223 Copy and Paste Final Report Card Comments

Written by Chris Drew (PhD)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Hey, Teacher! Is it report writing time again?

Hopefully these comments for student report cards will come in helpful.

Copy and paste these report card comments for your students. It’ll save you time and heartache!

Read below for my full list of report card comment ideas:

Positive Comments

Use a few positive comments to show the strengths of the student and how they’ve improved recently.

Positive Attitude to Learning

1. Comes to class every day ready and willing to learn.
2. Has an inquisitive and engaged mind.
3. Is excited to tackle her tasks every day.
4. Likes to come to school and learn with her friends.
5. Has a positive attitude to self-development.
6. Tends to come into the classroom with a big smile and an open mind.
7. Sets herself very high standards and strives to meet them each and every day.

Showing Improvement

1. Is consistently improving.
2. Is developing very well for her age.
3. Has shown strong signs of growth in all learning areas.
4. Has made clear and commendable gains.
5. Improves each and every day.
6. Her hard work and effort has paid off.

Positive Behavior

1. Is always very well behaved during class time.
2. Has a good ability to avoid peers who she sees may be distractions to her learning.
3. Is always willing to listen to instructions.
4. Is a very helpful and respectful student.
5. Never misbehaves in class.
6. Sets a good standard for classmates to follow.
7. Is very good at following the rules.

Shows Respect for Others

1. Has a great deal of respect for all visitors to the classroom.
2. Cares for and respects her classmates.
3. Is always respectful to classroom equipment.
4. Always puts her hand up and follows instructions.
5. Is very considerate of others and often puts others’ needs and interests at the front of her mind.
6. Is a very respectful and responsible classmate.
7. Has proven to be a courteous and polite classmate.
8. Is held in high regard for her kindness to others.

Confidence

1. Is a very outgoing, positive and upbeat student.
2. Tackles every task with enthusiasm and self-belief.
3. Is building her confidence more and more every day.
4. Has shown remarkable growth in confidence this year.
5. Has reached many achievements this year, which is reflected in her budding confidence.
6. Is a self-assured young learner who is always willing to try something new.

Honesty

1. Can always be trusted with tasks assigned to her.
2. Conducts herself with honesty and integrity at all times.
3. Is trusted with school equipment including expensive computer technology.
4. Is open, honest and upfront about her thoughts and beliefs.
5. Shares thoughtful and genuine opinions during lessons.
6. Is always willing to self-reflect and provide genuine analyses of her progress.

Self-Expression

1. Is a very expressive and confident student.
2. Has a great ability to express thoughts and feelings in writing.
3. Is always willing to express herself in front of the class with a bold and confident voice.
4. Has artistic talent and can articulate her thoughts through drawing and painting very well.
5. Is a very articulate public speaker when talking about issues that she knows well.
6. Is always willing to contribute her own thoughts and beliefs in class discussions.
7. Uses her body and hand movements to express herself artistically.

High Motivation

1. Has a great deal of intrinsic motivation. She’s a real go getter!
2. Has bucket loads of initiative.
3. Has an active mind and is eager to achieve.
4. Comes to class with a huge willingness to participate.
5. Never wants to waste a day in the classroom.
6. Loves to soak up all the information around her.
7. Is an ambitious and proactive student.
8. Knows her goals and strives every day to achieve them.

Strong Communication Skills

1. Projects her voice very well when communicating in class.
2. Is effective at using the written word to express herself.
3. Has a great deal of confidence when speaking to groups.
4. Is very good at clearly and succinctly speaking up when she feels she has a valuable contribution.
5. Consistently provides valuable contributions to class discussion.
6. Is a skilled public speaker.
7. Has shown great strides in written communication skills in recent months.

Is Neat and Tidy

1. Always keeps her belongings neatly organized.
2. Looks after her belongings very carefully.
3. Always has neat book work which shows respect and high regard for her own work.
4. Keeps her desk space very tidy, clean and organized.
5. Takes pride in keeping her work neat, clean and tidy for every submission.
6. Keeps her personal work spaces very well organized.

Good Listening Skills

1. Is an active listener who is always ready to respond with relevant and engaging questions.
2. Listens thoughtfully to other people’s ideas and contributes her own thoughtful ideas.
3. Listens with an open mind to her classmates’ perspectives.
4. Always listens intently with the hope of learning new things.
5. Concentrates and pays close attention during demonstrations to ensure she understands task requirements.
6. Takes directions well and is quick to apply directions to tasks.
7. Is always attentive in class and asks for clarification when required.

Group Work

1. Is good at working in small groups unaided by a teacher.
2. Listens intently to others and takes their opinions in mind.
3. Excels when given leadership roles in small groups.
4. Appears to thrive in group learning situations.
5. Has developed strong skills in communicating in groups.
6. Works productively in groups of all sizes to get tasks done.
7. Has a knack for managing multiple personalities in group situations.
8. Could work on sharing resources more fairly during group tasks.
9. Needs to work on allowing other group members equal time to speak during group discussions.

