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100 Report Card Comments You Can Use Now

When teachers talk about the joys of teaching, I’m pretty sure they aren’t talking about report card writing. It may just rank right up there with indoor recess, yard duty, and staff meetings. But report cards don’t have to be such a pain.

Here are a few report card general principles, followed by my handy dandy list of editable go-to phrases…

Three Report Card Comment Principles

1. Be Truthful but Kind

A report card’s main purpose is to inform parents about their child’s progress. While there should be no major surprises ( BIG/major issues should have already been discussed with the child’s parents/guardians ), regardless of how well the child is doing or how poorly, the report card should be an honest reflection of that child’s performance.

Having said that, of course, we want to word things in a way that is as positive as we can be and in a way that is encouraging, offering suggestions for improvement, rather than discouragement.

2. Follow the Magical Report Card Comment Format

If the child is doing well overall… you are golden!!! An easy report card is one that I LOVE to do. Unfortunately, not all students are Einsteins or angels, and we have to mention some areas that need improvement. That’s when we use the magical format, which is…

A. Start with a compliment… you might have to dig deep here and get creative, while still being genuine. Remember, every student has attributes we can praise, even the most challenging ones. You might mention the child’s attitude, personality, social skills, sense of humor, willingness or desire to help, special skill in art/music, etc.

B. Next, add a line or two about what is challenging the child , and how he/she struggles in a certain area. Don’t include a laundry list of 20 things to work on. Prioritize the list and highlight the MOST important issues. Also, do make sure to offer a solution or suggestion that is practical and helpful .

C. End on a positive note. Again, a compliment is a nice touch any time of the year, and for the end of the year report card, a best wishes for ____ grade or have a wonderful summer, or I’m so glad to have been ____’s teacher this year, and so on works well.

3. Proofread and Check, then Proofread Again

Report card time is crunch time, and when we’re trying to speed through things and get them done, those nasty little typos pop up where we least expect them.

Do make sure to double-check everything before you hit enter/print to send them home. All communication with parents is seen as a reflection of ourselves as teachers and should be as perfect as we can make it.

Now that the principles are out of the way, here is my list of 100+ report card comments (updated to include 150 comments!).

I’ve included a wide variety of comments for the wide variety of ability levels and behavioral challenges of the students that we teach in our classrooms..

Want your own set of 150 comments in three formats – Printable PDF, editable PowerPoint, and Editable Digital? Click here to take a peek!

OPENING / CLOSING – POSITIVE:

_____has worked very hard this semester/year, and I am proud of all of his/her accomplishments.
______ is making/has made good/excellent/wonderful/outstanding progress in _____ grade.
_____ has done a(n)/fantastic/exemplary/wonderful/excellent job this year/semester in _____ grade and has worked so very hard.
I appreciate _____’s quality work/motivation to do well/attitude, and I am enjoying/have enjoyed being his/her teacher.
______ arrives at school each day with a positive/cheerful/happy attitude, ready to learn.
_____ is an excellent _____ grader, and he/she has made our classroom a better place.
_____ is doing/has done an(a) excellent/ outstanding/wonderful/ great/ fantastic job overall this semester/year.
_______has made good/excellent/extraordinary/fantastic/outstanding progress in all academic areas.
_____ is bright, motivated, and hard-working and can be proud of his/her accomplishments this semester/year.
_____ is intrinsically motivated and strives to please/produce top-quality/excellent work. I am enjoying/have enjoyed being his/her teacher.
_____ seems to enjoy school, and his/her positive attitude brightens up our classroom.
_____is a bright and inquisitive student who enjoys learning. He/she is a pleasure to have in class.
_____ has learned a great deal this semester/year and has shown particular progress/improvement in _____.
_______ is a(an) hard-working/attentive/determined student and is working/doing well in all subject areas.
_____ is a very polite/hard-working/bright student and a pleasure to be around. I am enjoying/have enjoyed being his/her teacher.
_____is a(n) awesome/wonderful/amazing/fabulous ____ grader, and I have enjoyed getting to know him/her this year.
I am so proud of _____ and wish him/her well for _____ grade and beyond.
I have truly enjoyed being _____’s teacher and will miss him/her next year.
I have enjoyed teaching ______ this year. He/she loves to learn and has shown growth throughout the year. Wishing him/her continued success.
_____ has been a wonderful_____ grader, and I’m so glad to have him in class. His/her great attitude/strong work ethic/hard work/determination are to be admired. He/she has a bright future ahead.
_____ is a hard-working/bright/likable/motivated student. I have thoroughly enjoyed having him/her in class this year. Have a wonderful summer!

