report writing comments year 1

Year One Report Comment Resource

Add to calendar, add to favourites, description.

• Early Years

Additional information

Related products.

• Safe Places, Safe Adults Board Game
• Lunchbox Design Challenge
• Years 1 & 2 Making Healthy & Safe Choices Display PACKAGE
• Asking for Help PICK & CLICK
• Frog Tens & Ones Match Cards
• Dog & Bone: 1-10

Australian Curriculum V9

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Lorem ipsum/ Lorem ipsum/ Lorem ipsum

Email Address

Remember Me

Out of Credits

Looks like you’re out of credits.

Create an account

Reset password, item added to your cart.

0 items in the cart ( $ 0.00 )

MAKE WAVES WITH THIS FREE WEEKLONG VOCABULARY UNIT!

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

Need a new favorite marking pen for your report cards? These are my personal favorite. I love ballpoint pens because they don’t bleed through, and they come in a rainbow of colors.

Click here to grab a set of your own! 

WHILE YOU’RE HERE…

Did you know that i have a free resource library full of exclusive upper elementary resources that you won’t find anywhere else.

Click the image below to grab your resources now!

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.

Thanks for stopping by!

* This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, The Teacher Next Door, LLC receives a few cents on the dollar. This commission directly supports us as a small business and ensures that we can continue to create high-quality content for upper elementary teachers, like yourself!  As always, the products shared are tried, true, and tested. Enjoy! 

• Read more about: Classroom Ideas

You might also like...

20 Must-Have TikTok Amazon Finds to Improve Your Teacher-Life

If you’re anything like me, you love all the tips, tricks, and deals to make your life easier! As a teacher and a mom, I

Indoor Recess Activities Your Students Will LOVE!

Two little words that teachers everywhere dread: indoor recess.  Did you get chills just reading that? Totally understandable, it’s no one’s favorite thing! Indoor recess

3 Absolute Must-Do’s for Upper Elementary Teachers in January

It might be hard to believe, but January is already here again! The school year is certainly flying by. I hope that you and your

Hi, I’m Jenn, CEO and owner of The Teacher Next Door!

I know that you strive to be an effective upper elementary teacher while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

In order to do that, you need resources that are impactful, yet simple .

The problem is that most resources and curriculums out there are far from simple. The pages upon pages of daily lesson plans are just plain overwhelming .

At TTND, we believe teachers should be living their lives outside of the classroom, and not spend hours lesson planning and searching for resources.

We understand that now, more than ever, teachers need space to be themselves which is why we create and support teachers with timesaving tips and standards-aligned resources.

Want access to TTND's Free Resource Library? Sign up for our newsletter and we'll email you the exclusive password!

Trending posts.

SEARCH BY TOPIC

• Classroom Ideas
• Holidays and Seasonal
• Mentor Texts
• Reading Block
• Uncategorized
• Writing & Grammar

POPULAR RESOURCES

Facebook Group

Teachers Pay Teachers

Free Resource Library

💌 Contact Us

Disclosures

Privacy Policy

Refund Policy

Purchase Orders

Your Downloads

Reward Points

©  The Teacher Next Door, LLC. All rights reserved.

* Please note: If your school has strong email filters, you may wish to use your personal email to ensure access.

• Try for free

Report Card Comments for Language Arts and Reading

Academic Achievement and Improvement

Positive Comments:

_______'s reading has improved considerably throughout the year. Please continue to practice reading with [him/her] regularly.

_______ has shown a great amount of improvement in [his/her] creative writing. She has learned to use more colorful words.

_______ is making excellent progress reading sight words. Please continue to practice with [him/her] regularly.

_______'s spelling scores have improved greatly since the beginning of the school year. Studying [his/her] spelling words regularly has made much difference. I appreciate your help.

_______'s understanding of complex texts has developed significantly. Continue to challenge [him/her] with diverse genres.

_______ has made remarkable strides in verbal communication. [Her/his] oral presentations show a deep understanding of the topics.

Needs Improvement Comments:

However, [his/her] written work needs much improvement. With greater effort, the improvement should slowly come.

Although _______ is trying very hard, [he/she] struggles to write smooth, fluent sentences. Can we meet to discuss some helpful strategies?

_______ is struggling to understand the main ideas in the texts we are reading. Extra reading practice at home could be beneficial.

_______'s vocabulary usage in writing could be expanded. Incorporating a wider array of words can enhance [his/her] writing.

_______ is finding it challenging to spell words correctly, which is affecting [his/her] written work. Regular spelling practice can help improve this.

Despite [his/her] efforts, _______ has difficulty participating in group discussions. Encouraging [him/her] to share [his/her] thoughts could boost [his/her] confidence.

Looking for more report card comment examples?

Download or purchase over 90+ pages of grading comments examples, tips, and advice for managing student grades.

_______ has shown excellent progress in understanding and interpreting complex texts.

_______ has improved in making predictions based on the text and illustrations.

_______ has been successful in identifying the main ideas and supporting details in a text.

_______ demonstrates a high level of comprehension in both fiction and non-fiction reading.

_______ has made notable improvements in fluency and expression when reading aloud.

_______ consistently uses context clues to decipher the meaning of unfamiliar words.

_______ has a strong ability to draw connections between different texts.

_______ demonstrates a deep understanding of the characters and their motivations in the texts we read.

_______ consistently asks insightful questions about the text to deepen understanding.

_______ has been successful in using reading strategies to improve comprehension and retention.

_______ has difficulty distinguishing between fact and opinion in the texts we read.

_______ struggles with understanding the plot and setting in stories.

_______ has difficulty comprehending complex texts and may benefit from additional support.

_______ needs to work on reading fluency and expression.

_______ should practice using context clues to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words.

_______ struggles to draw connections between different texts.

_______ has difficulty identifying the main ideas and supporting details in a text.

_______ needs to work on making predictions based on the text and illustrations.

_______ should practice asking questions about the text to deepen understanding.

_______ struggles to demonstrate comprehension when reading non-fiction texts.

_______'s writing has improved significantly over the year. [His/her] stories are more detailed and interesting.

_______ has a strong command of grammar, which has improved the clarity of [his/her] writing.

_______ has made impressive strides in [his/her] ability to articulate ideas clearly and concisely.

_______ has been consistent in submitting well-structured and thoughtful essays.

_______ has been creative in [his/her] approach to writing assignments. This has made for some engaging and insightful work.

