s early learning. Self-control, positive peer interaction, and good behavior are all evaluated in this checklist.

For example, teachers may evaluate how your child is using their scissors during craft time or how they use their pencil. Examining these motor skills helps their teacher develop an understanding of their progress. On their first report card, teachers and parents will understand how well the student cooperates with other children in school settings. Children are also introduced to basic reading and grammar skills at this age. 

Parents should discuss any concerns they have regarding the report card with their child’s teacher. Each report card is important regardless of how young a child is.

Grade Three To Grade Eight

Grade three to grade eight is considered the middle years of school. As the early years focus mainly on social development and behaviour, middle school shifts the focus to academic performance. At this stage, report cards begin using the letter lineup to rate a student’s progress. Traditional letter grades begin by the 3rd or 4th grade. Although some schools have opted out of the traditional letter lineup, others still use A,B,C,D and F. Children are introduced to more difficult academic subjects. Receiving a low grade at this stage, while slightly problematic, does not guarantee failure completely.

Support Students With Academic Stress

At this stage, students should be receiving extra help if they are struggling with low grades. Consistency is vital in report cards during middle years. Children should be constantly moving upwards with their grades instead of down. However, it’s important to consider that stress and anxiety can become present in children as they worry about their grades. Ensure you support them during this time, as online learning can especially be stressful for students. Kids can fall behind without that support. Offer incentives  to help increase student study time for high grades. However, always be kind when discussing report cards with them, include frequent study breaks and allow your child time for fun!

Grade Eight To Grade Twelve

By the time students reach high school, the importance of report cards cannot be underestimated. Report cards are based on grades, performance and progression. The very first report card given to students serves as a warning flag. If there are slight issues or serious concerns, it’s critical that students address them immediately. Parent involvement at this stage helps teach kids the importance of learning and school as a whole. Teachers will likely have parent/teacher meetings, likely virtual or possibly in person, to inform parents of their child’s school progress and behaviours. 

Students should also be aware of their strengths and weaknesses in school. Which subjects do they enjoy? Which subjects do they have most trouble with? This helps eliminate some of the surprise that comes with that final report card. The pressure really is on at this stage. Grades and social progress, extracurricular activities and volunteering are all examined by prospective post-secondary institutions.

Extra Help = Extra Improvement

 GradePower Learning’s Online Tutoring keeps students of all ages progressing! Whichever subject your student needs extra support in, GradePower Learning’s fully trained tutors can help. Our Oxford Learning online classroom connects students with a centre and real-time feedback. Maintain cognitive progression and support to ensure a successful academic future!