Top Warning Signs in Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are an important opportunity for parents to gain insight into their child’s academic progress and behavior in the classroom. While most conferences are positive and productive, there are sometimes warning signs that can indicate potential issues. Being aware of these red flags can help you be proactive in addressing any concerns and ensuring your child’s success in school.

Here are Some of the Top Red Flags to Listen for in Parent-Teacher Conferences: 

Being Easily Distracted or Disengaged

If your child struggles to engage in classroom learning, it’s probably not because they’re just lazy. Most kids want to do well if they can. But often, this “laziness” or “distraction” is a signal from them that something isn’t clicking as easily as it should be. Investigating why they are struggling is so important to find a way to make learning more interesting and achievable for them.

Refusing or Struggling to Read Out Loud

Reading in front of the class can be a daunting task. If your child refuses to do it or struggles their way through, it’s worth noting before the issue gets too far ahead of you. Is it a reading problem or a lack of confidence? Figuring out which one it is will enable you to help your child grow in this area.

Disruptive Behavior and Hyperactivity

“Kids will be kids” is a common phrase among parents and teachers. But for some kids, excusing disruptive or hyperactive behavior puts them at a disadvantage later. All aspects of learning and behavior are connected to your child’s cognitive skills—even their ability to sit still through a class. For many kids who present with these behaviors, weak attention and working memory are at the root cause (but it could be other things as well). 

Needing Constant Direction and Support

If your child constantly asks questions like “What do I do next?” or if they need someone to sit with them to complete every assignment, it could be a sign of a lack of self-regulation and motivation. Executive function is your ability to see a task, break it into doable pieces, and organize your thoughts and actions to complete what’s in front of you.

When a teacher notices this, they may recommend some in-school accommodations (like more time on tests, completing them verbally, or having more aide support for your child.) Of course this makes sense; your child’s teacher could never provide this level of support to all the students in a class. 

But the reality is that these accommodations aren’t going to help your child grow this skill. Sure they may get better grades or appear to make progress, but they aren’t addressing the underlying cause of this inability to think for themselves.

Always Finishing Last or Needing Extra Time on Assignments and Tests

If over the course of your parent-teacher conference you hear references to your child working slower than peers or needing extra time, take note! This may be due to the classroom environment, subject, or energy level on a given day—or it could be a sign of something more. Slow processing speed impacts every area of life, both in the classroom and outside. Identifying it and targeting it can help make learning come faster for your child for years down the road.

Here are 5 ways slow processing speed impacts learning >>

Accommodations Are Not Your Only Option

During parent-teacher conferences, especially if you notice the teacher bringing up these warning signs, they may suggest some sort of accommodations to help your child get through the year. Is there anything wrong with this? Not at all. Some kids need these kinds of help in order to thrive. But is this your only option? Also no.

Building your child’s ability to think, focus, remember, and learn can help each of these scenarios. With strong cognitive skills, learning comes more naturally and your child has the confidence to self-advocate and thrive in all learning environments.

If you are frustrated by another year without the progress you had hoped to see, give us a call. You are not out of options, and building cognitive skills could open up possibilities beyond what you’ve imagined for your child.