_______ effectively uses a rich vocabulary to enhance [his/her] writing.

_______ has done an excellent job of incorporating feedback into [his/her] writing.

_______ consistently organizes [his/her] thoughts well in [his/her] written work.

_______ has developed strong sentence and paragraph structure skills.

_______ has shown a commendable ability to write with a clear purpose and audience in mind.

_______ often struggles with sentence structure, which can make [his/her] writing difficult to understand.

_______ has difficulty organizing [his/her] thoughts in a coherent manner when writing.

_______ often forgets to proofread [his/her] work, leading to several grammatical errors.

_______ needs to develop [his/her] paragraph structuring skills.

_______ should focus on developing a richer vocabulary to enhance [his/her] writing.

_______ struggles to write with a clear purpose and audience in mind.

_______ is encouraged to incorporate more detail into [his/her] writing.

_______ often struggles with writing assignments and could benefit from additional support.

_______ needs to work on integrating feedback into [his/her] writing.

_______ has difficulty articulating [his/her] ideas clearly in writing.

_______ has a strong command of vocabulary for [his/her] grade level.

_______ consistently uses new vocabulary words in [his/her] writing and speech.

_______ is eager to learn and use new vocabulary words.

_______ has demonstrated a significant improvement in [his/her] vocabulary over the year.

_______ uses a diverse range of vocabulary in [his/her] written work.

_______ shows an impressive understanding of word meanings and uses.

_______ effectively uses context clues to understand new vocabulary.

_______ easily understands and uses grade-appropriate synonyms and antonyms.

_______ consistently uses appropriate academic vocabulary in class discussions.

_______ has a keen interest in expanding [his/her] vocabulary and often asks about word meanings.

_______ often uses basic vocabulary and should aim to utilize richer, more varied vocabulary.

_______ frequently struggles with the meanings of grade-level vocabulary words.

_______ could benefit from regular vocabulary practice at home.

_______ often misuses or misunderstands new vocabulary words.

_______ should focus on expanding [his/her] vocabulary to improve [his/her] written and oral communication.

_______ could benefit from using context clues to decipher the meanings of unfamiliar words.

_______ has difficulty remembering the meanings of new vocabulary words.

_______ should aim to use new vocabulary in [his/her] written work to reinforce understanding.

_______ struggles with synonyms and antonyms of grade-level vocabulary words.

_______ should practice using academic vocabulary in class discussions.

Spelling and Grammar

_______ shows an excellent understanding of grammar rules.

_______ consistently uses correct spelling in all [his/her] work.

_______ has made considerable progress in spelling and grammar this year.

_______'s sentence construction is commendable and free of grammatical errors.

_______ has a strong command of spelling and uses it effectively in written assignments.

_______ has an impressive understanding of complex grammar rules.

_______ effectively applies spelling rules to new words.

_______ demonstrates excellent proofreading skills to correct spelling and grammatical errors in [his/her] work.

_______ has a keen eye for spotting and correcting grammatical errors in [his/her] writing.

_______ consistently uses proper punctuation and capitalization in [his/her] writing.

_______ often struggles with spelling and could benefit from additional practice.

_______ frequently makes grammatical errors in [his/her] writing.

_______ needs to work on proofreading [his/her] work for spelling and grammar mistakes.

_______ struggles with using correct punctuation in [his/her] writing.

_______ often confuses the spelling of similar-sounding words.

_______ needs to work on sentence construction to avoid grammatical errors.

_______ struggles with complex grammar rules and could benefit from additional practice.

_______ needs to work on applying spelling rules to new words.

_______ should focus on improving [his/her] understanding of different grammar rules.

_______ struggles with using capitalization correctly in [his/her] writing.

Speaking and Listening Skills

_______ has demonstrated excellent listening skills during class discussions.

_______ has shown great improvement in [his/her] verbal communication skills.

_______ can articulate [his/her] thoughts and ideas clearly during discussions.

_______ listens attentively to instructions and follows them accurately.

_______ has shown an impressive ability to engage in thoughtful class debates.

_______ consistently contributes valuable insights during group discussions.

_______ has a strong ability to summarize information presented orally.

_______ is respectful when listening to others speak and waits [his/her] turn to respond.

_______ has shown excellent proficiency in delivering oral presentations.

_______ consistently asks thoughtful questions during class discussions.

_______ often struggles to express [his/her] thoughts clearly during discussions.

_______ frequently interrupts others during class discussions and needs to work on [his/her] listening skills.

_______ could benefit from additional practice with oral presentations.

_______ has difficulty summarizing information presented orally.

_______ needs to work on contributing more regularly to class discussions.

_______ should practice asking more insightful questions during class discussions.

_______ could benefit from additional practice in active listening skills.

_______ often seems distracted during class discussions.

_______ needs to work on [his/her] ability to express thoughts and ideas clearly in a group setting.

_______ should practice speaking more slowly and clearly during oral presentations.

_______ consistently contributes valuable ideas during group work.

_______ is a supportive and effective team member in group projects.

_______ exhibits strong leadership skills in group settings.

_______ is adept at delegating tasks and responsibilities in group work.

_______ is excellent at bridging differences and finding common ground within the group.

_______ has shown a remarkable ability to facilitate group discussions.

_______ effectively collaborates with team members to accomplish tasks.

_______ consistently respects the ideas and perspectives of others in the group.

_______ has been instrumental in the success of group projects.

_______ consistently motivates other group members towards achieving common goals.

_______ often dominates group discussions and should work on listening to others.

_______ should practice contributing more regularly to group work.

_______ could improve on taking on leadership roles in group settings.

_______ needs to work on accepting and integrating feedback from group members.

_______ has difficulty cooperating with others during group work.

_______ should work on delegating tasks effectively during group projects.

_______ should aim to respect the ideas and perspectives of others in the group.

Effort and Participation

_______ consistently demonstrates an impressive level of effort in Language Arts and Reading tasks.

_______ is always eager to participate in class discussions and activities.

_______ shows a laudable dedication to improving [his/her] skills in Language Arts and Reading.

_______ always completes assignments on time and to a high standard.

_______ is very proactive in asking questions to extend [his/her] learning.

_______ consistently takes the initiative to help others in class.

_______ always shows a positive attitude towards learning in Language Arts and Reading.

_______ regularly contributes insightful comments during class discussions.

_______ goes above and beyond in [his/her] participation in class activities.

_______ consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic in Language Arts and Reading.

_______ could benefit from putting more effort into [his/her] Language Arts and Reading assignments.

_______ should aim to participate more actively in class discussions.

_______ would benefit from dedicating more time to [his/her] Language Arts and Reading homework.

_______ should aim to ask more questions to extend [his/her] understanding.

_______ should try to engage more proactively with [his/her] classmates during group work.

_______ needs to focus more on completing tasks to the best of [his/her] ability.

_______ should aim to contribute more regularly to class discussions.

_______ has room for improvement in terms of [his/her] active participation in class activities.

_______ should try to adopt a more positive attitude towards learning in Language Arts and Reading.

_______ could benefit from demonstrating more initiative during class activities.

Elementary School Comments for Language Arts and Reading

_______ enjoys listening to stories.

_______ can distinguish sounds in words.

_______ has difficulty distinguishing sounds in words.

_______ learns new vocabulary quickly.

_______ now knows and can use _____ consonant and vowel sounds.

_______ confuses the sounds ___ and ___.

_______ can blend short words using the vowel(s) _____ without assistance.

_______ is learning to attack words independently.

_______ uses the phonics skills to attack new words.

_______ can now recognize ____ sight words.

_______ is still confusing words that look alike.

_______ is beginning to read words in groups and phrases.

_______ can read [his/her] sentences back.

_______ speaks in complete sentences.

_______ has difficulty using [pronouns, verbs] correctly.

_______ enjoys dramatization.

_______ has a good oral vocabulary.

_______ uses colorful words while speaking.

_______ participates in group storytelling.

_______ is now able to write a complete sentence independently.

_______ can write an original story containing two to four sentences.

_______ puts words in the appropriate order.

_______ is building a good spelling vocabulary.

_______ uses the dictionary to find unfamiliar words.

_______ enjoys learning to spell new words.

_______ can learn to spell words easily.

_______ sometimes reverses letters in a word.

_______ has difficulty remembering the spelling of non-phonetic words.

_______ is helped by using hand or body motions to remember spelling.

Middle School Comments for Language Arts and Reading

_______ needs to increase [his/her] speed and comprehension in reading.

_______ has developed a mature reading vocabulary.

_______ reads extensively.

_______ comprehends what [he/she] reads.

_______ is interested in books and reading.

_______ can read to follow directions.

_______ reads for pleasure.

_______'s reading is... (smooth, jerky, hesitant, rapid, irregular, or fluent).

_______ enjoys discussing the stories we read.

_______'s reading is becoming automatic.

_______'s reading has yet to become automatic.

_______ speaks clearly.

_______ uses punctuation correctly.

_______ uses [complex, simple] sentences while speaking.

_______ needs to apply skills to all written work.

_______ excels in writing original stories and poems.

_______ can place periods and question marks correctly.

_______ uses colorful words in [his/her] writing.

_______ can compose several related sentences.

_______ shows self-confidence in writing.

_______ shows a keen understanding of plot and character development in the books we read.

_______ consistently uses new vocabulary words accurately in [his/her] writing.

_______ should work on incorporating textual evidence into [his/her] written responses.

_______ demonstrates strong critical thinking skills during class discussions.

Featured Middle School Resources

Related Resources

About the author

TeacherVision Editorial Staff

The TeacherVision editorial team is comprised of teachers, experts, and content professionals dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and relevant information in the teaching space.

• Prodigy Math
• Prodigy English
• Is a Premium Membership Worth It?
• Promote a Growth Mindset
• Help Your Child Who's Struggling with Math
• Parent's Guide to Prodigy
• Assessments
• Math Curriculum Coverage
• English Curriculum Coverage
• Game Portal

107 Report Card Comments to Use and Adapt

Written by Justin Raudys

Reviewed by Sarah Tino, M.Ed.

See your students' performance at a push of a button

With Prodigy's reports, teachers can easily track student progress and see their strengths and growth opportunities – all while the student has fun playing Prodigy Math!

• Teacher Resources

Learning skills (positive comments)

Learning skills (needs improvement), addition and subtraction, skip counting, place value, comparing numbers, addition with regrouping.

• Word problems
• Language (general)

Reading responses

Reading comprehension, response journal, note taking, distance learning.

• Tips for writing effective report cards
• Key considerations for effective end-of-year report cards

Just about every teacher agrees: report card comments are important to provide insights and next steps to students and families. But there are few who actually look forward to writing them.

Because every instructor knows working under tight deadlines to create upwards of 20 unique and detailed reports at the end of the year or term isn’t exactly straightforward (or particularly fun). That's especially true in the era of distance learning.

And while no one at your school knows your students better than you do, writing valuable report card comments for each of them can be a huge challenge.

That’s why we created a list of 107 sample report card comments — starters to help you find ideas, inspiration, and insights while writing your own report cards.

The 107 report card comments in this list will help you:

• Instill a  growth mindset in students
• Build stronger home-to-school connections
• Write stronger leads and use livelier language
• Choose the right phrasing when writing positive and constructive report card comments

Report card comment starters

You'll notice that the report card comments below can act as a springboard for more fully developed ones. But don't worry, using them you'll be able to take some of these one-liners and turn them into insightful and actionable next steps!

For example, you'll be able to take a 1st grade number sense comment like "Your child is able to add and subtract numbers up to 20 using various manipulatives" and transform it into:

Your child is able to add and subtract numbers up to 20 using various manipulatives. This was evident when he was working independently to solve a real-world problem by adding toys in the classroom toy bin. As a next step, they should continue to add to larger numbers to encourage his skills. You can support him by asking him to add his own toy piles at home.

Or taking a responsibility-related learning skill comment from "Your child is able to take responsibility for her own actions both in and out of the classroom" to:

Your child is able to take responsibility for her own actions both in and out of the classroom. She often checks her agenda and day planner to make sure she has all of the necessary materials to complete work at home before leaving. During indoor recess, she takes time to tidy up everything she was playing with.

Notice the difference?

Compared to a single number or letter grade, report card comments can provide even more value to your students and their families. In other words, a number or letter or grade captures the what , while an accompanying comment captures the how .

Depending on the age group or grade level you teach, a letter or grade letter might be enough. However, research in Phi Delta Kappan, the professional journal for educators, suggests:

Comments that identify what students did well, what improvements they need to make, and how to make those improvements, provided with sensitivity to important contextual elements, can guide students on their pathways to learning success and ensure that all learn excellently.

Gather insights into student performance all year long and make report card writing easier with Prodigy, the adaptive math game that students love.

• ________ is confident, positive and a great role model for his/her classmates.
• ________ is frequently among the first to help and mentor other classmates. He/she is a valuable part of the classroom.
• ________ has shown excellent ability to set goals and be persistent in achieving them.
• ________ is interested in his/her own learning, listens attentively, and makes a solid effort to avoid distractions that could interrupt the learning process.
• ________ is accountable and responsible. He/she makes smart decisions, admits mistakes and listens to opportunities to improve.
• ________ relates well to classmates and is appreciative of different perspectives and experiences.
• ________ manages his/her emotions maturely and responds to feedback appropriately.
• ________ always looks for ways to be helpful in the classroom.
• ________ is dependable and reliable, follows directions effectively, and follows through on his/her commitments to him/herself and others.
• ________ is thoughtful, insightful and thorough in written and verbal communication, and has a talent for expressing his/her ideas clearly.
• ________ works well with classmates in group work and often takes a leadership role.
• ________ shows a positive attitude with classmates in group projects and activities, and both takes and gives suggestions and directions effectively.
• ________ shows maturity when solving problems with classmates and uses good communication.
• ________ excels at applying what he/she learns in the classroom to real-world and real-life situations.
• It has been a pleasure to have _______'s enthusiasm, positivity and maturity in my class.
• ________ is an enthusiastic member of the class and shows a willingness to learn.
• ________ shows responsible behavior, works well with a group and shows appreciation for the efforts of classmates.
• ________ is focused during classroom activities and willingly participated in class discussions.
• ________ performs independent work with confidence and focus.
• ________ works independently and takes pride in work done well.
• ________ is focused in class and willingly participates in group discussion.
• ________ is very conscientious and shows excellent effort and care with daily work.
• ________ demonstrates a willing and conscientious effort in his/her daily work.
• ________ shows a conscientious effort to learn.
• ________ has done a great job facing and overcoming big challenges this year. Please continue to nurture and encourage this behavior over the summer.
• ________ shows responsibility and follows directions whenever they are given.
• ________ listens to and follows directions precisely and attentively.
• ________ follows directions promptly and accurately.
• ________ is an active participant in class.
• ________ is a hard worker who calmly perseveres through challenging topics.
• ________ is encouraged to demonstrate more responsible attitudes and behavior in the classroom.
• ________ needs to show more appropriate behavior when interacting with classmates.
• ________ needs to pay attention to the use of appropriate language at all times
• ________ requires encouragement to listen attentively during group sharing times.
• ________  needs to listen to directions more attentively during lessons.
• ________ would benefit from showing a greater desire to contribute ideas in class.
• ________ needs frequent reminders to be attentive during instructions and lessons.
• ________ needs to improve his/her cooperation in group settings. He/she should work on voicing feelings and opinions and listening to others.
• ________ needs to improve his/her work with others. He/she must ensure to accept a share of the work when participating in a group assignment.
• ________ needs to improve on working independently and be sure to ask for assistance only when it is needed.
• ________ often struggles to focus in class, which harms his/her ability to engage well with class activities and assignments.
• ________ is encouraged to use time wisely to finish tasks in the time required.
• ________ is encouraged to be more responsible in completing tasks without needing regular reminders.
• ________ needs to show by the quality of work and use of class time that he/she is properly engaged in the learning process.
• ________ consistently needs reminders to focus on time management.
• ________ needs to follow classroom rules more closely throughout the school day.

