What happens when a young student gets a low math score? A parent may say: “Math has never been your strength.” A teacher might write “careless” beside a calculation.

Those words may seem harmless. Yet they both carry one risk: moving attention from the work to the student.

Assessment doesn’t just measure what a student has learned; it also conveys a powerful emotional message. For example, one recent study across 10 Canadian provinces and territories, with additional participants abroad, found that assessment, according to teachers, is both technical and emotional. Some teachers report seeing students take results personally, while others reported student stress around grades.

Read more: What’s the best way to support perfectionistic students? Teachers don’t always agree

How can parents and teachers discuss a disappointing result honestly with children and teens without turning it into a label?

How students interpret feedback

An important consideration is that students do not interpret feedback in isolation. Research suggests students’ perceptions of teacher feedback shape how capable they later feel in math, while their existing math beliefs shape how they understand feedback they receive. How the feedback lands can also depends on the relationship with the teacher giving it.

For students aged 10 to 16, clear and action-focused feedback can support achievement and engagement. Vague........

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