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This week, I found myself locked in our Learning Services Specialist’s office asking, “Should I be worried or panicked?” As both a parent and the administrator at my children’s school, I have unlimited access to their data. With a doctorate focused on literacy, I know more than most when it comes to academic development. Yet, when I am a rational researcher studying the progress of other children, I can view the data holistically. When it comes to my own children, however, all reason seems to go out the window.

With Semester 1 report cards going out last week, I know I’m not the only parent wondering: Should I worry or panic? So, let’s dig in.

One of the easiest ways to think about your child’s development is to imagine them as a beautiful puzzle. Each puzzle piece represents a different element that makes up who they are: kindness, focus, grit, letter recognition, number sense, effort, joy, athletic ability, problem-solving skills, fluency, memory, anxiety, test-taking ability, and so forth. While it’s important to examine individual pieces, the real beauty lies in stepping back and admiring the whole picture.

At school, we use several measures to examine specific puzzle pieces. We use academic standards to norm general knowledge gains. We use curriculum-based assessments to measure understanding of daily content. We use screening tools to track growth in foundational reading and math skills. In the upper grades, we use standardized testing to measure big-picture progress. We also rely on classroom observations to see what students can do organically. Once we gather all of these puzzle pieces, we assess how many are missing or still being filled in.

As educators, these are the questions we ask when determining the level of concern for a student:

• Are the same pieces missing in a testing environment as well as in organic classroom activities?
• Are the missing pieces starting to be filled in (is there growth)?
• Are the missing pieces blurring the overall image (for example, is a lack of focus making it appear as though they are struggling academically)?
• Are there a lot of missing pieces in one specific area of the puzzle?

If, after examining the puzzle pieces (data) and working through these questions, we are concerned, we reach out to parents. We share which pieces are missing and how we’re working to add color to them. We might suggest calling in a larger search party, perhaps a therapist, doctor, or tutor. We might also recommend waiting to see if those pieces naturally appear over time. The key takeaway here: if we are concerned, we will reach out.

After going through this process myself, I checked my own panic and connected with my child’s teachers. Her missing puzzle pieces are being colored in every day. The gaps seem to be closely tied to testing anxiety. Most of all, her teachers believe the pieces will turn up naturally with time.

So, if you find yourself worrying, my best advice is to connect with your child’s teacher, ask your questions, and trust their insights. If they tell you they are not worried, try to ease your own concerns. If they suggest adding an extra boost of reading to find a missing puzzle piece, go for it and know you’re doing exactly what you should. And if they recommend bringing in additional support, embrace the search party.

At the end of the day, no single puzzle piece defines your child. Take a step back, admire the whole picture, and trust the process.