Math (general comments)

• ________ is having considerable difficulty with math. I recommend he/she work on studying ________ and ________. This extra practice will help him/her feel more relaxed when doing math in the classroom. Please contact me if you need materials to get him/her started.
• ________ has a good understanding of all math concepts taught so far this year. He/she continues to turn in excellent assignments and especially enjoys hands-on math activities.
• ________  has a positive attitude towards math but continues to have trouble in a few key areas. He should practice every evening at home. Areas that need extra attention are ________  and ________ .
• ________  demonstrates a good understanding of all math concepts studied and communicates with clarity and good justification of reasoning.
• ________ needs to work on increasing his/her speed in math facts. He/she should continue with daily practice with a focus on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
• ________ seems to need continuous encouragement in math. He/she continues to struggle with basic math concepts for his/her grade level.
• ________ is having a difficult time in certain areas of math. Areas in need of extra work are ________ . Working on these problem areas every night would help improve his/her learning outcomes.
• ________ is struggling to keep up in math. He/she could benefit from practicing the multiplication table and should also continue to practice the long division process.
• ________ is easily distracted during math lessons and behavioral issues are interfering with his/her learning. We will be working on more difficult subjects and he/she will struggle if he/she does not pay attention in class.
• ________ is having trouble with math tests. He/she does well on assignments, but does not seem to retain information for tests. I always give a week’s notice before tests, so please be sure ________ studies and adequately prepares for them as they approach.
• ________ is able to calculate addition and subtraction facts to 18 with confidence and accuracy.
• ________  is becoming more able to calculate addition and subtraction facts to 18 with confidence and accuracy.
• ________  requires more time and practice in calculating addition and subtraction facts to 18
• ________ needs to put more effort into learning to calculate addition and subtraction facts to 18.
• ________  is able to skip count forward and backward by twos, fives, tens, and hundreds to complete short patterns.
• ________  is learning to skip count forward and backward by twos, fives, tens, and hundreds to complete short patterns.
• ________  needs practice with skip counting forward and backward by twos, fives, tens, and hundreds to complete short patterns.
• ________  needs considerable practice with skip counting forward and backward by twos, fives, tens, and hundreds to complete short patterns.
• ________  is able to demonstrate place value concepts to give meaning to numbers from zero to 1000, identifying ones, tens, and hundreds.
• ________  is developing an understanding of place value concepts to give meaning to numbers zero to identifying ones, tens, and hundreds.
• ________  requires more time and practice to demonstrate place value concepts to give meaning to numbers 0 to 1000, identifying ones, tens, and 100s.
• ________ is able to compare numbers to 1000 using terms such as greater or less and greatest or least.
• ________ is learning to compare numbers to 1000 using terms such as greater or less and greatest or least.
• ________ requires support to compare numbers to 1000 using terms such as greater or less and greatest or least.
• ________ demonstrates a limited understanding in comparing numbers to 1000 using terms such as greater or less and greatest or least.
• ________ can demonstrate and explain the process of addition of whole numbers up to 100, with and without regrouping.
• ________ requires ongoing support to demonstrate and explain the process of addition of whole numbers up to 100 with and without regrouping.
• ________ requires considerable attention and individual instruction to demonstrate and explain the process of addition of whole numbers up to 100 with and without regrouping.

Word problems (math)

• ________ is able to complete word problems using one- and two-digit addition, showing his/her work and writing a full sentence answer.
• ________ is becoming more confident in his/her ability to complete word problems using one- and two-digit addition, showing his/her work and writing a full sentence answer.

As we move into language and literacy, the following sections include starter report card comments which cover reading, writing, oral communication and critical thinking skills.

Language arts (general)

• ________ ’s (comprehension, spelling, reading) has greatly improved, but he/she still needs extra work in (comprehension, spelling, reading). Please contact me if you need supplemental learning materials to use at home for practice.
• ________  is conscious of putting care into his/her daily writing work, and frequently goes beyond the minimum requirements for assignments.
• ________ has trouble with his handwriting. I believe he/she can form letters well, but has to slow down and take a little more time. Neater handwriting will improve his/her schoolwork overall.
• ________ makes a good effort to make his/her handwriting legible. He/she is able to print on the lines, use good spacing, and form letters correctly.
• ________ needs to focus on her spelling. More improvement is needed in the areas of (dictation, weekly spelling tests, sentence structure). Daily practice at home will help improve his/her results.
• ________ shows the ability to quickly use spelling, punctuation and grammar rules that were recently taught. He/she is able to quickly learn new skills and is eager to apply them to his/her writing.
• ________ is having considerable difficulty with reading, particularly with fluency and comprehension.
• ________ speaks well in front of the class, but requires improvement in written language. He/she is having trouble with (dictation, copying words correctly, story writing, creating logical sequences). Further practice is needed in this area.
• ________ continues to make excellent progress in spelling and reading. He/she works hard to submit work that is free of grammatical errors.
• ________ has difficulty remembering previously discussed writing skills and often makes errors with punctuation, grammar, and overall sentence structure. Basic writing skills need improvement.
• ________ is able to offer direct responses to his/her readings and supports ideas with sound reasoning and specific examples.
• ________ is learning to offer more direct responses to her reading experiences supported by reasons, examples, and details.
• ________ needs frequent support to offer direct responses to his/her reading experiences supported by reasons, examples, and details.
• ________ shows good ability when completing reading comprehension tests.
• ________ would benefit from extra practice with reading aloud and discussion of content.
• ________ consistently demonstrates comprehension of short spoken texts by answering questions, and explaining the events described.
• ________ consistently reads grade-level material independently.
• ________ uses good editing skills and correctly places capitals, quotation marks, question marks, apostrophes, commas, and periods.
• ________ is doing a good job of breaking a story into paragraphs
• ________ determines various forms of writing and identifies important ideas through the development of insightful questions and answers.
• ________ is able to analyze character actions, story plots, and shows strong fluency with reading.
• ________ uses correct spelling, grammar and punctuation when writing simple sentences.
• ________ is encouraged to show increased attention to the use of correct spelling, grammar and punctuation with general writing skills.
• ________ needs more time and practice in the use of correct spelling, grammar and punctuation with general writing skills.
• ________ requires considerable assistance to achieve the correct spelling, grammar and punctuation when writing simple sentences.
• ________ shows an excellent understanding of note taking from lectures and readings in preparation for tests and assignments.
• ________ requires ongoing support to develop an understanding of note taking from lectures and readings in preparation for tests.
• ________ was very engaged and focused during distance learning activities, and participated in class discussions.
• ________ stayed motivated to complete assignments during distance learning, and turned in all required materials on time. 
• ________ needed some extra prompting to stay engaged during online lessons, but participated well in discussions when called upon. 
• ________ modeled good online learning behavior for other students.
• ________ was disruptive during online learning and did not meaningfully participate in class discussions.
• ________ handled technical problems well and was always prepared.
• Although he/she couldn’t always access a device, _________ consistently completed online assignments and asked thoughtful questions.
• ________ should ask more questions during online discussions to avoid confusion later.
• ________’s attendance during online lessons was infrequent and assignments were not always completed.
• ________ worked well independently and in a group setting during distance learning activities.
• ________ is excellent at completing distance learning activities independently, but struggled to engage with his/her classmates during breakout sessions or class discussions.
• ________ is a technology superstar! He/she rarely needed assistance and even helped other classmates troubleshoot issues.
• ________ asks good questions and always reaches out proactively when he/she needs help with an assignment or lesson.

Tips for teachers to write more effective student report card comments

1. give yourself extra time and start writing comments early.

Somewhere around the halfway point to your deadline for report cards, you make your best effort to use time at the end of each week to reflect — and jot down notes — about your students’ performance and class week.

What are their strengths and weaknesses? How are their social skills developing with classmates? How is their class participation - are they an enthusiastic learner? Have they shown great improvement in one particular subject area? Are homework assignments getting done? Have any new challenges come up that affect learning?

Even just a few minutes of note-taking in the weeks preceding report card deadlines will help to ease your stress when the time comes to write your final comments.

Moreover, having a dated log of information detailed throughout the school year will help you remember how students are performing throughout each week, which can be valuable information come parent-teacher conference time.

This will also help to engage and reassure parents who want relevant and detailed commentary about their child’s performance at school.

2. Use free, curriculum-aligned apps for teachers

Use Prodigy to write insightful report cards with a minimum of hassle. Prodigy Math is an engaging math adventure for students where success depends on correctly answering adaptive math questions. 

As students play, you’ll get insights into:

• Which skills students are practicing
• How far they’ve progressed through the curriculum
• What they’ve mastered and where they need more support

Use one of Prodigy’s eight reports to track student progress throughout the year. When the time comes to write report card comments, you’ll have detailed reports on all your students’ achievements.

Just getting started with Prodigy? No problem! The first time students explore the world of Prodigy Math, they’ll start completing the Placement Test — without even knowing. Once they’re done, you’ll have a snapshot of the grade level they’re at, what they know and specific skills they still need to work on.

Spend more time teaching and less time grading

Prep for standardized tests, deliver adaptive skill practice or test students on a new skill — all while they play Prodigy Math, Prodigy English, or both!

3. Be encouraging, informational and professional

Although every report card cannot be glowingly positive, do strive to write in an encouraging and informational tone. As you write constructive report card comments, use encouraging language that focuses on the student’s opportunity for improvement.

For example, instead of describing a student struggling with listening as a “bad listener,” remark that the student “would benefit from listening more carefully.”

If appropriate, frame a negative comment in terms of what students are doing well -- and consider how this more successful characteristic can help them bolster performance in other areas.

4. Use a consistent format

Lead your report card comments with the positive comments, followed by areas that need more attention.

Choosing the right format for reporting information will simplify the entire process, while resulting in a clearer and more organized final product.

If you are unclear about your school’s format for report cards, request samples or consult with other teachers or staff members to clarify.

5. Be honest

Being open and honest about a student’s performance requires tact and consideration with regard to how you  express  those comments. Be transparent, and remain mindful that your goal is to improve your students’ learning experience.

Openness and honesty are key to ensuring that experience is the best it can be. If possible, discuss what  intervention strategies  you can use to help improve the student’s learning outcomes. 

As elementary teacher Donna Donaghue remarks in her book  A Guide for Beginning Elementary Teachers: Getting Hired and Staying Inspired :

If there is a problem, most parents will be grateful to you for telling them and will want to help you correct it as soon as possible. Many problems that show up at school are also problems noticed at home, so your comments will not surprise parents. Ideally, at some point prior to receiving the progress report, parents have already discussed the problem with you.

