I just wrote my Progress Reports and I had a hard time coming up with personalized comments for each student in my class.

I looked at what I had written in the past and I searched online for comments I could use. I then began writing, but I was pretty much making it up as I went along. I don’t know why but I seem to do the same thing every year. I decided that there had to be a better way.

I spent an hour today, making these tracking sheets that should make the job of writing learning skills comments a lot easier for the Term 1 reports later in the year.

There are six learning skill categories; Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self-Regulation. Each one of these heading has anywhere from three to five look-fors.

I made these charts that I plan on attaching to a clipboard in the classroom. There will be one set of these per student in my class. I will make sure to take a few notes every week for the rest of the year. That way, when it comes time to writing report cards again, I will have very specific things to say and I will only have to look in this one spot.

Download the PDF for free or the editable MS Word document

Here are some of the comments I wrote in the Progress Reports this year. I wrote these for my Grade 2 / 3 students, I hope you will find them useful. Of course, the names have been changed.

Learning Skills Comments . . .

Brian follows the classroom expectations and school rules without needing reminders. He demonstrates responsibility by coming into the classroom after recess and going directly to his desk, ready for the next lesson. He organizes his workspace and materials to keep track of academic work. He shares his thoughts, and respectfully listens to the opinions of others when trying to solve problems in groups. Brian establishes positive relationships with peers and adults. He accepts responsibility for his own behaviour. He often takes an active role when problem solving in a group setting, and works well with his peers. He is beginning to take risks in his learning, but should continue to make this a goal for himself. He needs to continue to work on his willingness to seek out necessary teacher assistance so that he better understands the concepts under study. He is a respectful student who demonstrates tolerance and consideration for others. He usually listens attentively and follows instructions throughout the school day. Brian is a trustworthy and reliable student who demonstrates honesty in our classroom. Brian treats his peers fairly and equally in his interactions with others. He is encouraged to use classroom resources to help him during his work, such as dictionaries, textbooks, and classroom charts. Brian is also encouraged to set short-term goals (daily and weekly) and strive to achieve them consistently.

Olivia demonstrates responsibility by fulfilling classroom obligations on a daily basis. She comes to class appropriately prepared with her learning materials and agenda. She frequently completes and submits class work according to agreed upon timelines. Olivia keeps her desk neat and tidy and has no trouble locating and accessing any of the tools she needs to complete her work. She takes great care in her tasks and assignments and works well without supervision. Olivia is able to accurately keep track of assignments and is prepared for class each morning and ready to be dismissed at the end of each school day. She is encouraged to make use of the daily agenda board to stay organized on the tasks that are planned for the day. Olivia regularly collaborates with classmates by providing and accepting new roles, while usually taking on an equitable share of work in a group setting. She enjoys working in small group activities. Olivia often encourages those in her colour house to do their work and to listen attentively. She participates in class by asking and responding to questions during the lessons. She is usually the first one in class to raise her hand and always has something relevant to add to the discussion. Olivia demonstrates initiative in class when studying all subjects by showing a positive interest in the activities presented. She has a natural curiosity when presented with new learning material that is refreshing to see. She frequently monitors her learning and regularly asks questions for clarification and to deepen her understanding. Olivia is encouraged to set short-term goals while striving daily to achieve them.

Joan routinely fulfills responsibilities and commitments within the learning environment. She regularly takes on the responsibility of cleaning up the classroom by sweeping the floor and tidying up around the room. She actively participates in class by asking and responding to questions. She is encouraged to raise her hand and wait to be called upon before speaking out. She has some difficulty resolving conflicts in socially acceptable ways. She is encouraged to develop strategies for resolving conflicts appropriately with her peers. Joan generally keeps a neat workspace and organizes her academic resources throughout the day and across subjects. She works consistently throughout the school day on all academic tasks. She contributes meaningfully to the group work and collaborative tasks that we complete in class. She is usually very interested in taking academic risks in her learning pursuits. She regularly seeks assistance when needed so that she fully understands challenging curriculum concepts. Joan is encouraged to work on cooperating with her peers and demonstrating a more respectful tone while interacting with others, especially during recess and unstructured times. She should continue working on being more empathetic towards her peers in social situations and cooperative activities as well. She should continue using classroom resources to help her during her work, such as dictionaries, textbooks, and classroom charts. Joan is encouraged to set short-term goals (daily and weekly) and strive to achieve them consistently.

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