Strong Organization and Time Management

1. Always arrives to class on time with her books and is ready to learn.
2. Is exceptionally good at completing tasks in a timely manner.
3. Is a natural organizer and is often seen helping to get her peers organized and ready for tasks.
4. Is always trusted to meet deadlines.
5. Uses color coding and headings in her books effectively to organize her notes.
6. Keeps a neat and organized work space at all times.

Good at Homework

1. Always comes to class with very neat and well written homework.
2. Tends to complete independent homework tasks with ease.
3. Thrives with independent homework tasks, which are always presented in a timely manner.
4. Comes to class with great questions based on the assigned homework tasks, showing thoughtfulness and independence.
5. Can be trusted to complete her homework in time.
6. Often asks for extra homework. She has shown great thirst for knowledge.

Strong Participation

1. Is always willing to jump in and participate in any task.
2. Is a great helper, always giving people a hand when she sees they are in need.
3. Participates in all tasks, no matter her skill level. This enthusiasm is laudable.
4. Always comes to class willing to get involved in the daily activities.
5. Is always the first person to put their hand up to volunteer for a task.
6. Loves to learn by getting involved and gaining first-hand experiences.

Interests

1. Is beginning to develop her own interest and is eager to learn more about them.
2. Has a strong personal interest in ________ and has been taking the initiative to explore the topic.
3. Is very enthusiastic about ________ and has shown great promise in this area.
4. Has picked a great extracurricular hobby of _____. Her skills learned in this hobby has helped to boost her confidence in the classroom.
5. Shows interest in a variety of different topics which she has been enthusiastically exploring during free study time.
6. Always finds personal interest in topics presented in class.

Independence

1. Is showing increasing independence to learn and study without the need for excessive guidance.
2. Is a fiercely independent person who knows what she wants and goes out to get it.
3. Has an independent and free spirited mind.
4. Is not afraid to go against the majority if she is certain of her beliefs and thoughts.
5. Happily goes about her tasks independently but seeks help when required.
6. Shows confidence striking out on her own to do things she is interested in.

Strong Learning and Thinking Skills

1. Is very resourceful and uses the internet, books and peers to find new knowledge.
2. Is aware of her learning styles and makes every effort to work to her strengths as a student.
3. Uses higher-order thinking strategies like analysis and critique to question assumptions.
4. Knows when she needs help and asks for it willingly.
5. Thinks deeply about her responses before providing them.
6. Is very good at reflecting on her weaknesses and working on them to grow as a person.
7. Is great at solving problems using her own initiative.

Good Attention to Detail

1. Pays close attention to the details of a tasks so that she doesn’t miss anything.
2. Is very systematic about going about her tasks so she can complete them thoroughly.
3. Is great at identifying small and nuanced mistakes in her own work.
4. Always creates very presentable and professional looking pieces of work.

Reflection

1. Has great self-reflection skills, being able to identify her own strengths and weaknesses.
2. Can pause and look at her own work to identify areas for improvement.
3. Has the ability to stop and change course when she identifies areas for improvement.
4. Is very good at identifying and repairing errors in drafts.
5. Has exercised great thoughtfulness about her own capabilities.
6. Has shown the ability to empathize with classmates and show great compassion.

Perseverance and Determination

1. Shows great determination when is set a challenging task.
2. Perseveres through difficulties to achieve her goals.
3. Is resilient in the face of significant challenges and problems presented.
4. Will always work through struggles and come out the other end more confident and skilled.

Constructive Comments

Present constructive comments to show the areas for improvement for the student. Carefully craft the comments so they’re not overly upsetting or impersonal.

Negative Attitude to Learning

1. Occasionally needs special assistance to stay on task.
2. Requires some coaxing to complete tasks.
3. Is at times distracted or uninterested in learning.
4. Is working on paying more attention to her tasks.
5. Has some off days where she is uninterested in learning.
6. Is easily distracted by friends.
7. Will often come to class unwilling to contribute to group discussions.

Needs Improvement

1. Needs to work on focus and concentration during class time.
2. Has improved in some areas, but continues to slip behind in others.
3. Is showing some lack of focus and is slipping behind in some subjects.
4. There is still a lot of room for growth and we are working on improving her focus and drive in coming months.
5. It would be great to see some improvement in her weakest subjects in the future.
6. I would like to see her asking for help when stuck on tasks.

Disruptive Behavior

1. Can occasionally disrupt her friends and classmates.
2. Is at times a distraction to other students.
3. Can be unsettled when entering the class after breaks.
4. Can be talkative during quiet times and individual tasks.
5. Could work on being more considerate to other classmates.
6. Has had a difficult time getting comfortable in class this year.
7. Has at times sought undue attention and distracted the flow of lessons.