6. Move on if you get stuck

If you get stuck completing the comments for a particular student, move on to your other students and return to it later. You will likely have more trouble completing comments for students who have multiple areas needing further improvement and attention.

Feel free to move on and return to those students periodically or as you find the right language to express your insights.

7. Keep parents and guardians in mind

While every report card comment is ultimately about your student, think of your students’ parents or guardians as much as possible and offer suggestions for their participation.

In fact, if you can, keep parents up to date on an ongoing basis. This will help ensure they don't get caught off guard by any of your comments.

As you make note of your students’ strengths and weaknesses, endeavor to include practical insights into how parents can involve and support their child at home. If possible, make reference to how you use  differentiated instruction  to support the student in question.

Simple examples of tips for parents include:

• "Encourage your child to read. It doesn't have to be on your own either. Dedicating time before bed to read together can help make it seem like less of a chore."
• "Find homework help for your child if needed. Myself and other parents who are also getting homework help for their child are great resources to get started."
• "Ensure that your child completes their homework by creating a homework routine with your family where incentives like TV or computer time come after homework."
• "Help your child with organization skills at home. If a room in your house could be tidier, try using that as an opportunity to sort things like toys or dishes and utensils."
• "Help your child prepare for math tests by focusing their skills in addition and subtraction. If they don't like studying with traditional worksheets, try a digital game-based learning tool to help get them excited about the process."

As high school educator and teaching comprehension expert Anne Goudvis writes in her book Strategies That Work:

It is important that you include the parents in your comment so they know the child’s education is a joint mission. Sometimes you need to sound firm so that parents know you need their help and that you will not allow their child to continue inappropriate behavior.

8. Try not to repeat yourself

It is unlikely that your students or parents will compare their report card comments, but it is still a best practice to aim for unique commentary for each student that reflects each, individual learning outcome.

9. Proofread, even if you don’t want to

Report card time is perhaps your busiest period of the year, and it is understandable that you want to simply get them over with.

Despite this, you should make sure to double check all your comments before hitting print and handing them out. All your communications to parents are a reflection of you as a teacher, and should mirror the care and attention you show your students in class.

10. Notify parents

Make use of your school’s parent portal or email system to let parents know — as needed — that report card time is coming up.

This will help parents be prepared, and will also ensure that any important questions they may have are addressed before the final report cards are delivered.

Did you know?

If you're using Prodigy Math in your classroom, you can connect parents to follow their child's progress. A free parent account comes with a monthly report card and insights into classroom learning, helping them stay informed of how their child is doing in class. They can also send their child an encouraging message to cheer their child on as they play and practice skills in Prodigy!

11. Use specific examples with the help of direct observation

Record and use classroom anecdotes in your assessments. No matter how involved you are in your students’ progress, it can still be difficult to produce specific examples related to their performance if you haven’t recorded them along the way.

When you notice a positive or negative skill, ability, strength, or weakness in a class activity or assignment, be sure to note it down so that you may refer to it in your report card comments. Likewise, consider noting a sample of a student’s work every week or two.

To help with ease of access, keep ongoing files of this work in a personal folder or use a digital tool such as a Google Doc.

Putting this into practice is a time-saver and helps prevent last-minute stress. A strategy like direct observation and note-taking (as soon as possible) is far more reliable than trying to recall information and behaviors from weeks or months prior.

12. Try using tech to help

Writer's block happens to all of us, including teachers. If the report card comments in this article didn't help, fear not, there are still plenty of tools and resources to give you a helping hand.

One new option for teachers is using artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with report card ideas. For example, teachers can use tools like ChatGPT to generate examples for their specific needs.

When using chat technology, try to keep your prompt concise and easy to follow. A good template prompt to follow is:

"Write [number] report card comments for students studying [subject] in [grade]."

Here are some more specific examples to help get you started:

• Write 50 report card comments for students studying social studies in 5th grade.
• Generate 20 report card remarks commending a student for a positive attitude to learning.
• Create 10 report card comments that focus on a student needing to improve their attitude to learning.

Alternatively, you can use spreadsheets and report card builders to manually piece together a report card based on a template of comments.

Important tip: When using AI chat technology, make sure you don't submit any personal details about you or your students. Instead let the tool use a placeholder like "Student".

Key considerations for report card comments at the end of the year

Report card comments should aim to deliver feedback to students and parents that is  personalized, detailed,  and  meaningful .

Writing report card comments doesn’t have to be stressful. Use these strategies to create livelier, more meaningful evaluations.

Effective report card comments emphasize and discuss:

• The specific, notable strengths that a student has shown and should attempt to continue to show
• The specific elements of knowledge, skills, and other outcomes recognized in the curriculum that are the most pertinent to a student’s achievement or development in the period of assessment
• The major next steps for improvement that will: identify the student’s most important learning needs, offer next steps for students and offer specific recommendations for how parents and guardians can help the student’s learning habits and skills (or the development of those habits and skills)

Effective report card comments are personalized – customized to each, individual student – and discuss:

• The student’s learning preferences, willingness to learn, and interests
• Detailed evidence of learning or skill-development gathered from in-class observations, and/or student assignments

Effective report card comments are expressed with clear and simple phrasing, using:

• An encouraging and/or positive tone
• Language that is easy to understand for both students and parents, as opposed to educational jargon used from the curriculum

Report Card Comments: Final Thoughts

Common Sense Education observes that "effective parent communication is crucial in helping students learn. But, for busy teachers it can be challenging just to keep up... Transparency and equity are key to managing any communication between home and school."

Personalized report card comments that are clear, precise, and meaningful are essential for informing students and their parents about what students have learned, what their strengths are and how they can effectively progress.

Among the pressure and deadlines of writing report cards, it can be helpful to keep these key goals in mind.

Get inspired by the report card comment examples — and strategies for success — above to ensure that precision, clarity, and meaning shine through in your report card comments.

When it comes time to hand out your report cards, you can do so with the full confidence that you are doing yourself — and each of your students — the justice your hard work deserves.

Gather student insights on Prodigy

Create or log in to your free teacher account on Prodigy — a standards-aligned, game-based learning platform that assesses student progress and performance as they play. Use Prodigy to motivate student learning, control the questions they answer as they play and collect student learning insights all year long.

Addition (Basic)

Addition (Multi-Digit)

Algebra & Pre-Algebra

Comparing Numbers

Daily Math Review

Division (Basic)

Division (Long Division)

Hundreds Charts

Measurement

Multiplication (Basic)

Multiplication (Multi-Digit)

Order of Operations

Place Value

Probability

Skip Counting

Subtraction

Telling Time

Word Problems (Daily)

More Math Worksheets

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension Gr. 1

Reading Comprehension Gr. 2

Reading Comprehension Gr. 3

Reading Comprehension Gr. 4

Reading Comprehension Gr. 5

Reading Comprehension Gr. 6

Reading & Writing

Reading Worksheets

Cause & Effect

Fact & Opinion

Fix the Sentences

Graphic Organizers

Synonyms & Antonyms

Writing Prompts

Writing Story Pictures

Writing Worksheets

More ELA Worksheets

Consonant Sounds

Vowel Sounds

Consonant Blends

Consonant Digraphs

Word Families

More Phonics Worksheets

Early Literacy

Build Sentences

Sight Word Units

Sight Words (Individual)

More Early Literacy

Punctuation

Subjects and Predicates

More Grammar Worksheets

Spelling Lists

Spelling Grade 1

Spelling Grade 2

Spelling Grade 3

Spelling Grade 4

Spelling Grade 5

Spelling Grade 6

More Spelling Worksheets

Chapter Books

Charlotte's Web

Magic Tree House #1

Boxcar Children

More Literacy Units

Animal (Vertebrate) Groups

Butterfly Life Cycle

Electricity

Matter (Solid, Liquid, Gas)

Simple Machines

Space - Solar System

More Science Worksheets

Social Studies

Maps (Geography)

Maps (Map Skills)

More Social Studies

Mother's Day

Father's Day

More Holiday Worksheets

Puzzles & Brain Teasers

Brain Teasers

Logic:  Addition Squares

Mystery Graph Pictures

Number Detective

Lost in the USA

More Thinking Puzzles

Teacher Helpers

Teaching Tools

Award Certificates

More Teacher Helpers

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Alphabet (ABCs)

Numbers and Counting

Shapes (Basic)

More Kindergarten

Worksheet Generator

Word Search Generator

Multiple Choice Generator

Fill-in-the-Blanks Generator

More Generator Tools

Full Website Index

Report Card Comments for Teachers: Reading, Writing, & ELA

• __ is reading at a ___ grade level.
• __ has good reading comprehension and decoding skills.
• __ is reading well at this level.
• __ needs to learn basic sight words so she/he can decode words more quickly.
• __ struggles with reading comprehension.
• __ has difficulty understanding what he/she reads.
• I would like to see __ participate in more independent reading.
• __ needs to choose books that are at his/her own reading level.
• _ has read __ chapter books so far this year.
• I would like to see __ read for 15 minutes each night at home.
• __ needs to take his/her time and think about what he/she reads.
• __ is choosing books that are too difficult/simple for his/her level.
• It is refreshing to see that __ enjoys reading in his/her free time.
• __ needs to build his reading vocabulary.
• __ often has difficulty using reading strategies to decode new words.
• __ is a creative writer.
• __'s writing has a refreshing sense of voice, clarity, and style.
• __ has a strong command of the English language.
• __'s stories lack a clear beginning, middle, and end.
• I would like to see __ check his/her own writing more carefully before handing assignments in.
• __ often forgets capital letters and punctuation.
• __'s writing is clear, organized, and interesting to read.
• __ organizes his/her writing well, but needs to add more details to his/her works.
• __'s writing is creative, but often has many errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• __ enjoys writing in his/her free time. I always look forward to reading his/her stories.
• __ has difficulty getting his/her thoughts down on paper in a timely manner.
• __ puts a great deal of time and effort into his/her writing.
• __ did a wonderful job on his/her __ assignment.
• While __ is a creative writer, he/she needs to work on creating stories that are realistic.
• __ has difficulty focusing on the assignment at-hand during writers' workshop.
• Language Arts
• Science/Social Studies
• Spelling/Handwriting
• General Behavior

223 Copy and Paste Final Report Card Comments

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

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

Showing Improvement

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

Positive Behavior

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

Read Also: Words to Describe a Student

Shows Respect for Others

• Has a great deal of respect for all visitors to the classroom.
• Cares for and respects her classmates.
• Is always respectful to classroom equipment.
• Always puts her hand up and follows instructions.
• Is very considerate of others and often puts others’ needs and interests at the front of her mind.
• Is a very respectful and responsible classmate.
• Has proven to be a courteous and polite classmate.
• Is held in high regard for her kindness to others.
• Is a very outgoing, positive and upbeat student.
• Tackles every task with enthusiasm and self-belief.
• Is building her confidence more and more every day.
• Has shown remarkable growth in confidence this year.
• Has reached many achievements this year, which is reflected in her budding confidence.
• Is a self-assured young learner who is always willing to try something new.
• Can always be trusted with tasks assigned to her.
• Conducts herself with honesty and integrity at all times.
• Is trusted with school equipment including expensive computer technology.
• Is open, honest and upfront about her thoughts and beliefs.
• Shares thoughtful and genuine opinions during lessons.
• Is always willing to self-reflect and provide genuine analyses of her progress.

