Addressing Behavior at School with the Daily Report Card
Getting an email or phone call from school about your child’s behavior in class is always a gut punch. And so often, it feels like there is nothing you can do about it: How can you address the behavior when you aren’t there? You’ve tried things like pep talks, heartfelt conversations, and rewards/punishments, but nothing seems to help. I see this problem all the time, particularly in children with ADHD and ODD. And while most of the treatments for these conditions involve making changes at home, sometimes you need something extra that directly addresses behavior issues in the classroom. Enter the Daily Report Card!
The Daily Report Card is a well-established component of treatments for ADHD and ODD that extends your presence into the classroom through the use of a small note that travels between school and home every day. This card serves two main functions: establishing regular communication with teachers and providing clearer consequences for positive behaviors at school. Children with ADHD/ODD often need more precise feedback and clearer consequences to help them make good choices, and traditional classroom behavior systems may not be enough. There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing one; it just takes a bit of planning and coordination to implement.
Here are the steps for making a good Daily Report Card, some of which the school may already be doing (as they are getting more popular these days):
Make a card with rows and columns, like a spreadsheet. The columns are usually class “periods” or times of day (e.g., reading, lunch, recess, etc.) while the rows are usually specific behavior goals (e.g., Stay in my seat, Raise my hand to talk, Keep hands/feet to self, etc.)
Make lots of copies! You will need these for a while.
Arrange for a card to go to school with your child each day, or arrange for the teacher to complete one and send it to you. Any system for sending/collecting that works is fine.
Have the teacher check off each behavior for each period, preferably according to realistic and predetermined criteria. Usually talking to the teacher helps for this step (e.g., you can ask “how many mistakes on the goal would be allowed while still earning a check for it?”)
Use the checks at the end of the day as currency for a highly valued privilege, like electronics time. This step often gets skipped but it is the most important step! The more checks are received, the more privileges are earned.
There are many correct ways of doing this, but I’d say the most important principle is that the child feels like they now need to earn something that was once freely given. This creates a stronger incentive for them to pay attention to their behavior, using the categories specified, and try to flex their self-control muscles better in those situations.
To make your own simple Daily Report Card, click the button below! This tool was created by my wife, who is a talented web developer and designer. Please let me know if you think it needs any changes!