ACADEMIC – POSITIVE :

_______has made good/excellent/wonderful/fantastic/outstanding progress in all academic areas.
_______ is a(an) hard-working/attentive/determined student and is working well in all subject areas.
_____ shows strong knowledge/strengths in the area of _____.
_____ has exceeded expectations in ______.
_____ demonstrates superior work in ______. I appreciate his/her dedication and effort.
_____ consistently puts forth his/her best effort in _____, which is wonderful/lovely/great to see.
_____ shows special/unique/particular strengths in the area of social studies/science/reading/writing/math… and has done very well this trimester/year.
_____ seems to enjoy reading/writing/math/science/social .. and has done an excellent/amazing job this year.
_____ has a good understanding/sense of theme/the main idea/ characters/ plot/ inferences, which strengthens his/her reading ability.
_____ reads smoothly and with good expression.
_____ is able to use data from graphs and charts/use a compass successfully/convert measurements correctly.
_____ uses reading strategies such as _____ effectively, which increases his/her reading comprehension.
_____ has a large/extensive/rich vocabulary, which adds to his/her ability to write effectively.
_____ enjoys poetry/reading/music/science/art… and excels in it.
_____ is a very talented artist/writer, and I truly enjoy the detail/attention/ passion he/she puts into his/her artwork/writing.
_____ excels in creative/narrative/opinion/expository/report writing…
_____ produces stories/essays/paragraphs/research reports that are well-organized/ developed.
_____ has strong reading comprehension/math computation skills.
_____ is a creative student, and I have enjoyed seeing the wonderful writing/art projects/drawings he/she has created/written.
_____ uses higher-level thinking skills to complete challenging assignments.
_____ demonstrates a good understanding of math/reading/social studies/science… concepts.
_____ shows strong problem-solving skills in math/decoding skills in reading/grammar skills in writing/map skills in social studies…
_____ goes beyond grade-level expectations in _____. He/she often/ consistently sets and meets/exceeds academic goals.
_____ demonstrates a deep understanding of _____ concepts.
_____ has an impressive understanding and knowledge of _____.

ACADEMIC PROGRESS SHOWN – POSITIVE:

______has strengthened his/her skills in _____.
______has made good/excellent/wonderful/fantastic/outstanding progress in all academic areas.
______ has made good/great/tremendous/significant improvement in _____.
_____ has worked hard to raise his/her grade in _____, and I appreciate his/her effort.
_____ has learned a great deal this semester/year and has shown particular improvement in _____.
_____ has shown steady progress/strong gains/excellent progress in the area of _____. I’m pleased with his/her effort.
_____ is making good progress in ______ this semester. Please encourage him/her to continue to ______.
_____ has shown improvement in _____, which is great to see. Please encourage him/her to continue to _____ each day/in the coming weeks to keep the momentum going.
_____ is making good progress in ______ but would benefit from ______ to continue showing growth.
I have been pleased to see that _____ is continuing to grow/consistently progressing/improving steadily in independence in/with ______.
_____’s quality of work has shown good/great/exceptional growth this semester.

ACADEMIC – IMPROVEMENT NEEDED:

_____is intelligent but works below his/her capacity/potential due to a lack of motivation/attention to quality work.
Unfortunately, _____’s grades have suffered from missing assignments.
_____is gaining confidence in _____ but would benefit from _____.
Please encourage _____ to _____each day to help him/her improve in _____.
_____ seems to find _____ challenging and would benefit from reading nightly/practicing math facts/working online…
_____ is capable of achieving a higher grade in _____ but needs to______ in order to make progress.
_____ seems to have difficulty at times with reading comprehension/ math computation/writing paragraphs… and would benefit from _____.
_____ needs to slow down in order to produce quality/carefully done work.
_____ needs to memorize his/her basic math facts in order to complete complex math problems more easily/efficiently/quickly.
_____ would benefit from _____ to fully memorize basic math facts.
Memorizing basic addition/multiplication math facts would be very helpful to _____.
Science/social studies tests have been very difficult for _____, and he/she would benefit from increasing the time spent studying the material.
This trimester, I would like to see _____ to work on _____.
This trimester, it would be helpful for _____ to focus on _____ in order to _____.
_____ needs lots of repetition and practice in order to retain _____.
I would like to see _____ pay closer attention to _____ in order to _____.
When ______ is motivated, he/she does well on class assignments.
_____ is excelling in many skills but needs to concentrate on ______.
I would like to see ____ focus on _____ each day/in the coming months.
_____ shows interest/has enthusiasm/seems motivated for everything we do in class. However, he/she is having some difficulty with ______. It would be helpful if he/she would ______ each night.
Even with extra help, _____ experiences difficulty with _____. It would benefit ______ to ______.
_____ rarely asks for help when he/she is confused/doesn’t understand something. We will continue to encourage _____ to ask for assistance whenever it is needed.
_____ exhibits minimal confidence in his/her ______ skills. It would be helpful to _____.
_____ is struggling to meet/maintain grade-level expectations in _____. Let’s work together to help _____ be successful in this area.

