School is out soon…..the kids are on a long-awaited summer break but as parents and caretakers…. we are not. It would be nice wouldn’t it? Even though school is about to conclude, we have to remember to continue the communication with the folks that they are with 8 hours out of the day, 5 days a week.Although this is the end of the year, there are still some questions that you should have answered about your children.

#1. What are the expectations of the grade that my child is going into?
The teacher should be able to tell you the requirements of that grade level and what is needed from your child to make sure that the transition is smooth.

#2. What is my child’s academic level (reading level, math standing, etc.)? Is my child working up to his/her ability?
Most education milestones are set on a basis of city/ statewide which is normally where the school system sets it standards by. You will more than likely hear the words “average, above average, below average”. Remember that your child’s education doesn’t stop when the school bell rings. Make sure that you are teaching your child at home, working on homework with them, or at least finding a tutor for them in the areas they need help in.

#3. How does my child do socially?
This question is more for your personal information than anything. This question lets you know if your child is being bullied on, antisocial, exhibiting behavior that is not your child’s norm, etc. They may be uncomfortable with the teacher or teaching style or may just need additional attention. Our children may talk our heads off at home but get in school and are introverts in class. We need to realize those things about our children so that we are not missing out on something we should know about them and to also be cognizant of our children’s behavior when they are around us and not around us.

#4. What are my child’s strengths and weaknesses?
You may already know the answer to this question but it is important that you hear this from their teacher. Why? Because you want to make sure that they somewhat overlap. If the teacher has many weakness with little strengths and you have the total opposite…..something is wrong. Rather it is the teaching method, comfort, or understanding…..there should be some common ground as to your child’s overall ability. If you see a weakness, take note and work on that over the summer. As parents we want to believe that our children are the best at everything, but in reality there are things that they will do better at than others.

#5. Are there ways that I can help my child improve over the summer?
Unlike your child’s teacher, you may be able to give your child the extra one-on-one attention your child needs to catch up. Allow them to either give you educational information or at least lead you to a place/ website that can help. Even the child with the highest academic output can still have a better understanding of the work.