How to Write Report Card Comments

Good report card comments are specific (reference actual skills and behaviors, not vague praise), balanced (acknowledge strengths and identify growth areas), actionable (suggest what the student or family can do next), and professional (clear language appropriate for all families).

Avoid generic comments that could apply to any student. 'Johnny is a great student' tells parents nothing. 'Johnny consistently uses evidence from the text to support his written arguments and has improved his paragraph organization this quarter' tells parents exactly where their child excels.

For each student, follow a simple three-part structure: lead with a genuine strength or achievement, identify one specific area for growth, and suggest a concrete next step.

Example: 'Maria demonstrates strong number sense and can solve multi-digit multiplication problems accurately and efficiently. She is working on applying these skills to multi-step word problems, particularly identifying which operation to use. Practicing word problems at home by identifying key words and drawing models would support her growth.'

This structure ensures every comment is balanced and constructive. Parents hear what their child does well AND what they need to work on.

For reading: reference specific skills (fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, decoding) and name the strategies the student uses or needs to develop.

For math: reference specific content (operations, fractions, geometry) and mathematical practices (problem-solving, reasoning, modeling).

For writing: reference specific traits (organization, voice, conventions, word choice) and the writing process (planning, drafting, revising).

For behavior/work habits: describe specific patterns (completes work on time, participates in discussions, collaborates with peers) rather than character judgments.

Use: 'consistently,' 'beginning to,' 'is working toward,' 'demonstrates,' 'has made progress in,' 'shows strength in,' 'would benefit from,' 'continues to develop.'

Avoid: 'always,' 'never,' 'can't,' 'won't,' 'lazy,' 'smart,' 'bad,' or any language that labels the student rather than describing their performance. Also avoid jargon that parents may not understand — write 'uses details from the story to explain their thinking' instead of 'cites textual evidence to support inferences.'

Build a comment bank organized by subject and skill. Write 5-10 templates for common patterns (strong reader, struggling with math facts, excellent effort) and customize with student-specific details.

Write comments in batches by subject rather than student — write all reading comments, then all math comments. This keeps you in the same mental framework and speeds up the process.

Use AI tools to generate a first draft based on the student's performance areas, then personalize with specific examples and observations you've noted during the quarter.