Self-Expression

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

High Motivation

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

Strong Communication Skills

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

Is Neat and Tidy

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

Good Listening Skills

• Is an active listener who is always ready to respond with relevant and engaging questions.
• Listens thoughtfully to other people’s ideas and contributes her own thoughtful ideas.
• Listens with an open mind to her classmates’ perspectives.
• Always listens intently with the hope of learning new things.
• Concentrates and pays close attention during demonstrations to ensure she understands task requirements.
• Takes directions well and is quick to apply directions to tasks.
• Is always attentive in class and asks for clarification when required.
• Is good at working in small groups unaided by a teacher.
• Listens intently to others and takes their opinions in mind.
• Excels when given leadership roles in small groups.
• Appears to thrive in group learning situations.
• Has developed strong skills in communicating in groups.
• Works productively in groups of all sizes to get tasks done.
• Has a knack for managing multiple personalities in group situations.
• Could work on sharing resources more fairly during group tasks.
• Needs to work on allowing other group members equal time to speak during group discussions.

Strong Organization and Time Management

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

Good at Homework

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

Read Also: 27 Pros and Cons of Homework

Strong Participation

• Is always willing to jump in and participate in any task.
• Is a great helper, always giving people a hand when she sees they are in need.
• Participates in all tasks, no matter her skill level. This enthusiasm is laudable.
• Always comes to class willing to get involved in the daily activities.
• Is always the first person to put their hand up to volunteer for a task.
• Loves to learn by getting involved and gaining first-hand experiences.
• Is beginning to develop her own interest and is eager to learn more about them.
• Has a strong personal interest in ________ and has been taking the initiative to explore the topic.
• Is very enthusiastic about ________ and has shown great promise in this area.
• Has picked a great extracurricular hobby of _____. Her skills learned in this hobby has helped to boost her confidence in the classroom.
• Shows interest in a variety of different topics which she has been enthusiastically exploring during free study time.
• Always finds personal interest in topics presented in class.

Independence

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

Strong Learning and Thinking Skills

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

Good Attention to Detail

• Pays close attention to the details of a tasks so that she doesn’t miss anything.
• Is very systematic about going about her tasks so she can complete them thoroughly.
• Is great at identifying small and nuanced mistakes in her own work.
• Always creates very presentable and professional looking pieces of work.
• Has great self-reflection skills , being able to identify her own strengths and weaknesses.
• Can pause and look at her own work to identify areas for improvement.
• Has the ability to stop and change course when she identifies areas for improvement.
• Is very good at identifying and repairing errors in drafts.
• Has exercised great thoughtfulness about her own capabilities.
• Has shown the ability to empathize with classmates and show great compassion.

Perseverance and Determination

• Shows great determination when is set a challenging task.
• Perseveres through difficulties to achieve her goals.
• Is resilient in the face of significant challenges and problems presented.
• 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

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

Needs Improvement

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

Disruptive Behavior

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

Read Also: 13 Best Classroom Management Theories

Low Motivation

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

Is Not Neat and Tidy

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

Weak Communication Skills

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

Poor Listening Skills

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

Read Also: 47 Best Classroom Rules for Middle and High School

Weak Organization and Time Management

• Tends to leave tasks to the last minute.
• Often submits incomplete drafts due to poor time management.
• Is often disorganized and forgets important school supplies.
• Has submitted homework late on several occasions.
• Could work on using her time more efficiently to complete tasks in allotted time periods.
• 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

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

Poor Attention to Detail

• Could be getting higher grades if she edited her work more carefully before submission.
• Will sometimes make mistakes due to distractedness and carelessness.
• Has started to let carelessness seep into his work for the past few months.
• 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

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

Play Based Learning – Needs Improvement

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

Strong Development

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

Socialization

• Has shown remarkable strides in communication skills at preschool.
• Plays well with others.
• Is a thoughtful and kind student who plays well with others.
• Always shares and thinks about others during play scenarios.
• Is a popular student who finds it very easy to make friends with other children.
• Has been seen to show some great emerging leadership skills during play scenarios.
• 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!

About The Author: Hi, I’m Chris Drew (Ph.D) and I run things around here. I’m an Education expert and university professor.

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]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is IQ? (Intelligence Quotient)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University

report writing comments year 1

All Formats

Resource types, all resource types.

• Rating Count
• Price (Ascending)
• Price (Descending)
• Most Recent

Report writing comments year 1

English Report Writing Comment Bank Year 1 & 2 Stage 1 New NSW Syllabus (2023)

BUNDLE HASS Maths English Science Report Writing Comments Year 1 Australian Curr

Maths Australian Curriculum Report Writing Comments Year 1

Report Writing Comments for English, Math and General Year 1 and 2

English Australian Curriculum Report Writing Comments Year 1

Geography History HASS Australian Report Writing Comments Year 1

Science Australian Curriculum Report Writing Comments Year 1

Year One Math Moderation Assessments | V8 & V9 Australian Curriculum Aligned |

Year Three Math Moderation Assessments | Australian Curriculum |

Australian Curriculum Year 2 Maths Report Card Comments - Semester 1

• Word Document File

Australian Curriculum Year 2 English Report Card Comments - Semester 1

Report Writing Comment Bank BUNDLE (Foundation) K-2 Australian Curriculum, NSW

Australian Curriculum Year 1 Maths Report Card Comments - Semester 2

Australian Curriculum Year 4 English Report Card Comments - Semester 1

Australian Curriculum Year 5 English Report Card Comments - Semester 1

Australian Curriculum Year 3 English Report Card Comments - Semester 1

Australian Curriculum Year 6 English Report Card Comments - Semester 1

Report Card Comments - Learning Skills Comments Progress Report

Australian Curriculum Year 1 Maths Report Card Comments - Semester 1

Australian Curriculum Year 1 English Report Card Comments - Semester 2

Australian Curriculum Year 6 Maths Report Card Comments - Semester 1

Australian Curriculum Year 4 Maths Report Card Comments - Semester 1

ONTARIO Physical Education Report Card Comments Grade 1 -3

• Google Slides™

Australian Curriculum Year 1 English Report Card Comments - Semester 1

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think

• Skip to content
• Skip to search
• Staff portal (Inside the department)
• Student portal
• Key links for students

Other users

• Forgot password

Notifications

{{item.title}}, my essentials, ask for help, contact edconnect, directory a to z, how to guides, reporting to parents, report comments.

Parents want to know what was taught and how well their child has learnt it, as well as where improvement is needed and how that can be achieved. This means that report comments should be written in plain English, giving parents and carers a clear picture of their child’s progress and achievement against clearly defined syllabus standards (See example comments below for recommendations).

The Curriculum Planning and Programming, Assessing and Reporting ( CPPAR ) policy states that report comments for each subject or KLA should include:

areas of student strength and learning progress

areas for further development and what can be done to support their learning growth.

Report comments should be at least three sentences long .

Generally, sentences should be short and no longer than 15-20 words. Writing in long sentences makes it harder for parents to understand your message.

Comment banks or pre-prepared comments

The use of comment banks and pre-prepared comments is a school-based decision. Report comments should be based on an informed individualised professional judgement to a parent/carer regarding their child’s areas of strength and areas for development. It is important to ensure that the comments are personalised for each student.

Student’s name

Students official name should be used in a comment, unless approved by the parent/carer and the school principal. As they are legal documents, official names are required.

General comments

General report comments are not mandated in the CPPAR policy. This is a school-based decision.

Buddy-checking

Reports do not need to undergo a buddy-check. However, schools may choose to implement internal systems to review reports prior to the distribution to parents. These systems will need to clearly outline the role of the buddy-checker in the reporting process.

Comments should be addressed to the parent or carer rather than the student and written in a formal manner. Comments need to be written from a positive perspective, while still ensuring that the parent or carer, and the student, is clear about what areas need improvement. First-person closing sentences such as “Congratulations, Dari!” should be avoided.

Comment guidelines

Teachers’ comments describe the skills and knowledge demonstrated by the student as evidence of academic progress. As such, reports should refrain from discussing student behaviour unless it is relevant to identifying areas of strength and development, or the student’s commitment to learning. The comment should not contain critical information which has not been previously communicated to parents.

Written comments are based on the evidence that informs the overall judgement and grade (A-E) assigned to the student.

Comments should be personalised, constructive and contain statements about:

• the student’s achievement and progress (either overall or in specific tasks)
• effort and participation in the KLA/subject/course
• at least one area for improvement and how it can be achieved.

Comments should:

use the student’s official given name

contain specific information relevant to the student

use plain English, avoiding syllabus specific jargon

be expressed in clear and succinct language

be written in the third person

start with a positive comment

reflect the student’s A-E grade or equivalent

refer to specific outcomes achieved and/or work completed

give positive and achievable guidance about what the student can do to improve

avoid predictions about future performance. For example, use ‘could’ or ‘may’ instead of ‘should’ and 'will' .

Comment samples

Daria has applied herself well to all topics and activities this semester. She identified, located and described natural, built and heritage sites within Australian State and National Parks. She explained their significance and management and discussed the importance of caring for and conserving them. Daria represented data by constructing simple tables, graphs and maps. She can read maps to determine location, direction and distance. Daria now needs to interpret the data using geographical terminology and to draw conclusions to her findings. We will continue to work on those areas next semester in our Geography lessons.

In English, Mohammad contributes enthusiastically to class discussions about texts and presents his opinions with growing confidence. He continues to increase his knowledge of more complex letter-sound relationships and shows sound skills in blending these to read and write multisyllabic words. Mohammad reads aloud with developing expression and adequate volume. He has many interesting ideas for writing. His handwriting, however, makes his writing difficult for others to read. Effective pencil grip and appropriate letter size, shape and formation will continue to be a focus area for Mohammad.

Renae is a highly motivated student who has achieved strong results in all assessment tasks including her project on natural disasters. This project highlighted her ability to combine information from a variety of sources and use visuals, including graphs and diagrams, to support her findings. To further develop the sophistication of her writing, Renae should incorporate more precise and subject-specific vocabulary. This can be achieved by identifying words that could be improved as part of the editing process.

Amir demonstrates safe practices when creating and producing design solutions in the workshop. He understands the design process and is developing his skills in technical drawing. He is always happy to help classmates and offers up his ideas in class discussions. Amir finds it challenging to follow detailed instructions. Consequently, he has not completed projects within the allocated timeframes. Amir’s accompanying portfolio could have been improved with more detail and description of the manufacturing steps. With greater concentration and focus on teacher instructions during practical lessons, Amir can improve these results.