Low Motivation

1. Sometimes struggles to engage in class discussions.
2. Requires a lot of external rewards to get focused.
3. Works well below her capabilities due to lack of motivation to do her best.
4. Relies heavily on extrinsic motivation. It would be great to see more intrinsic desire to succeed in coming months.
5. Struggles to find things she is interested in.
6. Has trouble getting engaged and interested in class topics.
7. Will respond well to rewards but struggles to use initiative.
8. Needs to dig deep and find greater motivation to learn in coming months.

Is Not Neat and Tidy

1. Occasionally presents work that is messy and difficult to read.
2. I would like to see her paying more attention to neatness in her writing.
3. It would be great to see her showing more care for her workspace to ensure all her belongings are well cared for.
4. At times comes to class disheveled and disorganized.
5. Presents homework that is untidy and appears to have been rushed.
6. Needs to work on ensuring her work is presentable, neat, and error-free.

Weak Communication Skills

1. Speaks very softly. An area for improvement is speaking up in class discussions.
2. Could work some more on communicating her opinions during discussions.
3. Is often shy and intimidated when asked to speak up in class discussions.
4. Needs coaxing to share her thoughts in class.
5. Can work on being clearer when expressing her thoughts in writing.
6. I look forward to seeing further development in expressing her thoughts in class.

Poor Listening Skills

1. Has had some trouble paying attention to others during class discussions.
2. Has some trouble listening to peers and teachers.
3. Is easily distracted during class discussions.
4. Is a good talker but needs to work on pausing and listening to others more attentively.
5. Is often fidgety and distracted when spoken to.
6. Is often resistant to make eye contact and be responsive when spoken to.
7. Has trouble repeating and remembering instructions.

Weak Organization and Time Management

1. Tends to leave tasks to the last minute.
2. Often submits incomplete drafts due to poor time management.
3. Is often disorganized and forgets important school supplies.
4. Has submitted homework late on several occasions.
5. Could work on using her time more efficiently to complete tasks in allotted time periods.
6. I would like to see her working on her organizational skills in coming months so she can use her class time more efficiently.

Bad at Homework

1. Will often skip assigned homework tasks.
2. Regularly forgets to bring homework to school.
3. Her homework is often brought to class incomplete and rushed.
4. Is often seen completing homework tasks the morning before they are due.
5. I would like to see her working on setting aside more time for homework in the coming months.
6. Is good at class work, but needs more initiative to complete her weekly homework in a timely manner.

Poor Attention to Detail

1. Could be getting higher grades if she edited her work more carefully before submission.
2. Will sometimes make mistakes due to distractedness and carelessness.
3. Has started to let carelessness seep into his work for the past few months.
4. Often does not pay enough attention to test questions, leading to small unforced errors.

Preschool and Kindergarten Comments

Here are some great comments specifically for children in the early years of their development.

Play Based Learning – Strong

1. Plays well with other children.
2. Shares resources with her peers during play time.
3. Has begun to develop cooperative play skills such as sharing and taking turns.
4. Is a creative and imaginative learner.
5. Engages in strong exploratory and discovery play behaviors without prompting.
6. Is enthusiastic and engaged when given developmentally appropriate resources to play with.
7. Thrives in unstructured play environments where she can explore, learn and discover in her own time.
8. Has started to use extended vocabulary well during play scenarios.
9. Is great at taking measured risks during play which reveals great self-confidence for her age.

Play Based Learning – Needs Improvement

1. Plays in parallel with other children, but needs to start developing cooperative play strategies in the coming months.
2. Is good at solitary play, but needs more practice sharing and playing with other students.
3. Is curious about playing with others, but often sits back due to shyness.
4. Needs encouragement to use more language skills during play-based learning.
5. Struggles to take turns when playing with others.

Strong Development

1. Is developing in an age appropriate way and continues to show good progress.
2. Has visibly developed fine and gross motor skills during class sessions.
3. Is using language at an age appropriate level.
4. Is starting to move out of her comfort zone to explore more and more new challenges.
5. Is socially, cognitively and physically on track for transition to school.

Socialization

1. Has shown remarkable strides in communication skills at preschool.
2. Plays well with others.
3. Is a thoughtful and kind student who plays well with others.
4. Always shares and thinks about others during play scenarios.
5. Is a popular student who finds it very easy to make friends with other children.
6. Has been seen to show some great emerging leadership skills during play scenarios.
7. Is very happy to play in groups and learn from peers.

Final Thoughts

I will often start with a comment bank like the one above. For each student, I’ll copy four or five of the most suitable statements.

But, I will also follow-up my generic comment from the comment bank with a specific example for the parents to read.

Parents do like to see that you have provided specific and thoughtful statements – so don’t forget to use the student’s name and specific anecdotes as much as possible.

I do hope this comment bank for report card comments has come in handy for you.

Remember to also maintain a positive but honest and constructive voice when writing.

If there is serious concern that might be difficult to express in writing, you should arrange for a parent-teacher conference to have a discussion and see how things progress.

Good luck with your report card writing!