The end-of-year exams end and a decisive period elapse, based on which the child’s move to a higher academic level is determined. The tests determine the child’s ability to comprehend the curricula he studied throughout the year while evaluating his understanding numerically.
They also provide a clear picture to the parents and the child himself about the areas of strength and weakness in his academic abilities, and the subjects in which he needs to develop.
How to get ready to receive the exam results?
After the end of each exam, the child often gives initial indications of his performance in each subject. This is usually a good starting point to anticipate the average of his grade in each subject, and hence be prepared psychologically for handling the results. Stay calm and collected through these tips:
- Do not talk about the results a lot with the child in the period between the end of the exams and the result.
- Keep the normal day life activities…going out… traveling…sports training…etc.
- Avoid talking about the issue with other parents.
One day before the results are released, it is preferable to have a friendly conversation with the child to clarify that whatever the result is, you will accept it and deal with it. It is not the end of the world; the result is only an indicator of development and not a matter of “life or death”!
Useful links to school exam results in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
1- If the exam result is positive:
- Praise your child, and spread the word to family and friends.
- Celebrate achievement, buy a gift and give it to him at a home celebration.
- Talk to the child that he did a big achievement and that he should keep it up.
- Avoid comparing him to others with higher grades
2- If the exam result is negative:
- Again, avoid the comparison with peers, as this negatively affects a child’s psyche in the long run.
- Assure him that you understand the situation, you are appreciating his efforts, and you will think together of ways to help him improve.
- Share the responsibility for the negative results (even if it’s not the case), do not blame him alone! “We” is a very positive word in this case.
- Develop a plan for improvement and corrective actions and share it with the child, such as watching tutorials, and summer classes, Like Rowad AlKhaleej International Schools summer classes.
- You should know that each child has a unique personality and special abilities and that it is very normal that the grades vary according to the capabilities of each child. Take this fact to know the limits and capabilities of your child. It is also important to distinguish between if those negative grades are due to his limitations or if he did not do enough effort.
- Asking for support from the spouse is crucial. The child should feel that the parents are aligned on this.
How do deal with the negative result of a teenage student?
The psychology of a teenager is different from that of a child, as he refuses to be instructed or criticized, and is sometimes careless about the results, and therefore the way to deal with him should be a bit different.
- Choose a decent place outside the home to talk about the matte. Make it spontaneous and friendly. An invitation to a dinner or a cup of coffee in the morning will do the trick.
- Keep calm and do not get angry no matter what the reaction of your teen is!
- share the responsibility.
- Plan for corrective actions and involve him. Let him share the decisions.
- Avoid comparisons with peers. It’s the last thing a teen wants to hear.
- Focus on any positive result that he may have achieved, a certain subject or a slight degree of improvement over the past year, or even a subject he loves and excels in. This works like magic.
What is next after the exam result?
Whatever the exam result is, in the end, they are merely indicative numbers that play an important role in determining your child’s inclinations, and capabilities; always think of it that way!
The most important thing is to develop the child’s personality, building his personality through activities, sports, artistic or social.
The most important thing is not to make “one” degree more or less impact your child’s self-confidence! Understand that being positive in dealing with the matter has the most positive impact in the long run.