Writing Report Card Narratives for English Language Learners

The Unique Challenge of ELL Report Cards

Report card comments for English Language Learners require you to hold two things at once: academic content performance and language acquisition progress. These are related but not the same, and conflating them creates an inaccurate picture for families and for the student's future teachers.

A student can have strong mathematical reasoning and still score below grade level on assessments because of language demands. Your comment should reflect that distinction.

Separating Language From Content

When writing about academic skills, try to note what a student can demonstrate when language demands are reduced. This gives a more accurate picture of their actual content knowledge.

"In math, [name] demonstrates strong conceptual understanding when working with visual models and manipulatives. On grade-level assessments that require reading multi-step word problems in English, performance is affected by current English proficiency. His mathematical reasoning is solid."

That comment is both honest and equitable. It does not penalize a student's intelligence for being in the process of learning a new language.

Language Acquisition Progress

If your school uses WIDA or another language proficiency framework, you can reference proficiency levels (without jargon) to give families a sense of where a student is in the acquisition process:

"[Name] is in an early stage of English language development and is building vocabulary and sentence structure skills rapidly. She communicates effectively in both English and Spanish and benefits from bilingual support during content instruction."

"[Name] has made significant progress in English fluency this year. She is now able to follow grade-level verbal instruction in most content areas and is developing academic writing skills in English."

Cultural Responsiveness in Comments

Avoid writing comments that frame a student's home language as an obstacle. The ability to speak multiple languages is an asset. Acknowledge it.

"[Name] brings strong literacy skills in Spanish that support his English acquisition. As his English vocabulary grows, we are seeing these skills transfer directly into his reading and writing."

Also be mindful that many ELL families will have the report card translated or explained by a family member. Keep your language clear, concrete, and free of jargon.