A plan for better projects and reports in school

Another school year is coming around the bend. You may have spent several hours buying school supplies and checking the list. A call to the doctor's office for a physical and shots probably found a place on your to-do list. Before your child steps through the door on the first

day, you will complete numerous other tasks, check all supplies twice, and ask your child if he or she knows various bits of information.

Each year, parents perform the new school year ritual. Yet, what happens when he or she comes home with the first book report or project assignment? Are you ready? Remember, parents often do at least half of the work needed to finish the assignment.

Here is a list of ideas and questions to consider; thus, saving you from doing the work your child should do herself or himself. These come from years fo personal experience with my own children.

1. Is there a sheet of printed details available, and do you have only one copy? If yes, make several copies and if you lose one, you have a backup copy. If no, whatever it takes, get one! These are lifesavers!
2. Did the teacher assign mini-dates? These are the dates in between the day your child receives the assignment and the day he or she turns it in to the teacher. These are especially important for children with disabilities. My children never handle long assignments well, and I finally figured out that they only have two dates - assigned and due. Conquer this by suggesting the teacher assign a date for each: confirm topic, materials needed, resources needed, general notes, first draft and final with last minute revisions.
3. Can your child complete any of the work at school?
4. Is there a way for your child to work with other people?
5. Have your child submit a short letter to the teacher explaining what he or she gained from the assignment, and if he or she encountered any problems. This will help the teacher know which assignments worked and which did not. This is also a good way to ensure a return of popular choices.
6. If you talk to the teacher about this, and receive little or no positive response, go to the counselor and principal. Do not accept no for an answer, or rely on any of the normal "comebacks." You are your child's advocate; use your love for them as your guide.

Teachers, parents and students can work together in a more unified manner with a stronger structure for reports and projects. By following this plan, or a similar one, the student has more opportunity for learning because full support is in place. The teacher gains through additional communication, found in the mini-steps, and increased participation with the students as they complete work. Students and teachers can identify weak or problematic areas earlier in the process.

As I stated earlier, these ideas, questions and thoughts come from personal experience. Many frustrated moments could have vanished had my daughters' teachers used this plan, or a similar one. Their understanding, knowledge and learning could be worth thousands more, and instead, the process was lost. The final outcome was not as strong as what the teachers hoped for, and wanted.

Help your child; be an advocate for him or her. In our public school system, there are over 100,000 students. It is easy for my younger daughter to get lost and with little individual help available, reports and projects do not get the full attention they need. This year, I plan to change this and fight more for my children. If I do not, who will ensure their education?