THINKING ABOUTLETTER GRADES

In His words…

• Edward Deci

…human beings have an “inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise their capabilities, to explore, and to learn.”

What gives parents more information? A single letter or…

Suzie is satisfactorily meeting Grade 4 expectations in language arts; in some areas she is fully meeting grade level expectations. Suzie has demonstrated that her writing can exceed expectations.

Suzie:– uses basic prior knowledge to make obvious connections to and ask logical questions

about the prompts, task or text (pictures and words)– uses prompt information (pictures and words) and prior knowledge to make obvious

predictions and inferences about story events and/or characters – goes beyond the literal level of understanding to find deeper meaning and the lesson of

a story– is a hesitant participant in class discussions; she has powerful ideas to share and is

encouraged to participate more fully – is able to use speaking and listening to interact with others to contribute and share

interesting ideas and opinions– is able to select and use strategies when interacting with others, including accessing

prior knowledge and making and sharing connections– is able to write clear, focussed personal writing that demonstrates connections to

personal experiences, ideas, and opinions– is able to clearly develop ideas using effective supporting details and explanations– is able to organize writing with a beginning, middle and end; at times her beginning does

not introduce the topic

Her next steps in reading are to provide more justification with examples and reasons when explaining her thinking, and continue working hard to learn and apply strategies that powerful readers use. In writing her next steps are to introduce the topic in an engaging way (powerful hook) and to carefully edit her work.

The Parent Perspective

“The problem with making an extrinsic reward the only destination that matters is that some people will choose the quickest route there, even if it means taking the low road.”

“But introducing an “if-then” reward to help develop mastery usually backfires. That’s why schoolchildren who are paid to solve problems typically choose easier problems and therefore learn less. The short-term prize crowds out the long-term learning.”

- Dan PinkExcepted from - “Drive - The Surprising Truth of What Motivates Us”