Let's Talk About Your Report Card
Hey Jan. Can you come here for a second? I've been looking at your [vocab word=report card]report card[/vocab].
A school report card shows the marks for all subjects taken. E.g. English A, Math C+, Geography B, etc.
Oh, I was going to discuss it with you, dad.
Your marks in [vocab word=psychology]psychology[/vocab] and biology are lower than usual. What happened?
"logy" is a suffix for a field of study. "Psychology" is the study of the mind ("psych" means "mind" or "thinking"). "Biology" is the study of living things ("bio" means "life").
I've been finding it harder and harder to understand the [vocab word=concept]concepts[/vocab] in these subjects.
Maybe you're rushing the studying process. You should take it slower and read the textbooks more carefully.
Yeah, you're right. I think I've [vocab word=underestimate]underestimated[/vocab] the level of [vocab word=difficulty]difficulty[/vocab].
"Under" is a prefix, and it means "below'. "Underestimated" means you estimated something to be too small or too low.
I think a good [vocab word=adjustment]adjustment[/vocab] would be to spend more time on reviews. Did you review before the tests?
"Re" is a prefix, and it means "again".
I think so, but apparently not enough. I need to work on my time management. I always [vocab word=run out of]ran out of[/vocab] time to review before the tests.
Often, we put the suffix "ment" after a verb to make it into a noun. "Time management" is the act of managing your time.
To "run out of" something means you don't have something anymore.
Sure - let's try to [vocab word=improve]improve[/vocab] on your time management skill. Try making a daily to-do list. Write down your goals for the day on your [vocab word=schedule]schedule[/vocab] book. Then, do them one by one.
"one by one" means you do the first thing first, then the second things, etc. You don't do two things at the same time.
Okay. I have a school [vocab word=planner]planner[/vocab], so I'll write them down there.
The suffix "er" is for a person or a thing doing something. A "school planner" is a small book that help you plan your school schedule.
How about we explore the possibility of a tutor? A tutor might help you understand psychology and biology better.
The suffix "ity" is for the quality or state of something. "Possibility" is the quality or state of being possible (i.e. a noun that says something is possible.)
I can handle psychology on my own, but I might need a biology tutor. Some biology concepts just didn't make any sense to me.
To "make sense" means something is easy to understand. You can understand it.
I see. A biology [vocab word=specialist]specialist[/vocab] should be able to explain all the concepts clearly. When you understand the subject, your [vocab word=motivation]motivation[/vocab] should also improve.
"ist" is a suffix and it describes a person.
I agree, dad. I think I need some one-on-one [vocab word=guidance]guidance[/vocab].
Are you sure you don't need a psychology tutor?
The suffix "or" is also for a person or thing that does something. A "tutor" is a person that teaches someone.
It's okay. I actually get a lot of enjoyment from reading the psychology textbook. It's just that I hadn't studied enough before the tests. Also, my teacher probably didn't appreciate my tardiness to class.
"It's just that ..." is a common spoken English expression. It means "the only reason is ..."
The suffix "ness" is for the quality or state of something. "Tardiness" means being tardy (being late to school or work).
Well, if you have any [vocab word=hardship]hardship[/vocab] in these subjects or any other subjects, just let dad know. We'll the [vocab word=tackle]tackle[/vocab] the situation together, as a family.
The suffix "ship" is for a state, condition, or quality. "Hardship" means the condition of being hard or difficult (i.e. the situation or life is difficult).
Thanks for your help, dad. You'll see a lot of improvement in the next report card. I'll study really hard and try to ace the tests.
"ment" is a suffix that means "state of" or "quality of". "Improvement" is the state of having improved on something.
I'm happy to know you are motivated to improve your grades. Remember to take a break once in a while. Improve on your weakness one day at a time. Your happiness is as important as your grades.
Note: "er" in "remember" is not really a suffix. "Ness" in "weakness" is a suffix. "Happiness" also has the suffix "ness".
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