Convey confidence instead of overrating grades

Perhaps you still remember your first report card, dear reader? At least it left a lasting impression on me. The only question is: why? After all, I was in first grade at the time and didn't really have any idea of the significance or meaning of such an abstract form of assessment, which also covered a whole year.

I understood that my grades were a reason to be happy, enjoyed the parental praise and proudly accepted the lump sum from Grandma. But above all, I was seven and therefore generally interested in tangible and immediate things; for example, playing with my friends, the ant countries that I devotedly created and the red juice that I squeezed from the peonies - much to my grandmother's annoyance.

At the age of seven, I didn't realise that these report card grades weren't actually meant to be momentary performance feedback, but rather related to the entire first grade. I didn't know anything about the basis for assessment or which achievements were specifically measured and assessed. No, like all children of that age, I simply learnt because that was what happened at school, because the teacher and parents wanted it and because it was usually okay or even fun. So why is this report so etched in my memory?

The environment shapes learning

Today I know that the main reason for the strong impression was the family environment with its expectations and reactions. Parents, relatives and other caregivers, including of course classmates and teachers, have a major influence on children's learning and expectations. The report becomes important because the environment considers it important or declares it to be important. Because the report card only becomes an issue through and with the environment.

But this also means that it is up to us adults to decide how the children feel about their report cards and whether we make the report card and grades the measure of all things school-related.

Let's be clear right away: we should definitely not do that! Because grades and reports are no good as a basis for motivating children to learn at school. Children are motivated to learn because it is human nature, especially at a young age.

Particularly in the first years of school, the focus must be on support - always, in fact.

Children also learn at school because their environment wants them to, because they learn at school and, last but not least, because it is often fun. It is therefore one of the main tasks of the school and of us teachers to support the children, to encourage them in their learning, to challenge them and to help them progress.

However, schools also have a social mandate to assess learning and academic performance and, sooner or later, to select children. Encouraging and encouraging on the one hand, while at the same time assessing and selecting on the other, often leads to a dilemma that can hardly be resolved. Especially if the child does not (yet) fulfil the requirements. And that happens quite often.

Every child develops individually

As a rule, learning and learning progress are closely linked to personal development. This is neither the same for everyone nor linear, but individual and in waves. This is normal. Not all babies start crawling or talking at the same time. And by the end of kindergarten, some children are not yet able to write their names correctly, while others are almost fluent readers and can write short sentences.

It would never occur to anyone to give a baby a grade for learning to walk or to reprimand the kindergarten child who does not yet spell their name correctly. Instead, we remain patient and trust that the next developmental step will come and support the little ones again and again.

This often changes when they start school. Back then, I was told: «A different bird will be whistling at school.» And even today, many adults still mention grades or school reports as a warning. As a result, judgement and selection are brought to the fore far too early.

It is important that children can engage with school and learning with confidence in their own abilities, calmness and motivation. Particularly in the early years, the support aspect must always be at the forefront - always, in fact.

Testimonial is quickly forgotten in everyday life

The curriculum distinguishes between formative, summative and prognostic assessment, not least in order to do justice to the tension between promotion and selection in assessment. Nowadays, the focus is increasingly being placed on formative assessment for the reasons explained above. According to the curriculum, this includes «the assessment of the learning status of the individual pupil and the observation of progress and problems in their individual learning process».

In contrast, summative assessment focuses on the level of performance at a specific point in time, for example after a learning unit, a semester or a school year. The prognostic assessment is relevant in relation to transfer decisions and is based on the other two forms of assessment.

Much more important than the report card and grades are the children's learning progress and motivation to learn.

Your child will soon be leaving kindergarten and moving on to primary school. At some point, their first report card with grades will be issued, depending on the canton as early as the first grade. However, much more important than the report card and grades are the child's learning progress and motivation to learn. Because the report card is quickly forgotten in everyday school life.

Promote motivation

In the end, classmates and current events and sensitivities, confidence in one's own abilities and knowledge of one's own learning progress are much more decisive for success at school. It is therefore these aspects that we adults should also focus on - not on grades, reports or even a possible transfer to high school, which is still a long way off.

This does not mean that we should not place any expectations on the children, but simply that these should not relate to grades or the report card. Instead, it is more helpful if we encourage and demand the child's willingness to perform or make an effort.

In this way, we signal to the child that we trust them to make progress, especially when something is difficult. We show that we are happy about what they can already do, what they are tackling, undertaking and learning. Just as you as parents have done since the little ones, who have just come into the world, take another small or large developmental step in front of the others every day.