Strong Report Card Comments for Language Arts

A comment on a report card is meant to provide additional information about the students progress and level of achievement. It should give the parent or guardian a clear picture of what the student has accomplished, as well as what he or she has to work on in the future. It can sometimes be hard to think of a unique comment to write on each students report card. To help you find the right words, use this compiled list of language arts report card comments. Positive Comments Use the following phrases to make positive comments regarding students’ progress in language arts. Reading Reads eagerly during silent timeMakes good use of our classroom libraryUses text and pictures to predict and confirmElects to read or look at books during free timeTakes home books from our classroom libraryCompares books to others by the same authorIs choosing suitably challenging reading materialHas a good attitude about booksReads with expressionChooses suitably challenging reading materialReads at (__) grade levelHas good reading comprehension and decoding skillsHas read __ chapter books so far this quarterIt is refreshing to see that __ enjoys reading in his/her free time Writing Chooses to write during classroom free timeShares his/her written work with the whole classWrites legiblyIs a creative writerHas a refreshing sense of voice, clarity, and styleHandwriting is very legible/a joy to readIs very successful in note-takingWorks to make his/her handwriting legibleHas many interesting story ideasHas well-developed characters in his/her storiesWorks on his/her editing processIs writing on a variety of topicsIs writing in a variety of styles: friendly letter, factual reports, imaginative retelling, poetry, fictionOrganizes his/her writing wellApplies skills to all written workPuts a great deal of time and effort into his/her writingMakes an effort to make his/her handwriting legible Analytical Skills Analyzes characters actionsAnalyzes story plotsCompares and contrasts similar and dissimilar ideasSelf-correctsAsks thought-provoking questionsUses imaginationStrives to be accurateExplains himself/herself clearlyDeduces meaning from information givenCompares and contrasts similar and dissimilar thingsIs competent using the dictionaryIs learning to do independent research Grammar and Vocabulary Recognizes high-frequency wordsUses approximations for spelling, which is very appropriate at this timeUses beginning and ending sounds to identify wordsSpells many difficult wordsHas a strong command of the English languageUses correct grammarIs developing a fine vocabularyUses expansive vocabulary Verbal Skills Is a major contributor at our brainstorming sessionsProduces oral reports that demonstrate knowledge and research skillsSpeaks very well before classContributes at our brainstorming sessionsListens as well as shares during classroom discussions and presentationsCommunicates with accuracyRetells stories in the correct sequenceIs eager to speak in front of a groupIs a good audience as well as presenter during our presentation time Other Is rapidly mastering the fundamental skillsShows increasing confidence and competence in...Is showing good growth in...Has shown an increased interest in...Is trying hard and continues to make steady progress in...Is making progress in all areas, especially in...Strongest work is in the area of...Has turned in extra-credit work Needs Improvement On those occasions when you need to convey less-than-positive information on a report card, use the following phrases. Note that you can easily convert comments from both groups into positive or encouraging ones. Reading Does not use our classroom libraryDoes not choose books or writing as an activity for free timeShows some attention to print, but mostly makes up meanings from picturesHas trouble sitting while listening to a storyDoesn’t seem to enjoy books or stories to readI would like to see __ read for 20 minutes each day at homeStill making many reversals of letters, words, and phrasesHesitant to read stories to the classStruggles with reading comprehensionHas difficulty understanding what he/she readsNeeds to choose books at his/her own reading levelIs choosing books that are too difficult/simple for his/her levelNeeds to take his/her time and think about what he/she readsSkims quickly through books without attention to detailIs unable to retell a story with much accuracy Writing Unwilling to rewrite or make changes in written workDoes not edit work carefullySpeech development may be hindering correct spellingI would like to see __ check his/her writing more carefully before handing assignments inNeeds to work on creating stories that are realisticOften forgets capital letters and punctuationHis/her stories lack a clear beginning, middle, and endHas difficulty getting his/her thoughts on paperNeeds to add more detail to his/her workHandwriting indicates that student is inclined to hurryCould improve his/her written papers with more attention to detailWritten work lacks description/detail/varied vocabulary Analytical Skills Cannot predict story outcomes with confidenceIs not making use of a dictionary or resource booksIs not using our classroom library Grammar and Vocabulary Has difficulty with high-frequency wordsHas a limited vocabularyLacks sight vocabularyNeeds to build his/her reading vocabularyHas difficulty using reading strategies to decode new wordsNeeds to focus on rules of grammarReluctant to use approximation with word spelling, wants to be correct Participation/Other Reluctant to speak in front of the group or whole classHas trouble sitting while listening to a storyHas difficulty focusing on the assignment at-hand during __ workshopGets discouraged when...Wants to talk instead of listening to others share their ideasI would like to see ___ participate more in more independent...Is easily discouraged when...Is hesitant to...