5 Simple Steps for Unpacking the Standards to Help Your Child

Have you ever looked at your child’s syllabus and felt like you were reading a different language? You aren’t alone. In my experience, one of the biggest walls between a parent and their child’s success is the “curriculum jargon” used in schools.”This is where Unpacking the Standards comes in—a vital skill as we navigate the shift toward a  decluttered school curriculum for parents  that emphasizes depth over breadth.. It sounds like something only a principal would do in a meeting, but it is actually a powerful tool for your kitchen table. At WebGrade Tutors, we believe that when a student understands exactly what they are being asked to learn, their anxiety drops and their focus skyrockets.

The Problem: The Hidden Language of School

The main reason kids struggle isn’t always a lack of ability. Often, it’s a lack of clarity. When a teacher says, “We are working on standard RL.5.2,” a student sees a code. A parent sees a mystery. Without Unpacking the Standards, the goals of a lesson remain hidden. This creates a “guessing game” for the student, which leads to burnout and frustration.We need to turn that code into a clear, actionable plan; this is a core focus of our  specialized test preparation that decodes exam requirements , ensuring your child never loses marks simply because they didn’t understand the question.

Foundation Building: The Noun-Verb Secret

So, how do we start? The most effective way of Unpacking the Standards is the “Noun-Verb Method.” It’s a simple trick I use with every new student. Take any standard and find the verbs (the actions your child must do) and the nouns (the knowledge they must have). For example, if a standard says, “Compare and contrast two characters in a story,” the verbs are compare and contrast. The nouns are characters and story. Suddenly, the big, scary sentence becomes a simple checklist, making it easier to track progress through mastery-based grading and descriptors used in modern school reports.

Learning Styles: Making it Stick

Once you have the list, you have to make it match your child’s brain. Unpacking the Standards is not about a one-size-fits-all approach. If your child is a visual learner, draw out those nouns and verbs as a map. If they are a kinesthetic learner, let them act out the “action verbs.””In my experience, help for students struggling with curriculum works best when we adapt the material to the child, which is why we invite you to  enroll in our 1-on-1 curriculum mastery sessions  tailored to your child’s unique learning style.

Real-World Application: The Dinner Challenge

You don’t need a classroom to practice this. I love the “Dinner Table Standard” challenge. Pick one small skill your child is learning   ,like “identifying main ideas”   ,and apply it to a movie you watched or a story you told. Ask them, “What was the main idea of that story?” This takes the pressure off “school work” and turns Unpacking the Standards into a life skill. It builds a growth mindset by showing them that learning happens everywhere, not just in a textbook.

A Parent’s Insight: “I used to just ask my daughter ‘What did you do in math today?’ and she’d say ‘nothing.’ Now that we use the WebGrade method to unpack her standards, I ask, ‘Did you work on adding fractions with different denominators?’ She actually has an answer now!”  , David L., WebGrade Parent

The WebGrade Tutors Solution

This is exactly what we do in our  personalized 1-on-1 curriculum support  sessions; our tutors act as translators, unpacking the standards so your child can stop guessing and start growing. We take the “school-speak” and turn it into student-friendly “I Can” statements. Instead of “demonstrating proficiency in algebraic expressions,” we tell the student, “Today, I can solve for X in a simple equation.” This transparency is why our students see such rapid growth; by removing the ‘guessing game,’ we align our sessions with  The “Slow Education” movement , focusing on meaningful understanding rather than rushed completion.Statistics show that when students have clear learning targets, their achievement levels can increase by up to 25%.

Try this 10-minute “I Can” Exercise:

• Look at your child’s next homework assignment.
• Help them write one sentence at the top starting with “Today, I can…” (e.g., “Today, I can identify three causes of the Civil War”).
• Watch how much faster they finish when the goal is clear!

FAQ SECTION

What is Unpacking the Standards in simple terms?

It is the process of taking a complicated academic requirement and breaking it down into a simple list of things to “know” and things to “do.” This is a core part of standards-based tutoring success.

How does Unpacking the Standards help a child with anxiety?

Anxiety often comes from the “unknown.” By Unpacking the Standards, we remove the mystery and give the student a clear roadmap. They feel in control because they know exactly what the finish line looks like.

Can parents do this without an education degree?

Absolutely! You just need to look for the “action words” (verbs) in their assignments. Academic standards explained for parents don’t have to be complicated   ,if you can spot the verb, you can unpack the standard.

What is the difference between a goal and a standard?

A standard is the “destination” set by the state. A goal is the specific “step” your child is taking today to get there. Unpacking the Standards helps turn those big destinations into manageable daily steps.

How does WebGrade compare to traditional tutoring centers?

Many centers just help with the “homework of the day.” WebGrade Tutors focuses on Unpacking the Standards so your child masters the underlying skill, ensuring they don’t struggle with the same problem next week.

Ready to stop the guessing game at the kitchen table?  Book a free 60-minute ‘Curriculum Decoded’ trial with a WebGrade Tutors expert today and give your child the clarity they deserve.