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It's report card time and you face the prospect of writing constructive, insightful, and original comments on a couple dozen report cards or more. A daunting task? Not with Ed World's help! Included: 100 positive report card comments for you to use and adapt.

You've reached the end of another grading period, and what could be more daunting than the task of composing insightful, original, and unique comments about every child in your class? The following positive statements will help you tailor your comments to specific children and highlight their strengths.

You can also use our statements to indicate a need for improvement. Turn the words around a bit, and you will transform each into a goal for a child to work toward. Sam cooperates consistently with others becomes Sam needs to cooperate more consistently with others, and Sally uses vivid language in writing may instead read With practice, Sally will learn to use vivid language in her writing. Make Jan seeks new challenges into a request for parental support by changing it to read Please encourage Jan to seek new challenges.

Whether you are tweaking statements from this page or creating original ones, check out our Report Card Thesaurus [see sidebar] that contains a list of appropriate adjectives and adverbs. There you will find the right words to keep your comments fresh and accurate.

We have organized our 100 report card comments by category. Read the entire list or click one of the category links below to jump to that list.

Attitude
Behavior
Character
Communication Skills
Group Work
Interests and Talents
Participation
Social Skills
Time Management
Work Habits

Attitude

The student:

• is an enthusiastic learner who seems to enjoy school.
• exhibits a positive outlook and attitude in the classroom.
• appears well rested and ready for each day's activities.
• shows enthusiasm for classroom activities.
• shows initiative and looks for new ways to get involved.
• uses instincts to deal with matters independently and in a positive way.
• strives to reach his (or her) full potential.
• is committed to doing his (or her) best.
• seeks new challenges.
• takes responsibility for his (or her) learning.

Behavior

The student:

• cooperates consistently with the teacher and other students.
• transitions easily between classroom activities without distraction.
• is courteous and shows good manners in the classroom.
• follows classroom rules.
• conducts himself (or herself) with maturity.
• responds appropriately when corrected.
• remains focused on the activity at hand.
• resists the urge to be distracted by other students.
• is kind and helpful to everyone in the classroom.
• sets an example of excellence in behavior and cooperation.

Character

The student:

• shows respect for teachers and peers.
• treats school property and the belongings of others with care and respect.
• is honest and trustworthy in dealings with others.
• displays good citizenship by assisting other students.

Report Card Thesaurus Looking for some great adverbs and adjectives to bring to life the comments that you put on report cards? Go beyond the stale and repetitive… With this list, your notes will always be creative and unique. Adjectives attentive capable careful cheerful confident cooperative courteous creative dynamic eager energetic generous hard-working helpful honest imaginative independent industrious motivated organized outgoing pleasant polite resourceful sincere unique Adverbs always commonly consistently daily frequently monthly never occasionally often rarely regularly typically usually weekly

• joins in school community projects.
• is concerned about the feelings of peers.
• faithfully performs classroom tasks.
• can be depended on to do what he (or she) is asked to do.
• seeks responsibilities and follows through.
• is thoughtful in interactions with others.

Communication Skills

The student:

• has a well-developed vocabulary.
• chooses words with care.
• expresses ideas clearly, both verbally and through writing.
• has a vibrant imagination and excels in creative writing.
• has found his (or her) voice through poetry writing.
• uses vivid language in writing.
• writes clearly and with purpose.
• writes with depth and insight.
• can make a logical and persuasive argument.
• listens to the comments and ideas of others without interrupting.

Group Work

The student:

• offers constructive suggestions to peers to enhance their work.
• accepts the recommendations of peers and acts on them when appropriate.
• is sensitive to the thoughts and opinions of others in the group.
• takes on various roles in the work group as needed or assigned.
• welcomes leadership roles in groups.
• shows fairness in distributing group tasks.
• plans and carries out group activities carefully.
• works democratically with peers.
• encourages other members of the group.
• helps to keep the work group focused and on task.

Interests and Talents

The student:

• has a well-developed sense of humor.
• holds many varied interests.
• has a keen interest that has been shared with the class.
• displays and talks about personal items from home when they relate to topics of study.
• provides background knowledge about topics of particular interest to him (or her).
• has an impressive understanding and depth of knowledge about his (or her) interests.
• seeks additional information independently about classroom topics that pique interest.
• reads extensively for enjoyment.
• frequently discusses concepts about which he (or she) has read.
• is a gifted performer.
• is a talented artist.
• has a flair for dramatic reading and acting.
• enjoys sharing his (or her) musical talent with the class.

Participation

The student:

• listens attentively to the responses of others.
• follows directions.
• takes an active role in discussions.
• enhances group discussion through insightful comments.
• shares personal experiences and opinions with peers.
• responds to what has been read or discussed in class and as homework.
• asks for clarification when needed.
• regularly volunteers to assist in classroom activities.
• remains an active learner throughout the school day.

Social Skills

The student:

• makes friends quickly in the classroom.
• is well-liked by classmates.
• handles disagreements with peers appropriately.
• treats other students with fairness and understanding.
• is a valued member of the class.
• has compassion for peers and others.
• seems comfortable in new situations.
• enjoys conversation with friends during free periods.
• chooses to spend free time with friends.

Time Management

The student:

• tackles classroom assignments, tasks, and group work in an organized manner.
• uses class time wisely.
arrives on time for school (and/or class) every day.
• is well-prepared for class each day.
• works at an appropriate pace, neither too quickly or slowly.
• completes assignments in the time allotted.
• paces work on long-term assignments.
• sets achievable goals with respect to time.
• completes make-up work in a timely fashion.

Work Habits

The student:

• is a conscientious, hard-working student.
• works independently.
• is a self-motivated student.
• consistently completes homework assignments.
• puts his (or her) best effort into homework assignments.
• exceeds expectations with the quality of his (or her) work.
• readily grasps new concepts and ideas.
• generates neat and careful work.
• checks work thoroughly before submitting it.
• stays on task with little supervision.
• displays self-discipline.
• avoids careless errors through attention to detail.
• uses free minutes of class time constructively.
• creates impressive home projects.

Article by Cara Bafile
Education World®
Copyright © 2007 Education World

08/18/2007