Additional KLA specific sample comments (staff only)

English as an additional language/dialect 

Primary example.

This sample report comment demonstrates how a Year 5 teacher has included their English as an additional language/dialect (EAL/D) English language proficiency reporting requirements in the general comment at the end of the report.

Mabior’s English language proficiency has been assessed using the EAL/D Learning Progression at the Developing phase. To support his English language development in the classroom, Mabior has been provided with bilingual texts and word walls to support his understanding of new topics. He has also worked enthusiastically with a buddy during literacy activities to provide him with a language model for engaging with tasks. Mabior’s English language has improved steadily over the term, whereby he can follow instructions and explanations. He is using his expanding vocabulary of common words to describe events and present short, prepared speeches.

Secondary example

This sample comment demonstrates how a science teacher has reported a Stage 4 EAL/D student’s English language progress in science. The overall EAL/D phase was reported on in the first page of the report.

Idaa’s English language in science has progressed. She regularly uses topic vocabulary to explain her ideas and her sentences show increases confidence, correct grammatical structure and mostly accurate use of subject-specific vocabulary. To support Idaa’s English language development in the classroom, she has been provided with diagrams, flowcharts and modelled texts which support her to understand and make connections between key ideas and topics. Idaa has a bilingual dictionary which helps her connect and clarify key words and concepts in her first language to her study of English language

Students with disability

This sample comment demonstrates how a teacher could report on the adjustments made to support a student with disability in the primary setting.

Blake has enthusiastically participated in PD/H/PE this semester demonstrating increased confidence when working in a group. Throughout the ‘Everybody Active’ initiative, Blake explored a wider range of movements leading to improved flexibility and strength, which he used to great effect in his class performance at the whole school assembly this term. This commitment to increasing his fitness, also contributed to him representing the district in the multiclass shot put and discus events for the first time. Using the speech-to-text function on his iPad, Blake has been able to complete his project on being active every day. Blake needs to use his self-regulation strategies every day to manage his emotions when feeling overwhelmed in the playground. By practising these strategies, (for example., counting to 10, 3 deep breaths or moving to a quiet zone), he would then be able to use these when he begins to feel anxious.

This sample comment demonstrates how a teacher could report on the adjustments made to support a student with disability in the secondary setting.

Adelaide has shown consistent effort and application in science this semester. She has investigated ‘Chemical Change and Ecology’ and made a positive start in her student research project. She has a sound understanding of the concepts taught in science, including the properties of different elements and the physical states of matter. Working with school support staff and visual aids, Adelaide can safely conduct an experiment and report her findings to the class. She should continue to use Auslan to develop and support her understanding of concepts, particularly as she finds verbal conversations exhausting. Adelaide reads for meaning and often asks for clarification on subject matter and/or vocabulary that she is not familiar with. Adelaide would benefit from continuing to use all available resources to build her knowledge of scientific terms.

VET hospitality

Paulina collaborates effectively with peers to complete tasks to a high standard in the kitchen environment. She has demonstrated her outstanding knowledge of hygiene and safety standards, and coffee preparation and assists her peers while serving coffee. Paulina needs to keep working on developing her skills in planning the order of her food preparation, as this will assist her in achieving a more efficient delivery. She has completed the written components of the course to a satisfactory standard, however, needs to ensure she includes all relevant information to reflect her industry knowledge.

• Teaching and learning

Business Unit:

• Educational Standards

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

A Message From the Assistant Director of Content Development 

The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting  students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

Please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact page  if you have any questions or comments.

All the best,

Social Media

Facebook twitter.

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Published: 08 May 2024

A secondary atmosphere on the rocky Exoplanet 55 Cancri e

• Renyu Hu 1 , 2 ,
• Aaron Bello-Arufe 1 ,
• Michael Zhang 3 ,
• Kimberly Paragas 2 ,
• Mantas Zilinskas 4 ,
• Christiaan van Buchem 5 ,
• Michael Bess 6 ,
• Jayshil Patel 7 ,
• Yuichi Ito 8 , 9 ,
• Mario Damiano 1 ,
• Markus Scheucher 1 ,
• Apurva V. Oza 1 ,
• Heather A. Knutson 2 ,
• Yamila Miguel 4 , 5 ,
• Diana Dragomir 6 ,
• Alexis Brandeker 7 &
• Brice-Olivier Demory 10 , 11  

Nature ( 2024 ) Cite this article

2025 Accesses

1570 Altmetric

Metrics details

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

• Inner planets

Characterizing rocky exoplanets is a central endeavor of astronomy, and yet the search for atmospheres on rocky exoplanets has hitherto resulted in either tight upper limits on the atmospheric mass 1–3 or inconclusive results 4–6 . The 1.95-R Earth and 8.8-M Earth planet 55 Cnc e, with a predominantly rocky composition and an equilibrium temperature of ~2000 K, may have a volatile envelope (containing molecules made from a combination of C, H, O, N, S, and P elements) that accounts for up to a few percent of its radius 7–13 . The planet has been observed extensively with transmission spectroscopy 14–22 , and its thermal emission has been measured in broad photometric bands 23–26 . These observations disfavor a primordial H 2 /He-dominated atmosphere but cannot conclusively determine whether the planet has a secondary atmosphere 27,28 . Here we report a thermal emission spectrum of the planet obtained by JWST’s NIRCam and MIRI instruments from 4 to 12 μm. The measurements rule out the scenario where the planet is a lava world shrouded by a tenuous atmosphere made of vaporized rock 29–32 , and indicate a bona fide volatile atmosphere likely rich in CO 2 or CO. This atmosphere can be outgassed from and sustained by a magma ocean.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

24,99 € / 30 days

cancel any time

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

185,98 € per year

only 3,65 € per issue

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

No thick carbon dioxide atmosphere on the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 c

A sub-Neptune exoplanet with a low-metallicity methane-depleted atmosphere and Mie-scattering clouds

A super-massive Neptune-sized planet

Author information, authors and affiliations.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

Renyu Hu, Aaron Bello-Arufe, Mario Damiano, Markus Scheucher & Apurva V. Oza

Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

Renyu Hu, Kimberly Paragas & Heather A. Knutson

Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Michael Zhang

SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Leiden, The Netherlands

Mantas Zilinskas & Yamila Miguel

Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

Christiaan van Buchem & Yamila Miguel

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Michael Bess & Diana Dragomir

Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

Jayshil Patel & Alexis Brandeker

Division of Science, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom

Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

Brice-Olivier Demory

Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renyu Hu .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Hu, R., Bello-Arufe, A., Zhang, M. et al. A secondary atmosphere on the rocky Exoplanet 55 Cancri e. Nature (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07432-x

Download citation

Received : 07 November 2023

Accepted : 15 April 2024

Published : 08 May 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07432-x

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines . If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Morning Edition

• Latest Show
• About The Program
• Contact The Program
• Corrections

Listen to the featured story from this episode.

Álvaro Enciso places crosses at sites where migrants are known to have died in the borderland, this cross represents the death of Nolberto Torres-Zayas just east of Arivaca, Arizona on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Torres-Zayas died of hyperthermia in 2009, not far from a Humane Borders water cache that had been vandalized and drained. Ash Ponders for NPR hide caption

We, The Voters

Is it easy for migrants to enter the u.s. we went to the border to find out.

Morning Edition spoke to migrants hoping to enter the U.S. and the border agents tasked with keeping them out.

Middle East

Morning news brief.

by  Michel Martin ,  Steve Inskeep

Author Interviews

'washington post' columnist david ignatius releases 12th novel: 'phantom orbit'.

Ammer Qudummi was arrested at a UT Austin protest on April 26, but all charges have been dropped. Michael Minasi/KUT hide caption

Campus protests over the Gaza war

How these university of texas-austin students view gaza war protests on their campus.

by  Mansee Khurana

Why more than 1,000 sea lions are lounging at Pier 39 in San Francisco

Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee speaks about the Senate version of the Equal Representation Act during a January press conference in Washington, D.C. The bill is one of at least a dozen GOP proposals to exclude some or all non-U.S. citizens from a special census count that the 14th Amendment says must include the "whole number of persons in each state." Mariam Zuhaib/AP hide caption

Republicans in Congress are trying to reshape election maps by excluding noncitizens

by  Hansi Lo Wang

Miguel Divo shows his patient, Joel Rubinstein, a dry powder inhaler. It's an alternative to some puff inhalers that emit potent greenhouse gases, but is equally effective for many patients with asthma. Jesse Costa/WBUR hide caption

Shots - Health News

Could better asthma inhalers help patients, and the planet too.

by  Martha Bebinger

Internet connectivity — even in 2024 — is vulnerable at a number of levels

by  Jenna McLaughlin

by  Steve Inskeep ,  Ally Schweitzer

After some setbacks, Boeing prepares for Starliner's first crewed launch into space

by  Steve Inskeep ,  Brendan Bryrne

Week 4 of the Trump hush money case is about to get underway

by  Michel Martin ,  Ximena Bustillo

China's President Xi Jinping begins a 5-day tour in Europe

by  Steve Inskeep ,  Eleanor Beardsley

Woman denies being an 'outside agitator' in Columbia University protests

Madonna just gave the biggest live performance of her career, lou reed issued one of the most puzzling albums in rock history in 1975.

by  Phil Harrell

GOP effort started by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green will try to oust Speaker Johnson

Cease-fire negotiations between israel and hamas appear to have broken down.

by  Steve Inskeep ,  Lauren Frayer

Women no longer have to make the first move on Bumble, the dating app that was launched in 2014 with the goal of putting more power in the hands of women. Nikos Pekiaridis/Getty Images hide caption

Women no longer have to make the first move on Bumble. Will it make the app better?

by  Claire Murashima

Searching for a song you heard between stories? We've retired music buttons on these pages. Learn more here.

• International
• Schools directory
• Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

Year 1 Report Writing Statements 2023

Subject: Whole school

Age range: 5-7

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

5 June 2023

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

Introducing our Year 1 End-of-Year Report Writing Statements!

Are you a Year 1 teacher looking for a comprehensive and time-saving solution for writing your end-of-year reports? Look no further! Our specially crafted report writing statements for Year 1 are here to make your life easier and ensure your reports shine.

With our extensive collection of tailored statements, you’ll have a wide range of options to choose from, making it effortless to capture the progress and achievements of your Year 1 students. Each statement is thoughtfully designed to reflect the unique milestones and skills covered in the Year 1 curriculum, allowing you to provide accurate and meaningful feedback to parents and guardians.

Our report writing statements are designed to save you time while still delivering high-quality reports. Simply select the statements that best align with each student’s progress and achievements, and easily customise them to add personal touches and examples that showcase their individual growth.

By using our Year 1 report writing statements, you can ensure that your reports are concise, informative, and demonstrate a deep understanding of each student’s journey. Empower yourself with statements that highlight their academic, social, and emotional development, and celebrate their accomplishments throughout the year.

