Your child's progress report, explained
Ontario's fall progress report has no marks. Here's what the words mean — and a simple way to help at home this week.
What is the Ontario fall progress report?
The fall progress report is the first formal report of the school year for Ontario students in Grades 1 to 8. Schools send it home between October 20 and November 20, and each school board sets its own date. It tells you how your child is progressing so far, early enough in the year to act on it.
Does the progress report have marks or letter grades?
No. The fall progress report has no letter grades and no percentage marks. Each subject is rated as progressing very well, progressing well or progressing with difficulty. Letter grades (Grades 1 to 6) and percentage marks (Grades 7 and 8) first appear on the Term 1 report card, which goes home between January 20 and February 20.
The three ratings, decoded
What does “progressing with difficulty” mean?
It means your child is finding part of that subject hard right now. It is an early flag, not a verdict. It is still the fall, so most of the school year is left to work on it. The useful next step is to ask the teacher which unit or skill the difficulty is in, then practise that for a short time each day.
What are the six learning skills on the report?
They are six habits the teacher rates separately from the subjects: responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative and self-regulation. Each one is marked E for excellent, G for good, S for satisfactory or N for needs improvement.
- EExcellent
- GGood
- SSatisfactory
- NNeeds improvement
Responsibility
Finishes work and hands it in on time. Looks after their own behaviour.
Organization
Plans their time and keeps track of what they need.
Independent Work
Gets on with a task and stays with it without reminders.
Collaboration
Works well with others: shares, listens and does their part.
Initiative
Asks questions, tries new things and starts without being told.
Self-Regulation
Sets goals, asks for help when stuck and keeps going when it's hard.
A low rating here (S or N) is often the easier one to work on at home. A fixed time and place for homework helps with organization and independent work.
What should I ask at the parent–teacher interview?
Ask which unit or skill the difficulty is in, what progressing well should look like by the next report, and what to practise at home and for how long. Bring the five questions below and write down the answers.
- Which unit or skill is the difficulty in?
- What does “well” look like by January?
- What can we practise at home — and for how long?
- Is this about the content, or about a learning skill such as organization or independent work?
- How will we know it's working?
A 15-minute-a-day routine
The routine matters more than the tool. A printed workbook and a kitchen timer work. So does Homework Hub.
- 15 minutes, same time every day.Short enough to finish. Regular enough to become a habit.
- One subject, on the unit the class is doing now.Ask the teacher, or look up the unit for your child's grade below.
- Your child does it. You check it.Looking at the answers together is where most of the learning happens.
- Celebrate effort, not scores.
- Check in with the teacher before the January report card.
What your child is learning this term
Pick a grade to see the units in Ontario's curriculum for that grade.
Want the routine set up for you?
Homework Hub sets this routine up for you — Ontario-curriculum practice ready on the days you choose, and you see every answer.
Start your free trial →The dates, ratings and learning skills on this page come from the Ontario Ministry of Education's guide to report cards and its Growing Success policy, described in our own words. Your school board sets the exact dates. Homework Hub is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with the Ministry or any school board.