Is my child behind? A free self-check

Reading: 3 questions, more specific than "how's their reading?"

"Fine" or "struggling" doesn't tell you much on its own. Ask instead:

• Are they decoding, or guessing? Cover part of an unfamiliar word and ask them to sound it out. A child who guesses from the first letter or the picture, rather than working through the sounds, is often behind on phonics fundamentals — even if their overall reading "sounds okay" out loud.
• What's their actual reading level, not just their grade? Most Winnipeg schools use a levelling system (often A–Z). Ask your child's teacher for the specific letter or number, and compare it to what's typical for their grade — "reads chapter books" isn't the same information as a level.
• Do they understand what they just read, or just say the words? Ask one or two questions about a page they just finished, in their own words. Word-calling without comprehension is a real, common gap that doesn't show up unless you check for it directly.

Math: 3 questions, more specific than "how's their math?"

• Single-digit or two-digit — where does it actually break down? Watch them do one two-digit addition or subtraction problem with regrouping (borrowing/carrying). A student who's fine with single-digit facts but freezes on the regrouping step has a specific, fixable gap, not a general "bad at math" problem.
• Do they know the method, or just the answer? Ask them to explain how they got an answer, not just what it is. A student who can get right answers but can't explain the steps often struggles the moment a question is worded differently than what they practiced.
• Is it a speed problem or an understanding problem? Time them gently on a few problems they should know cold (times tables, basic facts). Slow-but-correct is a fluency issue; wrong is a concept issue — they need different kinds of help.

Homework and confidence: signals that matter more than one bad grade

• How often does homework turn into a fight or a shutdown? Occasionally is normal. Most nights is a signal worth acting on.
• Do they say "I'm just bad at this"? That belief compounds — a child who's decided they can't do math avoids practicing it, which makes the gap worse, which confirms the belief.
• Has a teacher mentioned it at conferences or in a note home? Teachers see the comparison point of 25-30 other kids at the same grade — if it came up unprompted, take it seriously.

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