Investing in our Year 1 report writing statements means investing in your own professional success. Spend less time agonising over report writing and more time focusing on what matters most – providing a nurturing and inspiring learning environment for your Year 1 students. Let our statements be your secret weapon in delivering impactful reports that leave a lasting impression on parents, students, and colleagues.

Join the countless Year 1 teachers who have already discovered the benefits of our report writing statements. Take the first step towards hassle-free report writing today and unlock your true potential as an educator!

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Great resource, but there is an entire section missing. There is no maths comments for Expected.

MrEarlyYears

No there isn’t. From page 50 the maths section starts and it starts with ‘Number & Place Value’. Could you tell me what you see on p50-60?

Sorry I see it now! They’ve been accidentally left out. I will out then back!

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Advertisement

Supported by

Stormy Daniels, Who Testified About Sex With Trump, Will Return to Stand

The porn star at the center of the ex-president’s criminal trial, who will testify again on Thursday, spoke under oath about their encounter at a golf tournament in 2006, a meeting that could shape American history.

• Share full article

By Ben Protess ,  Jonah E. Bromwich ,  Maggie Haberman ,  Michael Rothfeld and Jonathan Swan

When Donald J. Trump met Stormy Daniels, their flirtation seemed fleeting: He was a 60-year-old married mogul at the peak of reality television fame, and she was 27, a Louisiana native raised in poverty and headed to porn-film stardom.

But that chance encounter in Lake Tahoe, Nev., some two decades ago is now at the center of the first criminal trial of an American president, an unprecedented case that could shape the 2024 presidential race.

This week, Ms. Daniels has been on the witness stand telling her side of the story, often in explicit detail. She has already faced five hours of questioning, and after the trial’s midweek hiatus, she is expected to return on Thursday to undergo additional cross-examination from Mr. Trump’s legal team.

The charges against Mr. Trump stem from her story of sex with him during that 2006 celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, a story she was shopping a decade later, in the closing days of the presidential campaign. Mr. Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen, paid Ms. Daniels $130,000 in hush money before Election Day, and the former president is accused of falsifying business records to cover up reimbursements for Mr. Cohen.

The Links Between Trump and 3 Hush-Money Deals

Here’s how key figures involved in making hush-money payoffs on behalf of Donald J. Trump are connected.

On Tuesday, Ms. Daniels’s fast-paced testimony lasted nearly five hours, during which she described an encounter with Mr. Trump, now 77, that he has long denied. Tension gripped the courtroom, her voluble testimony filling a heavy silence. She made jokes; they did not land.

After about a half-hour on the stand, she began to unspool intimate details about Mr. Trump, so much so that the judge balked at some of the testimony. He implied it was gratuitously vulgar, and the defense sought a mistrial.

Ms. Daniels said the future president had invited her to dinner inside his palatial Lake Tahoe hotel suite. He answered the door wearing silk pajamas. When he was rude, she playfully spanked him with a rolled-up magazine. And when she asked about his wife, he told her not to worry, saying that they didn’t even sleep in the same room — prompting Mr. Trump to shake his head in disgust and mutter “bullshit” to his lawyers, loud enough that it drew a private rebuke from the judge, who called it “contemptuous.”

Ms. Daniels then recounted the sex itself in graphic detail. It happened, she said, after she returned from the bathroom and found Mr. Trump in his boxer shorts and T-shirt. She tried to leave and he blocked her path, though not, she said, in a threatening manner. The sex was brief, she said, and although she never said no, there was a “power imbalance.”

“I was staring up at the ceiling, wondering how I got there,” she told the jury, adding that Mr. Trump did not wear a condom.

The testimony was an astonishing moment in American political history and a crowning spectacle in a trial full of them: a porn star, across from a former and potentially future president, telling the world what she was once paid to keep quiet about.

Ms. Daniels, 45, has told her story widely — to prosecutors, reporters, her friends, in a book — but never to jurors, and not with Mr. Trump in the room. Her appearance on the stand appeared to unnerve Mr. Trump as she aired his dirty laundry, under oath, in mortifying detail.

But Ms. Daniels’s story is not just a sordid kiss-and-tell tale; it spotlights what prosecutors say was Mr. Trump’s criminality. He is accused of engineering the false business records scheme to cover up all traces of their tryst: the hush money, the repayment to Mr. Cohen and, yes, the sex.

While the defense cast the testimony as a smear, Ms. Daniels provided prosecutors with some useful details. She established the fundamental story of her encounter with Mr. Trump. And she testified that she would have told the same uncomfortable tale in 2016, had she not taken the hush money from Mr. Trump’s fixer.

Who Are Key Players in the Trump Manhattan Criminal Trial?

The first criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump is underway. Take a closer look at central figures related to the case.

But her testimony, at times, seemed problematic for the prosecutors who had called her. Ms. Daniels testified that money was not her motivation, and that she wanted to get her story out. That could draw skepticism from jurors, who have heard that she accepted the $130,000 and, in exchange, did not tell her story for more than a year.

“My motivation wasn’t money,” she said. “It was motivated out of fear, not money.”

The jury also saw the judge, Juan M. Merchan, scold Ms. Daniels at least twice, instructing her to stick to the questions asked of her. At one point, he even issued his own objection, interrupting her testimony as she began to describe the sexual position she and Mr. Trump assumed.

Justice Merchan, generally a stoic presence with a tight grip over his courtroom, showed rare exasperation as the testimony veered in a scurrilous direction and the trial took on a circuslike atmosphere.

He also asked Ms. Daniels to slow down. She was a rapid-fire talker, prone to laughter and lengthy asides.

Outside the jury’s presence, the judge said that “there were some things better left unsaid” in her testimony and suggested that Ms. Daniels might have “credibility issues.”

Yet he rejected the defense’s bid for a mistrial, instead inviting Mr. Trump’s lawyers to mount an aggressive questioning of Ms. Daniels.

“The more times this story has changed, the more fodder for cross-examination,” he said.

Susan Necheles, the Trump lawyer who led the cross-examination, heeded the judge’s advice.

She painted Ms. Daniels as a lying opportunist. She unearthed excerpts from Ms. Daniels’s book to suggest that her story had changed over time. And in a potentially troublesome moment for Ms. Daniels, Ms. Necheles implied that she had fabricated an account of a Trump supporter threatening her and her daughter in a Las Vegas parking lot, a story she did not share with her baby’s father.

“Your daughter’s life was in jeopardy, and you did not tell her father, right?” Ms. Necheles asked, the implication being that the story was phony.

Ms. Daniels was indignant. And during some cross-examination, she parried effectively, performing even better than she did with her answers to prosecutors.

Her testimony brought full circle one of the earliest scandals that loomed over Mr. Trump’s presidency. Ever since The Wall Street Journal broke the news six years ago that Mr. Cohen had paid her to keep quiet, her story has changed the course of American politics and laid the groundwork for the case.

Over the years, Ms. Daniels has leaned into her Trump-adjacent fame. She has sold merchandise, filmed a documentary, sat for high-profile interviews and written a book that was so tell-all it included detailed descriptions of the former president’s genitalia. Mr. Trump has also dished out insults that ridiculed her appearance, calling her “horseface.”

But at other times, Ms. Daniels appeared tortured, detailing the personal toll of outsize exposure. Suddenly, she was not just a porn star but a threat to a man who commands the most fervent political movement in modern American history. She told reporters she was inundated by threats from Trump supporters, many of which were graphic. She feared for her family and has divorced her third husband, the father of her daughter.

“I have been just tormented for the last five years or so,” she said in the opening scene of “Stormy,” a documentary about her life that was released on Peacock. “And here I am, I’m still here.”

Ms. Daniels joined the trial at a pivotal moment. On Monday, prosecutors had asked two veterans of the Trump Organization’s accounting department to show jurors the 34 records they say Mr. Trump falsified to conceal his reimbursement of Mr. Cohen for the hush money. Those include 11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 entries in Mr. Trump’s ledger that portrayed the payments as normal legal expenses.

The Donald Trump Indictment, Annotated

The indictment unveiled in April 2023 centers on a hush-money deal with a porn star, but a related document alleges a broader scheme to protect Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign.

In the weeks ahead, Mr. Cohen is expected to take the stand and connect the dots between the salacious details and the substantive documents. On Tuesday, Ms. Daniels’s testimony took jurors through the smuttier elements of the case.

She began by recounting a difficult childhood in Baton Rouge. Her parents split up when she was young, she said.

She wanted to be a veterinarian and was editor of her high school newspaper. Eventually, she began stripping, she says, because she earned more than she did shoveling manure at a horse stable.

By the time she met Mr. Trump at the golf tournament in 2006, she was a player in porn. She was an actress, and would ultimately find her footing as a director and producer.

Asked to identify Mr. Trump in the courtroom, she called him out as the man in a navy suit jacket. Ms. Daniels, dressed in all black and wearing glasses, reduced the singular former president to just another man in the courtroom.

She spent much of her testimony describing that first encounter in Lake Tahoe. When she met Mr. Trump, she knew he was a golfer and the host of the “The Apprentice,” the reality show that revived Mr. Trump’s celebrity for a new generation. In a memorable line, Ms. Daniels said she also knew that he was “as old or older than my father.”

Later that day, she said, Mr. Trump’s aide approached and invited her to dinner. She says he took her number, but that her initial reaction was “eff no,” abbreviating an expletive.

But her publicist encouraged her: “What could possibly go wrong?”

She then transported jurors inside his hotel room, painting the sprawling suite in minute detail, capturing every aspect down to the color of the tiles.

She said Mr. Trump had taken an interest in her business and asked about unions, residuals and health insurance, as well as about testing for sexually transmitted diseases. “He was very interested in how I segued from becoming just a porn star to writing and directing,” she said.

Ms. Daniels said Mr. Trump told her, “You remind me of my daughter. She is smart and blond and beautiful, and people underestimate her as well.”

She recalled going into the bathroom to do her lipstick, where, she said, she noticed gold tweezers and Old Spice.

Later, they stayed in touch, she said. In 2007, they met at Trump Tower in New York, at a Trump Vodka launch party in Los Angeles and at a Beverly Hills hotel — all interactions that appeared to undercut Mr. Trump’s claims that he barely knew her.

The jury was also shown contact logs from Ms. Daniels’s phone and from Mr. Trump’s assistant’s phone showing that they remained in touch. And when they did talk, she said, Mr. Trump had a nickname for her: “honeybunch.”

They have only spoken through lawyers since then, most notably during the hush-money negotiations. When Ms. Necheles accused Ms. Daniels of using that effort to “extort money from President Trump,” Ms. Daniels objected.

“False,” she said.

“That’s what you did, right?” Ms. Necheles persisted.

“False!” Ms. Daniels shouted.

Reporting was contributed by William K. Rashbaum , Kate Christobek , Jesse McKinley , Wesley Parnell and Matthew Haag .

