Table of Contents
1. The Fundamentals of Effective Report Comments
Effective report comments serve multiple purposes: they communicate student progress to parents, provide encouragement to students, and document learning achievements. The best comments are specific, constructive, and forward-looking.
✅ Effective Comments Include:
- Specific examples of student work or behavior
- Clear learning objectives and outcomes
- Constructive feedback for improvement
- Recognition of effort and progress
- Next steps or goals for continued learning
❌ Avoid These Common Issues:
- • Generic, one-size-fits-all comments
- • Negative language that discourages students
- • Vague statements without specific examples
- • Comments that focus only on deficits
- • Overly long or overly short comments
2. Comment Structure and Components
The STAR Framework
S - Strengths
Start with what the student does well. This builds confidence and sets a positive tone.
Example: "Sarah consistently demonstrates strong problem-solving skills in mathematics..."
T - Targets
Identify specific learning objectives the student has met or is working toward.
Example: "She has mastered addition and subtraction with regrouping..."
A - Areas for Growth
Constructively address areas where improvement is needed, always paired with specific support strategies.
Example: "To further develop her writing skills, Sarah would benefit from..."
R - Recommendations
End with actionable next steps for continued learning and growth.
Example: "I recommend continued practice with multiplication facts at home..."
3. Using Positive, Constructive Language
Language Transformation Examples
❌ Instead of saying:
"John is behind in reading and struggles with comprehension."
✅ Try this approach:
"John is developing his reading skills and would benefit from additional practice with comprehension strategies."
❌ Instead of saying:
"Emma never participates in class discussions."
✅ Try this approach:
"Emma is a thoughtful listener who is building confidence to share her ideas in group settings."
❌ Instead of saying:
"Michael's behavior is disruptive and affects other students."
✅ Try this approach:
"Michael is learning to channel his enthusiasm productively and is making progress in following classroom expectations."
4. Specific Examples by Subject and Grade Level
Elementary Mathematics
High-Performing Student:
"Alex demonstrates exceptional mathematical thinking and consistently applies problem-solving strategies effectively. He has mastered multiplication and division facts and shows creativity in approaching multi-step word problems. Alex often helps classmates understand concepts and would benefit from additional challenge activities to extend his learning."
Developing Student:
"Jordan is building strong foundations in mathematics and shows particular strength in number recognition and counting. She is developing confidence with addition strategies and benefits from hands-on manipulatives. Continued practice with basic facts at home will support her continued growth in mathematical fluency."
Middle School English
Strong Writer:
"Taylor is an accomplished writer who crafts engaging narratives with well-developed characters and clear story arcs. Her use of descriptive language brings her stories to life, and she demonstrates strong command of grammar and mechanics. To further enhance her writing, Taylor could experiment with different genres and continue developing her revision skills."
Emerging Writer:
"Sam shows enthusiasm for sharing his ideas through writing and has improved significantly in organizing his thoughts. He demonstrates creativity in topic selection and is developing stronger paragraph structure. Continued focus on editing skills and sentence variety will help Sam communicate his ideas even more effectively."
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using Generic Template Language
Generic comments like "Good work this term" or "Needs improvement" don't provide valuable information to parents or students.
Solution: Always include specific examples and concrete observations about the student's learning and behavior.
Focusing Only on Academic Performance
Comments that only address grades or test scores miss opportunities to highlight social-emotional growth, effort, and learning process.
Solution: Include observations about collaboration, persistence, creativity, and other important learning skills.
Writing Without Student Voice in Mind
Comments written only for parents may discourage students if they read them.
Solution: Write comments that would motivate and inform students while still communicating effectively with parents.
6. Time-Saving Strategies
During the Term
- • Keep ongoing notes about each student's progress
- • Use a simple tracking system for observations
- • Take photos of student work for reference
- • Note specific examples when they occur
- • Use student self-assessments as reference points
During Report Writing
- • Group similar students for efficient writing
- • Start with positive observations
- • Use a consistent structure for all comments
- • Review and edit in batches
- • Get colleague feedback on challenging comments
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