WORK HABITS AND QUALITY OF WORK – POSITIVE:

_____ completes his/her work carefully and completely/thoroughly.
I appreciate _____’s neat work, which is carefully done.
_____ is very organized and finds needed materials easily.
______ pays attention to detail in his/her assignments, and I appreciate the high quality of his/her work.
_____ turns in work that is beautifully/carefully/thoroughly done.
_____ has a strong work ethic and never completes any assignment halfway.
_____ is very responsible and turns in assignments/homework on time.
____ takes tremendous pride in his/her work and completes assignments carefully.
_____ is focused on creating quality work and completes assignments carefully/thoroughly.
_____’s attention to detail can be seen in the quality of his/her work. I appreciate the care he/she takes in each assignment.
_____ takes pride in his/her work and consistently turns in neat and carefully completed work.
_____’s motivation/attitude is reflected in the work he/she turns in/creates. I am pleased to see his/her well-thought-out/thoroughly completed assignments.
I appreciate ______’s dedication to his/her learning/studies in class.

WORK HABITS AND QUALITY OF WORK – IMPROVEMENT NEEDED:

_____ needs to complete his/her work carefully and completely/ thoroughly.
_____ would benefit by taking responsibility to turn in assignments and/or homework on time.
I am concerned about _____’s organizational skills and his/her responsibility related to turning in assignments on time.
______ struggles with organizational skills in the classroom and needs to keep his/her desk/workspace neater to make his/her day run more smoothly.
_____ struggles to find needed papers/materials and would benefit from using a folder/a binder/keeping a neater desk…
_____ tends to work too quickly, often resulting in careless mistakes.
I would like to see _____ focus on _____ in the coming months.
This trimester, I would like _____ to work on _____.
I would like to see _____ pay closer attention to ____ in order to _____.

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR – POSITIVE:

_____ follows classroom rules consistently and is a good role model.
_____ has a positive attitude and is a joy to teach.
_____ is on task regardless of the activity.
_____ seems to enjoy school, and his/her positive attitude brightens up our classroom.
_____ listens attentively to directions, and I appreciate his/her ability to understand the assignment and to start work right away.
_____ has an excellent attitude and is always willing to lend a hand.
_____ is a(an) wonderful/excellent helper and a classroom leader.
_____ is polite to classmates and to all adults on staff at school.
_____ arrives at school each day with a positive/happy attitude, ready to learn.
_____ works independently and is able to complete enrichment activities when he/she is finished with required assignments.
_____ is able to focus and stays on task during independent working times.
_____ uses class time constructively/efficiently/wisely.
_____ works respectfully during independent work times.
____ is a hard-working student who sets goals and reaches them.
_____ is a dependable/responsible/conscientious student.
_____ has made great strides this year in terms of _____ in the classroom/on the playground.
_____ has a strong work ethic and takes responsibilities seriously.
_____is a very respectful/kind/caring/considerate classmate/student, and I appreciate having him/her in class.
_____ shows determination/perseverance when faced with a challenging task.
_____ enjoys participating in class lessons, and his/her background knowledge adds a great deal to our discussions.
_____ is able to share appropriate and relevant information, which adds to classroom discussions.
_____ is an active participant in small groups as well as whole-class discussions/activities/projects.
_____ listens well and takes an active role in class lessons/class discussions/class activities/group work.
_____’s persistence/determination/hard work in _____ is exemplary.

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR – IMPROVEMENT NEEDED:

_____ is intelligent but works below his/her capacity/potential due to off-task behaviors/a lack of motivation/attention to quality work.
_______ has done well in many areas, but I am concerned that his/her lack of listening/focus/motivation and following directions/working independently/working quietly has contributed to his lower grade in _____.
_____ struggles with following classroom rules and needs to focus on working quietly/staying in his/her seat…
_____ is very talkative during quiet working periods and distracts others around him/her.
Working quietly is very difficult for _____, and I would like him/her to focus on his/her work so that he/she, as well as others around him/her, are able to attend to the task at hand/learn more effectively/concentrate…
_____ needs to listen and follow directions carefully during class time.
I would like to see _____ put more effort into showing respect/kindness/ thoughtfulness to his classmates to strengthen social skills.
_____ needs to work on taking turns speaking/working more cooperatively with classmates.
_____ needs to focus on raising his/her hand to speak/listening to others/waiting for others to finish before speaking/listening skills.
______’s listening skills need improvement.
This trimester, I would like _____ to focus on _____ in order to _____.
Academically, _____ is doing well overall. I would like him/her to focus on showing more kindness/respect/cooperation to his/her classmates.
_____ needs frequent reminders to stay on task throughout the school day.
_____ needs to follow school rules at lunchtime and on the playground.
_____ gets along well with classmates, but needs to work on staying on task and not socializing.
_____ is an intelligent student with great potential. However, he/she needs to work on staying focused in class and following directions.
_____ is very social and is well-liked. His/her conversations during independent work times, though, have made it difficult for _____, as well as those around him/her, to finish work successfully/to create quality work/to concentrate on the task at hand/to learn/ to complete assignments.
_____ has a social personality, but his/her chatting in class can be disruptive. He/she needs to work on staying focused during class so he/she and others around him/her can complete class assignments/stay on task.
_____ is often eager to participate in class discussions but needs to remember to raise his/her hand/wait to be called on…
_____ has made progress with ______ but is still struggling. Let’s continue to encourage ______ to ______.

