Using your child's traits to find the right school

Exploring how your child's traits fit with several different school types


It hardly requires emphasis: when choosing a school make sure you focus on your child. Reflect on their most critical traits and how these impact their ability to function in various school environments. 

Here, we help you with your child-focused approach to finding the right school. Below, access detailed reports on what your child’s possession of certain traits can tell you about their suitability for several school types (e.g., big, small, coed, boys', girls', coed, boarding, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, IB, and language immersion schools).

To learn about how to choose the right school in general, read the Our Kids’ step-by-step advice guide and our expert tips. To get school-choice advice customized to your child's unique traits, create a child profile through your user account and read our seven ways to choose a school based on your child's needs (i.e., overall fitmore academic challengesocial strugglesacademic strugglesintensive learning interestsuniversity preparation, and special needs.).  
 

Mental focus

Kids vary widely in their ability to focus or concentrate in school: while some find this fairly easy, others don't. Below, we look at mentally focused and distractible kids, and provide reports on how they fit in several school types.


  • Mentally focused kids are good at sustaining their concentration: they normally find it a breeze to focus in class, sustain their focus, and key in on their studies.
    Read our report

  • Distractible kids often struggle to sustain their concentration in school. They find it challenging to focus for long periods of time and follow what’s going on in class.
    Read our report

Academic focus

How focused is your child on school, academics, and learning? Below, we look at more and less academically focused kids, and provide reports on how they fit in several school types.


  • Intensively academically-focused kids are very eager students. They enjoy school, are keen to learn, and are academically ambitious.
    Read our report

  • Less academically-focused kids aren’t especially keen on learning or focused on school. Academic achievement isn’t a major goal for them: they’re not obsessed with grades or how they compare with their peers.
    Read our report

Sociability

Is your child sociable and outgoing or do they keep more to themself? Below, we look at extroverted and introverted kids, and provide reports on how they fit in several school types.


  • Extroverted kids are outgoing. They’re more social and talkative, and enjoy interacting with their peers (and sometimes teachers) in class.
    Read our report

  • Introverted kids are on the shy side. They tend to be quiet in class, rarely speaking up or initiating interaction with their peers (and sometimes teachers).
    Read our report

Physical activity level

Is your child very physically active or do they prefer quieter activities? Below, we look at more and less physically active kids, and provide reports on how they fit in several school types.


  • Very physically active kids are highly energetic. They like to move around a lot inside the classroom and out.
    Read our report

  • Less physically active kids are more sedentary. They tend to move around less in the classroom and out.
    Read our report

Learning style

Kids vary widely in their learning styles. Below, we look at conventional and unconventional learners, and provide reports on how they fit in several school types.

 
  • Conventional learners tend to prefer a traditional learning approach. This often includes whole-class lectures, teacher-led instruction, pre-planned units, plenty of structure, and objective modes of assessment (such as grades).
    Read our report

  • Unconventional learners tend to march to the beat of their own drum. They often prefer individualized and experiential learning, independent and small group work, and varied teaching and assessment approaches.
    Read our report

Learning preference

Does your child prefer to work more independently or collaboratively? Below, we look at independent and collaborative learners, and provide reports on how they fit in several school types.


  • Independent learners often prefer to work on their own. They tend to enjoy individualized, student-focused learning, with lots of opportunities to explore their interests in class and out.
    Read our report

  • Collaborative learners enjoy group learning. They often like to work with others in class, interact with their peers, and collaborate on projects, assignments, and other school work.
    Read our report

Learning interests

Kids vary widely in their learning interests. Below, we look at arts- and STEM-oriented kids, and offer reports on how they fit in several school types.

 
  • Arts-oriented kids are passionate about the arts, whether it’s the performing arts, visual arts, or both. They really enjoy arts education and are eager to pursue more in-depth studies.
    Read our report

  • STEM-oriented kids are passionate about at least two STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). They really enjoy STEM education and are eager to pursue more in-depth studies.
    Read our report

Special needs

Many kids have one or more special needs. Below, we look at kids with special needs of various types, and provide reports on how they fit in several school types.



  • Kids with special needs have intellectual, communicational, behavioural, physical, or multiple exceptionalities.
    Read our report

  • Gifted students are very high-ability learners. They test higher than the 98th or 99th percentile in terms of learning abilities.
    Read our report

  • Kids with learning disabilities have one or more disorders which may affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding, or use of verbal or non-verbal information.
    Read our report

  • Kids with social, emotional, or behavioural issues may or may not have a disorder. They do, though, have serious challenges which can adversely affect their relationships in school and out, and lead to problems with concentration, emotional regulation, impulse control, and other issues.
    Read our report

  • Anxious kids have a significant degree of daily anxiety. They may or may not have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, such as a social anxiety disorder or panic disorder.
    Read our report

  • Kids with ADHD have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. This is a condition with symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
    Read our report

  • Kids with autism or autism spectrum disorder have challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech, and non-verbal communication. These symptoms can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations.
    Read our report

  • Kids with dyslexia have a reading disorder. This disorder affects areas of the brain that involve processing language.
    Read our report

 


 

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