Ben Protess is an investigative reporter at The Times, writing about public corruption. He has been covering the various criminal investigations into former President Trump and his allies. More about Ben Protess

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign, down ballot races across the country and the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. More about Maggie Haberman

Michael Rothfeld is an investigative reporter in New York, writing in-depth stories focused on the city’s government, business and personalities. More about Michael Rothfeld

Jonathan Swan is a political reporter covering the 2024 presidential election and Donald Trump’s campaign. More about Jonathan Swan

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

News and Analysis

Michael Cohen was paid to fix Donald Trump’s problems. Now, as he prepares to take the stand in Trump’s criminal trial, he’s one of them .

Ahead of Cohen’s testimony, Justice Juan Merchan told prosecutors to keep Cohen from speaking about the case .

Witnesses have described Trump monitoring the minutiae of his business , a portrait prosecutors are drawing to help convince the jury that he couldn’t have helped but oversee the hush-money payment.

More on Trump’s Legal Troubles

Key Inquiries: Trump faces several investigations  at both the state and the federal levels, into matters related to his business and political careers.

Case Tracker:  Keep track of the developments in the criminal cases  involving the former president.

What if Trump Is Convicted?: Could he go to prison ? And will any of the proceedings hinder Trump’s presidential campaign? Here is what we know , and what we don’t know .

Trump on Trial Newsletter: Sign up here  to get the latest news and analysis  on the cases in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

• CBSSports.com
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• CBS Sports Home
• Triple Crown 
• Champions League
• Motor Sports
• High School

Men's Brackets

Women's Brackets

Fantasy Baseball

Fantasy football, football pick'em, college pick'em, fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey, franchise games, 24/7 sports news network.

• CBS Sports Golazo Network
• PGA Tour on CBS
• UEFA Champions League
• UEFA Europa League
• Italian Serie A
• Watch CBS Sports Network
• TV Shows & Listings

The Early Edge

A Daily SportsLine Betting Podcast

With the First Pick

NFL Draft recap

• Podcasts Home
• The First Cut Golf
• Beyond the Arc
• We Need to Talk Now
• Eye On College Basketball
• NFL Pick Six
• Cover 3 College Football
• Fantasy Football Today
• My Teams Organize / See All Teams Help Account Settings Log Out

2024 NFL Draft: What we learned about Adam Peters, Eliot Wolf and other first-year general managers

A glimpse of what fans should expect from the league's new personnel decision makers.

The 2024 NFL Draft served as an introduction to multiple first-year general managers. While it is a small sample size, we can look at this year's selections, as well as their background to inform about future plans. 

Chargers : General manager Joe Hortiz

• Auburn graduate assistant - coach (1995-1997)
• Ravens personnel assistant (1998-2000)
• Ravens scout (2001-2008)
• Ravens director of college scouting (2009-2018)
• Ravens director of player personnel (2019-2023)

First draft class

• OT Joe Alt , Notre Dame (Round 1, No. 5 overall)
• WR Ladd McConkey , Georgia (Round 2, No. 34 overall)
• LB Junior Colson , Michigan (Round 3, No. 69 overall)
• DT Justin Eboigbe , Alabama (Round 4, No. 105 overall)
• CB Tarheeb Still , Maryland (Round 5, No. 137 overall)
• CB Cam Hart , Notre Dame (Round 5, No. 140 overall)
• RB Kimani Vidal , Troy (Round 6, No. 181 overall)
• WR Brenden Rice , USC (Round 7, No. 225 overall)
• WR Cornelius Johnson , Michigan (Round 7, No. 253 overall)

Los Angeles used six of their nine selections on premium positions, such as wide receiver, quarterback, offensive tackle, cornerback and edge rusher. Rice was the only prospect reported to come to town on a pre-draft visit. Fans should not put a lot of stock in who head coach Jim Harbaugh brings in for one of those visits considering he hosted multiple Wolverines. There could not be anything more for the coach to glean from his former players on that trip. Two Michigan prospects were a part of the inaugural draft class. 

The Chargers draft class had an 8.41 average RAS (Relative Athletic Score), which would rank among the Top-10 averaged since 2019. The relative athletic score does not measure the caliber of player but rather their competency in athletic tests, such as the vertical jump, 40-yard dash, 3-cone drill and more. Former general manager Tom Telesco, now in the same role with the Raiders , ranked No. 19 in the metric since 2019. Hortiz comes from an organization that was below average in annual RAS, but drafts a high percentage of Power-5 players. The running joke is that they had a quota of one Alabama prospect per year to fill under the guidance of former general manager Ozzie Newsome. Hortiz made his former employer proud with the selection of Eboigbe. 

The Ravens historically wheel and deal to pick up additional draft picks over the course of the draft. Los Angeles traded up once. After the draft, Baltimore waits until free agent signings no longer count in the compensatory formula before they fill remaining holes on the roster. Harbaugh has his hands on the controls based on this offseason's transactions: moving on from beloved veteran players and throwing resources in the trenches to become a more physical team. 

Commanders : General manager Adam Peters

• Patriots scout (2003-2008)
• Broncos scout (2009-2013)
• Broncos assistant director of college scouting (2014-2015)
• Broncos director of college scouting (2016)
• 49ers vice president of player personnel (2017-2020)
• 49ers assistant general manager (2021-2023)
• QB Jayden Daniels , LSU (Round 1, No. 2 overall)
• DT Johnny Newton , Illinois (Round 2, No. 36 overall)
• CB Mike Sainristil , Michigan (Round 2, No. 50 overall)
• TE Ben Sinnott , Kansas State (Round 2, No. 53 overall)
• OT Brandon Coleman , TCU (Round 3, No. 67 overall)
• WR Luke McCaffrey , Rice (Round 3, No. 100 overall)
• LB Jordan Magee , Temple (Round 5, No. 139 overall)
• S Dominique Hampton , Washington (Round 5, No. 161 overall)
• EDGE Javontae Jean-Baptiste , Notre Dame (Round 7, No. 222 overall)

Peters has been credited with aiding in the construction of Super Bowl contending rosters in San Francisco and New England. Washington brought three of their draft choices, Daniels, Coleman and Jean-Baptiste, in for pre-draft visits. Five of their nine selections play premium positions. The Commanders traded back once. 

49ers general manager John Lynch targets good, productive football players. He is less concerned about age, RAS and premium positions than most other general managers. Lynch ranks below average in all three aspects. Peters is not following that model to a 'T,' however. In his first opportunity as drafting manager, his selections had an average RAS of 9.42, which, if maintained, would be the highest average going back to 2019. Listening to his his post-Day 2 press conference, he shared the organization's belief to add accountable players with Captaincy in their background. 

It is also clear that decisions are being made with an eye towards the future. A year ago at the trade deadline, they traded edge rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young . The selection of Newton suggests that veteran interior defenders DaRon Payne and Jonathan Allen could be available for the right price down the road. 

After Day 2 of the NFL Draft , Peters had each of his scouts stand on the table, so to speak, for one player they felt would be the right fit for Washington. They call it the 'Commander Caucus.'

Panthers : General manager/president of football operations Dan Morgan

• Seahawks scout (2010)
• Seahawks assistant director of pro personnel (2011-2024)
• Seahawks director of pro personnel (2015-2017)
• Bills director of player personnel (2018-2020)
• Panthers assistant general manager (2021-2023) 
• WR Xavier Legette (Round 1, No. 32 overall)
• RB Jonathon Brooks , Texas (Round 2, No. 46 overall)
• LB Trevin Wallace , Kentucky (Round 3, No. 72 overall)
• TE Ja'Tavion Sanders , Texas (Round 4, No. 101 overall)
• CB Chau Smith-Wade , Washington State (Round 5, No. 157 overall)
• DT Jaden Crumedy , Mississippi State (Round 6, No. 200 overall)
• LB Michael Barrett , Michigan (Round 7, No. 240 overall)

Carolina fired former general manager Scott Fitterer only to hire his deputy, Morgan, who also worked alongside new head coach Dave Canales in Seattle. The Panthers used three of their pre-draft visits on prospects they drafted: Legette, Brooks and Sanders. The 7.27 average RAS score would be considered below average. 

The draft was a continuation of the offseason plan to surround second-year quarterback Bryce Young with more talent. They traded cornerback Donte Jackson in exchange for wide receiver Diontae Johnson , then signed free agent offensive guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt to lucrative contracts. Three of the first four draft selections were skill positions. 

They used just two of their draft picks on premium positions. The first draft class is probably not a good representation of what fans should expect moving forward considering the concerted effort to support Young. 

Carolina traded four times throughout the draft: twice up and twice back. 

Seahawks general manager John Schneider has been middle of the road in regards to drafting age, RAS and premium positions. He constructs his board based on skill set and a player's ability to help his team, then sticks to the board during the draft regardless of how closely it mirrors public consensus.

Patriots: Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf  

• Packers pro personnel assistant (2004-2008)
• Packers assistant director of pro personnel (2008-2011)
• Packers assistant direct of player personnel (2011-2012)
• Packers director of pro personnel (2012-2015)
• Packers director of player personnel (2015-2016)
• Packers director of football operations (2016-2017)
• Browns assistant general manager (2018-2019)
• Patriots consultant (2020-2021)
• Patriots director of scouting (2022-2023)
• QB Drake Maye , North Carolina (Round 1, No. 3 overall)
• WR Ja'Lynn Polk , Washington (Round 2, No. 37 overall) 
• OT Caedan Wallace , Penn State (Round 3, No. 68 overall) 
• OG Layden Robinson , Texas A&M (Round 4, No. 103 overall)
• WR Javon Baker , UCF (Round 4, No. 110 overall)
• CB Marcellas Dial , South Carolina (Round 6, No. 180 overall)
• QB Joe Milton III , Tennessee (Round 6, No. 193 overall)
• TE Jaheim Bell , Florida State (Round 7, No. 231 overall) 

Wolf does not have the title of general manager but he is high up in that organization's personnel department. The franchise brought in five of their eight draft choices on pre-draft visits, including both quarterbacks. Every single one of their selections came from one of the Power 5 conferences. 

New England's average RAS score this year was 8.12, which is above average. Wolf spent 14 years with the Packers. Green Bay has a tendency to double down at positions of need. They might take two players at a position of need to increase the odds that at least one pans out. Wide receiver is the only position in which that was applicable for the Patriots' draft. 

The Patriots traded back once. 

Our Latest NFL Stories

NFL season opener booked; Nuggets, Pacers battle back

Zachary pereles • 7 min read.

Chiefs to host Ravens in NFL Kickoff Game

Jeff kerr • 3 min read.

How to watch NFL schedule release

Giants tease throwback uniforms for 100th anniversary

Jeff kerr • 1 min read.

Commanders have no comment on Quinn shirt

Jeff kerr • 2 min read.

Patriots to have joint practice with familiar opponent

Share video.

What we learned about NFL's new general managers

Five QBs who could be dealt before season

Schedule release: Everything to know

NFL notebook: Titans surprise contender?

Post-draft NFL QB Power Rankings

Commanders 2nd-rounder needs surgery on other foot

Undrafted WR makes catch of the day at rookie minicamp

Report: Netflix set to land Christmas doubleheader