MOTIVATION – POSITIVE:

_____ succeeds at whatever task he/she puts his/her mind to.
_____ sets high standards for himself/herself and reaches them.
_____ is intrinsically motivated and strives to please/produce top-quality/excellent work.
_____ enjoys being challenged and would benefit from _____.
I appreciate _____’s quality work/motivation to do well/positive attitude, and I am enjoying/have enjoyed being his/her teacher.
_____ is truly/genuinely eager to learn and asks questions appropriately when needed.
_____ shows interest and enthusiasm for classroom activities and seems to enjoy learning.
_____ shows determination/perseverance when faced with any task/a challenging task.
_____ is a hard-working student who sets goals and reaches them.
_____ is self-motivated and consistently produces quality work.

SOCIAL SKILLS/CHARACTER – POSITIVE:

_____ is respectful to his/her classmates and is very well-liked.
_____ is helpful and kind and is a pleasure to be around.
_____ works well with other students.
_____ not only works well with his/her classmates but is a natural leader.
_____ is very compassionate and always shows kindness to others.
_____ is polite to classmates and to all adults on staff at school.
_____ is respectful and considerate of others.
_____ demonstrates positive character traits in the classroom.
_____ is positive/confident and is a great role model for his/her classmates.
_____ is an exceptionally thoughtful student who is consistently considerate/respectful/kind to others.
_____is a very respectful/kind/caring/considerate classmate, and I appreciate having him/her in class.
_____ is a likable student with strong social skills. He/she works well with others.
_____has a positive attitude/is a very polite student and is a joy to teach.
_____ is a hard-working student who sets goals and reaches them.
_____ is a problem solver and shows a great deal of persistence.
_____ displays good citizenship in our classroom.
_____ has an excellent attitude and is always willing to lend a hand.
_____ is a(an) wonderful/excellent helper and a classroom leader.
I am enjoying/have enjoyed _____’s sense of humor in our classroom.
_____ has a wonderful personality, and his/her sense of humor makes me smile.
_____ is a flexible learner and adapts easily to new challenges.
_____ works respectfully during independent work times.
_____ makes a sincere effort and works hard in class.
_____ is a kind and caring student who is a good friend to others.
_____ does his/her best in school each day. I appreciate his/her positive attitude/motivation/determination.
_____ is an enthusiastic member of the class and comes to school each day ready to learn. I appreciate his/her positive outlook/hard-working attitude/approach to learning.

SOCIAL SKILLS/CHARACTER – NEEDS IMPROVEMENT:

_______ is an intelligent student with great potential. He/she needs to work on staying focused in class and following directions.
______ needs frequent reminders to stay on task/focus throughout the school day.
_____ is excelling in many skills but needs to concentrate on ______.
I would like to see ____ focus on/work to improve _____ in the coming months.
___ needs to focus on/practice raising his/her hand to speak/listening to others/waiting for others to finish before speaking/listening skills.
I would like to see _____ put more effort into showing respect/kindness/ thoughtfulness to his classmates to strengthen/improve social skills.
_____ needs to work on taking turns speaking/working cooperatively with classmates.
_____ has a wonderful personality but needs to work more respectfully during independent/quiet work times…
_____ needs to work on showing more respect/kindness/ compassion/ cooperation to his/her classmates.
_____ needs to practice showing cooperation when working with other students/in small groups/during centers/during specials…

If you’d like your own set of report card comments in three formats (printable PDF, editable PowerPoint, and editable Digital in Google Slides) from The Teacher Next Door, please click here: 👉 100+ Report Card Comments You Can Use Now

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CHECK OUT THESE RELATED BLOG POSTS:

What is standards-based grading why is it so hard and how to tackle it, how to make the most of reading assessments, why reading centers are more important than ever in the upper elementary classroom.

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