Jenny Holt 15.1 & 15.2

Chapter 15

(15.1) Turn to p. 559 in Ormrod’s text.  Now, imagine that you are meeting with Ingrid’s grandmother today to explain her scores on the recent standardized achievement test pictured at the bottom of p. 559.  What will you tell her about Ingrid’s performance? her strengths? her weaknesses?

First and foremost, I believe that a parent/guardian must trust you in order for anything you say to be effective. Trust, of course, doesn’t always come easily, and it has to be earned. I think the best way to do this is by showing the parent/guardian, or in this case, Ingrid’s grandmother that you genuinely care about Ingrid and her learning. In addition to showing your concern for the child, I think teachers should make an effort to get to know the parents as well. Once a relationship is established it should be easier to have conversations—including the more difficult conversations.

Once a safe environment has been cultivated, I would share with Ingrid’s grandmother the results of the recent standardized achievement test. I would fist celebrate the fact that her scores reflected high achievement in reading comprehension, science, and social studies. At this point I would tie in my own observations in the classroom around these subjects to make sure we are looking at the bigger picture. Parents really like to hear how their child is doing and I think we should make sure we are taking the time to celebrate what they are doing well. I then would explain that she is about average in comparison with her peers in her math concept skills and has some opportunities in areas like spelling and math computations. Again, I would refer to some observations and different assessments in class. If my own observations have also told me that Ingrid has some opportunities in spelling and math computations, I would share the details and then discuss with her grandmother a possible plan to help her improve in these areas. 

I think one of the most important things to remember is to not do all of the talking. Making Ingrid’s grandmother feel included in Ingrid’s learning will strengthen the trust she has in you. I would also discuss the nature of the test, and explain to her that performance on tests may not render a 100% accurate portrayal of her understanding; after all, there is a margin for error with any test. In addition, some students have test anxiety or just do not always perform well under the pressure of a test. That is why I would make sure to discuss other assessments and observations as well. Merely handing Ingrid’s grandmother the test results, spouting out numbers, without any two-way discussion could be meaningless. In my discussion with Ingrid’s grandmother, I would encourage her to share her thoughts for how we might be able to best help Ingrid with the areas that need more attention. I would explain to her that with a little practice, Ingrid could turn any opportunity into a real strength. 

I would make several suggestions for extra practice at home. I may encourage her to start a word-book at home. Each day, Ingrid’s grandmother could give her a word to define, write down, and use in a sentence. She could integrate some type of incentive at home if she wishes, or turn it into a game to make it fun. Or, having Ingrid’s grandmother look over her homework each night, to check for math or spelling errors, allowing her the opportunity to monitor and review with Ingrid, whenever necessary.  I also might suggest some game websites to help with building these skills, especially in math, like brainpop.com. These websites are fun, and usually don’t even feel like homework. I would try my best to make suggestions that are specific to the child’s interests, personality, and academic needs. If Ingrid is a child who loves to play basketball and be outdoors, I might take the game of “HORSE”, and use a word from the spelling list, instead. If she is a kinesthetic learner, this may help her remember more easily.