168 Sample Report Card Comments (Plus a Printable Version)

Each progress report and report card provides an opportunity for you to give parents insight into their child’s performance beyond a letter or numerical grade for conduct or academics. Parents want to know how their child is doing, but they also want to know that you get their child. Report cards also help students understand what they are doing well … as well as areas where they could improve. The best way to get these points across is via meaningful comments. Need help? We’ve got dozens of sample report card comments below that are sorted for students at every level: emerging, developing, proficient, and extending standards, plus comments that address behavior, social skills, and more.

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Tips for report card comments

Before using the list below, it’s important to know that teacher comments should be accurate, specific, and personal. The comments below are structured to allow you to fill in the blank for a particular subject or behavior, and then expand the comment. Sometimes you might require an action like a meeting with the parent. Other times you may be encouraging the student to do something in school or at home to improve on a skill or get more practice. Either way, these sample report card comments will establish the how that attaches to the what of any number or letter grade you are documenting.

Sample report card comments for students with emerging skills

It’s often difficult to know the cause of why a student’s skills are still emerging. In these situations, parents can often help you get to the bottom of it. Be specific about areas of difficulty in these comments, and don’t be afraid to ask for a parent’s help. Here are some ideas:

Your student may need additional assistance with [skill/subject]. Completing classwork and homework is the first step to improving.

Sample report card comments to encourage a follow-up phone call

We can think of many situations where a report card comment can be the first step in scheduling a phone call or meeting to discuss a concern. Write something positive about the child’s personality while requesting a parent meeting or phone call. Some examples are:

Your child has a wonderful sense of humor/is helpful/is kind but fails to turn in their assignments. Let’s meet to come up with a plan to move forward.

Sample report card comments about (negative) behavior

Parents want to know how their child has behaved, even if they are not surprised by the behavior. Behavior can be even more difficult to write about than academics. Be careful to avoid personal attacks or statements that can make the parent or child feel judged. For difficult behaviors, stick to statistics and/or basic descriptions. Try things like:

Report card comment: Your student needs to slow down in order to produce quality/carefully done work.

Sample report card comments for students with developing skills

For students who are still developing, focus on any improvement while also providing suggestions to keep the momentum going. Try these comments:

I would like to see your student pay closer attention to [subject/topic] in order to get a better grade. Report card comment: Your child is enthusiastic but still doesn’t understand [topic]. Additional work on this topic would be incredibly helpful.

Sample report card comments for students with proficient skills

Let the parent know all the positives about their child and perhaps encourage students to dig just a little bit deeper.

I appreciate that your student does their best every single day. Report card comment; With a little more effort, your child could move up to the advanced group in [the subject where effort is lacking].

Sample report card comments for students with advanced skills

Positive behaviors deserve just as much (if not more) attention as negative behaviors. These comments can be the most fun to write. Begin with a simple stem and then fill in the personal details that will make the parent smile. Example sentence starters are:

Report card comments: your student avoids careless errors through attention to detail.

Sample report card comments to showcase students’ strengths

Students who excel at helping out others deserve to have their skills mentioned in comments!

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Report card comments: Your student relates well to classmates and is appreciative of different perspectives and experiences.

While all of these comments can supplement the grades on a report card, you don’t have to wait to use them. Sending notes home between progress reports and report cards with little comments like these can bolster the parent-teacher relationship. Write them in communication folders or on postcards for that extra school-home connection.

Sample report card comments to highlight positive behavior

Sometimes you’ll have a lot to say about a student’s positive behaviors. Parents love to hear that their kids are model citizens. Here are comments that communicate all the good behaviors you see in class.

[Student] shows responsible behavior, works well in a group, and shows appreciation for classmates’ efforts.

Sample report card comments for math

Providing specific information about how a child is doing in core subjects helps parents know exactly what to expect on the grades portion of the report card. And providing a positive statement about a subject can help you lead into a statement about what the child needs to work on.

[Student] seems to need continuous encouragement in math. They continue to struggle with foundational math concepts for [grade level].

Sample report card comments for reading and writing

Just like with math, it’s good to comment on the specific aspects of academics that students are doing well and those that they can work on. Use these comments to explain where a student is in their reading and writing progress.

[Student] always puts effort into their writing work. [Student] organizes writing well and organizes thoughts into complete paragraphs.

Sample report card comments about social skills

As much as school is about academics, parents also worry about social skills and how their child is doing in terms of fitting in, making friends, and managing social situations. For some kids, this will be a strength and for some it will be an area of focus, but make sure to include whatever information parents need to know.

[Student] treats other students with empathy and fairness.

Sample report card comments about communication

Communication is another important skill that students are learning and honing in school that you can report on. Particularly for kids whose communication skills are either a strength or something they need help with, a comment about this can be very helpful to parents.

[Student] can make a logical and persuasive argument in oral discussion or in writing.

Sample report card comments about group work

Group work gets at a child’s ability to work with peers, solve problems, and communicate. It’s also often a barometer for social skills. Giving comments about group work can tell parents a lot about how their child is able to succeed in teamwork and if there are any red flags.

[Student] plans and carries out group activities carefully.

Sample report card comments about time management

Managing time is a skill that gets more and more important as kids move through school, and it is something that all parents can help with at home. Help parents know how their child is doing managing time with these comments.

[Student] is able to pace their work for long-term assignments.

Sample report card comments about work habits

Same as time management, comments about work habits are helpful for parents because they explain how a student is approaching their work and how their academics are impacted because of these habits.

[Student] produces neat and careful work.