Conferences are right around the corner, here are some ideas of questions to ask. These questions take the focus off of your child’s grades and focus the conversation more towards their learning habits and soft skills. These are the skills that they will continue to grow and build on for the rest of their lives. As a parent, you can help them grow these important life skills if you are more aware of them.
I suggest picking one or two of these important questions to guide your conversation and to better understand how to support your learner.
#1- How does my child handle challenging situations?
Everyone handles challenging situations differently. By asking this question, you are investigating how they face challenges without a parent there to support them. Do they persevere? Do they shut down? Do they ask for help? The answer to this question may not surprise you, but it is often very helpful information that you can then use to work with them. The conversation may naturally segway to developing strategies that can be used with the child both at home and at school.
#2- What role does my child take when they work cooperatively in groups?
Again, you may think you know the answer to this question based on your child’s personality, but then again you may gain important insights into their cooperation with groups. Do they take on a leadership role? Do they sit back and let others lead? Do they have strong opinions are struggle to be flexible with other students’ opinions?
#3- What is my child’s level of independence?
Many parents are not aware of the level of independence in each grade level. Becoming independent learners, thinkers, and workers starts in Kindergarten and continues on. It is vital to understand if your child understands expectations, directions, and procedures the first time they are taught vs. needing personal reminders and additional support from peers and teachers.
#4- How does my child take feedback from teachers and peers?
This is one topic I almost always bring up at parent-teacher conferences with my students’ parents. I bring this up by either complimenting their child on their ability to take feedback and use it to improve or learn from (growth mindset). Alternatively, I bring it up when a child really struggles accepting feedback. Some students get upset and/or defensive when they are redirected or given constructive criticism (fixed mindset).
#5- Is my child consistently an active learner during lessons?
When parents imagine their child in the classroom, I’m sure most of them envision their child engaged in the lesson, following along, participating, seeking to know more, asking questions, discussing, etc. Sadly, this is not at all the case. Teachers are constantly having to redirect students attention and engage them to listen. Many teachers believe that engaging students is becoming more and more difficult in this day and age because of their use of technology. They are used to engaging graphics, sounds, and instant access to everything they want. Sitting and watching a mini lesson from the teacher does not cut it for many students.
These 5 simple questions can greatly improve your awareness of your child’s major life skills and understand how to better support them throughout their schooling years.
Check out my other blogs for parenting tips for primary students and intermediate students.
