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Original poster

Should we let our kids read their school reports?!

27 replies

Buildbasebabe · 22/07/2011 20:20

I have a 9 year old very interested in reading what her school report says. I have always spoken to her about what her teacher has said in Parents evening, highlighting all the positives and constructively talking to her about areas that we need to work on together. She has had a good report - with a few comments about being less chatty and bossy in class!! Do I let her read it? I would love for her to pick up on all the positive remarks and roll with it, hopefully they will encourage her to keep those up - but is this something we should do?

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SE13Mummy · 22/07/2011 20:22

I teach Y4 and assumed that my class would be allowed to see their reports. FWIW DD1 (aged 6) read hers.

GnomeDePlume · 22/07/2011 20:22

We let ours read them and explain anything that may need interpretation.

Himalaya · 22/07/2011 20:23

We always do.

PandaG · 22/07/2011 20:24

we always read reports with our DC - we read first then talk them through as they read them.

Nagini · 22/07/2011 20:24

why would you not?

hehastobekidding · 22/07/2011 20:24

DEFINITELY! Give her chance to take responsibility for her own learning and development. Talk to her about what her teachers have said and read it with her. I teach Yr 5 and always say to the children that there are messages in there for them!

kayah · 22/07/2011 20:26

yes, every time!

they ought to know how they are being assessed by their teachers

Laugs · 22/07/2011 20:27

Our primary school sends a feedback form for the child to respond to their report (what the child is most pleased about, what they will aim to improve etc). We even got one for nursery-aged DD, but I thought that was a bit much and didn't ask her to fill it in. I just told her the report was very good. IMO a 4 year old does not need to know their flaws.

bigTillyMint · 22/07/2011 20:27

Yes, why not? We discuss whether it sounds accurate, proaise them and discuss how they will improve next year Wink

The DC also attend Parents Evenings with us and have done since Y3.

mymumdom · 22/07/2011 20:33

We are encouraged to let our children read their reports ( Junior school) and the children are expected to write a paragraph about what they thought about their reports.

Original poster
Buildbasebabe · 22/07/2011 20:39

Thank you all so much - this is my first post so thank you for the positive advice, it confirms what I was hoping :o

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BlooCowWonders · 22/07/2011 20:42

ours all read them in class and add a comment. Then the parents get to see them! All years from reception up (though the youngest obviously can't really read them - they just do the comment bit).

MindtheGappp · 22/07/2011 20:43

Of course they should read the reports! How can they improve if they don't know their targets?

wheresthepimms · 22/07/2011 21:01

Ours are given a feedback form and have to write 2 positive comments and 2 I will improve on comments they then send it back with our comments to the head who takes there I will improve comments and puts them in their homework diaries for next year, also refers to the progress made on his termly report comments

Original poster
Buildbasebabe · 22/07/2011 21:40

Really good idea about the feedback form. We don't have anything like this.. I think I will start this independently and take in to school in sepember to encourage a more proactive approach:)

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mumtoone · 22/07/2011 22:00

I've always read ds's report with him. This year, he ran off to read his report before I could get my hands on it! He regularly sits down with his teacher to discuss targets and progress so there should be no surprises in the report. He was able to quite accurately tell me what his report would say weeks before we received it because of the discussions he's had with his teacher. He has just finished year 2 so not particularly old.

munstersmum · 23/07/2011 08:57

Yes. Let Ds year2 read it. He just sat there & said "true" every so often Grin. There were no surprises as they are told their targets every term for numeracy, literacy & behaviour.

exoticfruits · 23/07/2011 09:01

I would have thought that they would have read them in class and written a comment. As a DC I always undid mine and read it first-I wasn't going to hand over something about me without knowing what was in it! I sealed it up again-I don't know if my parents knew. Certainly let them read it-why not?

Elibean · 23/07/2011 09:17

Yes! Though dd (Y2) started to read hers then lost interest - a lot of it was handwritten, and detailed, and she already knows how her teachers feel about her work etc.

I ended up reading bits to her instead.

mrz · 23/07/2011 11:01

We have termly pupil consultations where reports and targets are shared.

edam · 23/07/2011 11:15

ds (8) asked to read his. He is a bit of a pessimist about it - focuses on the one or two negative comments rather than all the good ones. So I have to work hard to persuade him to look at all the positive stuff and think about what he can do about the negative ones (and it's not as if his teachers write them in a chiding fashion, it's always 'things to improve' rather than 'this is terrible'). He'd get a shock if teachers were still allowed to be brutally honest like they were in my day!

londoner01 · 23/07/2011 12:25

My DD was/is still very shy, I don't think reading her report will do her any good hearing over and over X is a quiet member of the form. X must participate more. X is reluctant to contribute to class. I was disappointed X was not willing to take an active part int he class assembly. and so on as many of her reports say if we dont get what I call 'her' type of teacher who is nurturing, recognises with praise and loads of it, she thrives compared to with constant labelling as shy and the teacher telling her to speak up and getting frustrated by her shyness, she hides away more in fear of doing something wrong or standing out too much now she knows any non-shy activity will be made a song of dance of and be out of character.

So I generally dont show her the report. This summer she left Primary, she got a fab report from her incredible year 6 teacher who has been brilliant and really helped her be a lot more confident by really celebrating all her sucsesses and who she is. I let her read it and she was happy to read it.

In previosu years I have given her a card and said well done for an excellent report I'm especially proud of X Y and Z.
She doesnt need to be told shes quiet, its not going to do her any good..
At her school the teachers sat down with each child alone to discuss targets and how theyre doing each term, so DD already knows a lot of what's in it.

I think if I had a loud DD whos only issues were talking too much or lack of concentration I would show her the report because self esteem is unlikely to be an issue! I just know it would crush her some of the reports she's had as she desperately hates being shy.

iggly2 · 23/07/2011 17:13

No. I do not let Ds read his report. I do however tell him I am proud of him if he has worked hard and tell him good bits and maybe you should try harder/we should practise at...

What if one year it is not good? How do you explain not allowing them to read the report then? What if there are comments on the childs personality (this could be very upsetting to a sensitive child and is harder to change than how hard they worked in a school year)? What if the child is in danger of "getting a big head" if it was really good?

pointydog · 23/07/2011 17:26

Yes, of course they should read them if they want.

swash · 23/07/2011 23:19

We sit down with dd and read it out loud. It never occurred to me not to share it with her. It provokes discussion, which is good.

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