Report Cards Reflect More Than Just Grades
Yesterday, both of my children ran toward me screaming in excitement. They could barely contain themselves as they snatched their report cards out of their backpack while in route to our home. As we collectively reviewed their progress for the first semester, I was overwhelmed with a plethora of pride, admiration and utter joy at their accomplishments. At that moment, I fought back tears (of joy of course). I did not think my children would comprehend my emotional state; they can trigger extraordinary emotions within me.
Here’s what their teachers said about them.
“Emma Leigh is having a wonderful year … exceeded the kindergarten benchmark … very proud of her reading ability and enjoys reading independently and with friends … wonderful job of learning to write independently … she is becoming a great writer!”
In the book, Problems in Reading, Edward William Dolch, Ph.D. wrote “A child’s language development is, next to his character, the most important part of his school experience.” While I am extremely proud of my children’s academic sucess, it is the following comments about their character that almost brought me to tears.
My daughter’s report card when on to state: “Emma Leigh is a caring little girl who is a joy to have in the class. She is kind and respectful to her teachers and classmates and is always there to offer assistance and/or words of encouragement to others.” She’s just like her mother (just to be clear, this was not included in the report card)!. “She enjoys school and always tries her best. She is eager to participate in our classroom discussions and enjoys sharing her ideas and opinions. She is a quiet leader and a great role model for the rest of the class. Emma Leigh had a terrific first semester of kindergarten, and I look forward to an equally great second semester.”
The portion of my son’s report card addressing his character stated: “Connor is conscientious and a capable young learner. He is highly motivated in his literacy endeavors and has excellent study habits.” Just like his mother (see earlier disclaimer)! “Connor is a kind and considerate classmate; he brings such a positive presence to our learning community. It is such a pleasure working with him this year.”
My son also brought home a magnificent report card, making the superintendent’s list, the highest honor. My husband and I are extremely proud of our children for their acedemic accomplishments but we are most proud of the report on their character traits.
Both of our children are excelling in school. I cannot pinpoint one particular activity that led to this success but I can write that playing the sight word game, Erudition™, greatly assists in their ability to read and write.
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