Summer Learning: Celebrating Accomplishments
At the end of the school year, assess the gains that your child has made and acknowledge how and why she gained social and academic skills. For example, you might have a conversation that goes something like this:
Dad: "This year you have really gotten better at getting up in front of a group of kids and telling them about something you know." (Statement of fact.) "How do you think that happened?" (Question that encourages self-reflection.)
Child: "I dunno." (Typical, absolutely normal response!)
Dad: "I think it's because your teacher had you do a little bit at first and then when you let her know you were comfortable, she had you do more." (Feedback about process.)
Dad: "Do you agree?" (Asking the child to evaluate your hunch.)
Child: "I dunno." (Again, typical response.)
Dad could also ask: Think you might have learned something about yourself, sport?" (If he does, he's likely to get the "I dunno" response again.)
Dad should say: "I think I learned that you do much better when you build up your confidence piece by piece. That's something for us to remember this summer when we're working on your times tables."
Teaching kids how to objectively assess their own growth by asking them questions like: "How did you learn that 'i' before 'e' rule?" helps
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