How to Reflect on Your Child’s School Year: Parent Reflection Worksheet

No matter how long your kids have been in school, it always feels the same: One minute you’re stocking your child’s backpack for the first day of class, and the next, you’re already halfway through the school year.

In the whirl of first-semester activities and homework, it may have been a while since you checked in on your child’s academic and developmental progress. The 100th day of school — the unofficial halfway point of the academic year — is the perfect time to reflect on your child’s strengths and identify opportunities to grow. 

Even better, this downloadable Mid-Year Parent Reflection Worksheet makes it a breeze to get started.

Why Mid-Year Reflection Matters

The National Library of Medicine describes reflective parenting as a parent’s ability to understand their child’s thoughts, emotions and desires, and to perceive how these inner experiences impact behavior.

The middle of the academic year is the perfect time to focus your reflection on your child’s school experience. You can:

• Boost behavioral, academic and social-emotional development by identifying strengths and opportunities for growth.
• Spark meaningful conversations with your child, opening a path to strong, lifelong family connections.
• Improve communication with your child’s educators by sharing your reflections and helping support your child insides and outside the classroom.

How to Use the Mid-Year Parent Reflection Worksheet

The Mid-Year Parent Reflection Worksheet is designed to be an organizational tool and conversation starter about your child’s development. There are no right or wrong answers; it’s simply a guide to help you be supportive and empathetic to your child as they navigate the school year. 

The worksheet guides you through these key areas:

• Strengths: In what areas does your child thrive? “You always want to start with celebrating and connecting with your kid,” says Mawi Asgedom, founder of a social-emotional learning curriculum and author of the My Inner Heroes book series for kids. 
• Joyfulness: What’s your child’s favorite thing to do? Whether it’s reading books, building model cars or having sleepovers with friends, note when your child is at their happiest.  
• Friendship & Social Skills: Can your child connect with peers and join others in playing something that’s not their first choice? “Playing what others want to play is a legit skill,” Asgedom says. And, like other social skills, it can be learned.
• Growth Opportunities: In what areas does your child need development? Asgedom emphasizes helping kids understand that it’s normal to have areas for growth; many things simply take time to learn.
• Academics & Intervention: Review your child’s report card to see where they excel or struggle, and ask the teacher for ways to support their learning, says Anjanette Keck, a student intervention coordinator and 30-year teacher in Columbus, Ohio. “Make sure you’re not teaching different strategies at home.”
• Empathy & Kindness: Is your child kind and cooperative when teamed up with non-friends or classmates who may be different from them? Modeling empathetic behavior can help children build compassion.
• Confidence & Participation: Does your child engage in discussions and group work, or do they hang back? “Reluctant kids can fly under the radar if they’re getting good grades and not causing disruptions,” Keck says. Encourage your child with these easy confidence-boosting strategies.

Tips for Communicating with Your Child

When you’re ready to talk to your child about your reflections, use these tips to encourage connection and understanding. (For inspiration, check out Highlights’ tips for starting conversations with kids.)

• Keep the tone light. Approach conversations with curiosity. Depending on the age of your child, you can try using a game or humor to break the ice.
• Use open-ended, problem-solving language, especially when asking children about areas for growth. This can include conversation starters such as, I noticed that you’re quiet when we do math homework, or Tell me what it’s like working with the other kids in your group.
• Make your child feel safe, heard and accepted. “It’s important to discuss these things at a time when there are no distractions,” Keck says. “You can do it in the car, at dinner, or at bedtime, whenever devices have been put away.”

Turning Reflection Into Action

Using the Mid-Year Parent Reflection Worksheet as a guide, record how you’ll turn your thoughts and observations into an actionable plan for the rest of the school year.

• Set goals. Work together with your child to develop goals that are specific, measurable and realistic so that your child can tackle an area of growth or devote time to an area of strength/joy.
• Communicate with teachers. Set up a school conference so your goals can be reinforced in the classroom, as well.“As educators, we’re part of the child’s village,” Keck says. “It helps to be in the loop.”
• Encourage the lifelong skill of self-advocacy. “If your child is having trouble, have them talk to their teacher themself,” Keck suggests. “It’s important for kids to know how to get help and that it’s okay to ask for help.”

Ready to start your child’s mid-year check in? Download the free Mid-Year Parent Reflection Worksheet now. Consider saving your completed worksheets over the years to track your child’s growth. And, as always, find more valuable parenting resources to support kids throughout the school year at Parents.Highlights.com.