In the U.S.—and probably elsewhere—we’re conditioned to believe that an A means excellence and an F means failure. But does it? If I score 50% on a test, that just means I know half of what I should. See where I’m headed? The grading system we have doesn’t necessarily measure student mastery—it might tell us they turned everything in or that they work hard, but do we really know what they know?
As parents, we often assume good grades mean good learning—but do we really understand what our kids are mastering in school? We need a system that reflects not just their effort, but their actual understanding. Today, I want to focus on two key areas in education: standards-based grading and content knowledge in elementary school. Right now, our grading system tells us more about effort and compliance than actual learning. If we want to understand what students truly know, we need to rethink how we grade—and what we teach.
Standards-Based Grading (at least for K-8)
A grading system should tell parents what their child knows—not just whether they turned in all their assignments. Standards-based grading (SBG) solves this problem by focusing on mastery of skills rather than just completion. But for it to work, schools need to clearly communicate what these grading scales mean.
Everyone knows what an A means—great work! But let’s be honest: an A often reflects effort as much as mastery. That’s not necessarily bad—but shouldn’t parents know the difference? Schools have made efforts to incorporate standards-based grading into traditional grading, but the transition is difficult. With SBG, parents wouldn’t have to guess what a B or C means. They’d get a clear breakdown of which skills their child has mastered and where they need support.
Parents care deeply about their children's education and want more insight into what that learning actually entails. So, to my fellow parents: if we want a grading system that tells us what our kids really know, we have to rethink our approach. It’ll take time to adjust, but it’s worth it. The report card full of As on the fridge is a classic symbol of American success—but I don’t think it’s working anymore. It’s time to move beyond the fridge full of As. Our kids deserve a grading system that actually helps them learn.
But Fixing Grades Isn’t Enough
We also need to rethink what we’re grading. Are we measuring real learning? Are we teaching the right things? That’s where content knowledge comes in.
Increase Focus on Content Knowledge in Grades K-5
We focus so much on teaching kids how to read that we forget to show them why reading matters. This overemphasis on reading strategies—rather than rich content—leaves students unprepared for middle school science and history. Worse, it can disengage them from learning altogether.
I teach middle school science, and by the time students reach my class, many struggle—not because they can’t read, but because they lack the background knowledge to engage deeply with the material. This isn’t the fault of elementary teachers; in fact, most teachers I talk to want to spend more time on content. The problem is a system that prioritizes reading mechanics over meaningful engagement with science, history, and the world.
Strong reading instruction is essential, but without rich subject matter, students lose interest, and comprehension becomes harder. Too often, we treat reading as a set of isolated skills—finding the main idea, analyzing subtitles—rather than a tool for discovering the world.
I’ve seen this play out firsthand. My daughter used to devour anything about animals—magazines, articles, you name it. But by seventh grade? “Ugh, Mom, I hate nonfiction.” This problem isn’t just anecdotal—it’s backed by research. A well-known study found that when middle schoolers read about baseball, kids who knew a lot about the sport outperformed stronger general readers. In other words, comprehension isn’t just about reading ability—it’s about what you already know.
This tells us something important: the key to comprehension isn’t just reading ability—it’s knowledge. If we want students to become confident readers, we should immerse them in science, history, and other subjects that matter to 21st-century learners—not just drill reading skills in isolation.
Elementary school should be a time of curiosity and excitement. Every first grader is a scientist—curious, excited, eager to explore. But instead of nurturing that natural curiosity, we bog them down with abstract exercises. It’s time to shift our approach. Reading instruction should be embedded in content-rich lessons, allowing kids to explore the world through engaging stories, hands-on investigations, and historical narratives. The more they know, the better they read—and the more they want to read.
It’s time to build a system that fuels curiosity instead of stifling it.