With contributions by Morgan Wood
Supporting a child’s education is one of the most important jobs parents have. But it’s not easy; that’s for sure. It takes a team to get them where they need to be.
Four years after the biggest disruptor in the education space, the consequences continue to impact students. In many districts, class sizes remain high, resources are strained and many students continue to fall behind academic benchmarks.
Additional academic support for students can be challenging to navigate as grade inflation continues to muddy the waters for parents.
“A report card comes home and looks good, and a lot of parents think that means they don’t need to follow up with anyone about anything,” explains Emily Mitchell, Sylvan Learning’s vice president of education. “Five years ago, that was likely true, but that’s not the case anymore. The report card isn’t telling the whole story because schools are lowering expectations for each grade.”
If your child seems to be struggling with a concept, regardless of what the grade on their report card says, a neutral third-party assessment can be a great starting point to understand where the student’s skills are in comparison to what they should know at their grade level. Once a true benchmark is established, parents, students and teachers can work together to support the student in regaining some academic ground.
Sylvan Learning is the ultimate teammate, and has the ultimate tools.
Our education experts are here to coach your child to level up their learning game! Our first tool, the Insight™ Assessment is a proven and reliable third-party evaluation you can’t find anywhere else. You’ll get clarity and direction on where your child stands today and the exact skills they should be achieving at their grade level. It also shows you where your child stands in relation to other students in their grade level. The assessment will be very eye-opening!
After the assessment, you will receive a personalized learning plan that is unique to your child. It outlines the exact skills by subject that your child should be focused on to ensure they’re at grade-level. Our expert teachers then use that learning plan guide to your child to master skills and achieve success quickly. Combining the best of teaching and technology is a game-changing formula!
In addition to academic tools, Mitchell says there remains a notable need for social-emotional support. “People are still reporting a high number of students who have social-emotional concerns. There are high levels of anxiety among children, and there are long wait times for child psychologists and other mental health clinics for kids,” she said. “Parents should ask questions and check in a lot.”
Mitchell said that having “car conversations” can be a great way to have meaningful dialog in a lower-pressure environment. This may sound like a strange tip, but it can be effective. You have a captive audience, and you don’t have to look at each other. It helps take the pressure off.
Here are some questions that can start helpful conversations with your child:
• What’s one new thing you learned at school today?
• Who did you sit with at lunch?
• What was your favorite moment of the day?
• What are you most worried about this week?
• What was your biggest success today?
“You’ll be able to learn a lot. They might not have told you that they didn’t have a friend to sit with at lunch if you didn’t ask, and that’s a huge bummer,” she said. “That’s also something that you can keep an eye on or reach out to the guidance counselor for help with.”
Whether students are struggling with academic issues or social-emotional problems — Sylvan can be a true partner. Many of our students express that they experience genuine camaraderie with fellow students at our centers. They also cite the personal connections they establish with the entire staff as significant reasons why they love coming to Sylvan.
Are you ready to get the best team and tools to support your child?
Reach out to your local Sylvan today!