Is my child growing in independence?

One of the progress report grades your fourth grader receives is for self-regulation, which is the ability to control yourself, to be organized, and to be independent.

From the minute your child arrives at school, he/she is practicing self-regulation. Are they walking themselves up the stairs, carrying their own backpack, lunch, and other items for the day? Do they unpack themselves and put papers, books, coats, and other items where they belong independently? Do they read the morning message, and start their morning work without reminder? Once done, do they know what to do next? This is just the first 10 minutes of the day, and how they handle these tasks shows me a lot about their ability to self-regulate.

You can help your child grow and excel at self-regulation by encouraging them to do these things for themselves, and praise them when they do so. This would also be a good time in the school year to stop accompanying your child to the classroom daily. Instead make a weekly or twice a month visit to see what's happening in our classroom. I know this is a hard step as your fourth grader continues their transition from the lower school to the upper school, but I believe it is important for their success as a student.

As many of the fourth graders turn 10, you may want to read The Terrific Tens article from the Yardsticks website. I find reading about these changes in my students' behavior helpful to know how best to encourage and enrich their school day. I hope you do too!