"The things I was taught only took me so far,
Had to figure the rest out myself"

Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves

It's nice to see you Reader!

Thanks for reading today, with all the things you have to do, it's nice to know you spent a few minutes reading this newsletter. 😊

Want to have cute pinterest activities to go with story time...but don't have time to set it up? OK Ready by Scholastic is a monthly subscription that delivers 3 books and simple, fun activities each month for 3-5 year olds. Use this link for free 2 Day shipping every month. ​

Report cards are confusing...

It's report card season! Kids have completed mid year testing, report cards were sent home, and now...you're sitting there reading charts and graphs trying to understand if your child is performing well.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you dig through the data:

School Work vs Standardized Tests

Older children (3rd grade and up) will often have mid year tests to project how they will score on state tests at the end of the year (some private schools will have these too!).

Testing like that is usually secretive, the teacher doesn't even know what questions are asked. These tests will include questions on content your child hasn't learned yet. Try to sort through (and ask the teacher) how they are performing on school work compared to projections from state tests.

If a child bombs a state test projection, teachers are often supposed to make sure the report card reflects that. This is a shame, because if your child is performing well, but was out for two weeks with the flu it can really skew information.

Do they need a tutor?

This is a tricky question to ask a teacher. Teachers will often hold back on suggesting a tutor because:

1. tutors are expensive and and not all families have the time to drop their child off at tutoring
2. the school is offering support (small groups etc)- they want you to know your child is getting everything they need from school
3. they have faith your child will improve. Teachers review the same skills throughout the year (this is called spiraling). It takes children many exposures to truly understand new information. I used to call it waiting for the lightbulb moment when a child finally understood.

Listen to your gut

Your child's teacher is a professional, and you should absolutely consult them...but you are their parent / caretaker. You've been by their side through every grade, you know when your child is struggling and when they need time.

1. look for patterns- if your child struggles with the same things year after year, it's only going to get more difficult. A tutor can remediate skills from any grade level. Since it's one on one work, your child won't feel like they are being singled out or focusing on "baby stuff."
2. look backwards- dig back into old workbooks and homework, maybe print a few free worksheets offline. Ask your child to work with you on skills from last year. If your third grader can't add two digit numbers confidently (a second grade skill), then they are going to have a really hard time working 3 digit numbers (a third grade skill).
3. ask for a second opinion- reach out to me, this is one of my favorite ways to support parents. I'll translate what their teacher is trying to say, go through data, and share activities you can do at home to support your child. For issue you're having in school, just respond to this email or email Hello@PrimaryFocus.tv

What's New?

🌸 Joy journaling: I've returned to a favorite practice- joy journaling. Similar to gratitude journaling, I sit down and list 2-3 things that made me smile that day. I want to remember the dog in the sweater and the nice conversation I had at the grocery store. It helps me savor the little moments. Do you have a practice like this?

Things I Love

These were some favorite recommendations from January. I love them and people also reached out to say they enjoyed them too!

Easy makeup: great cheek and lip tint

Motion Sickness: Dramamine's ginger pills that are nondrowsy and homeopathic.​

Dry Skin: Kate Somerville's DeliKate Recovery Cream

For the Little Guys: OK Ready's books and activities will have your kiddo waiting by the door

Problem Solving for Kids: I learned so many of you already own this book! A great go to for solving sticky problems with kids: What Do You Do with a Problem? by Kobi Yamada​

❤️ You can do hard things