End of Year Report Card Comments: K–5 Examples for the Final Report

A good end of year report card comment looks back at the whole year: it names the student’s growth since fall with a specific example, highlights a current strength, gives one focus for next year and offers a simple summer suggestion. That four-part shape keeps comments short, honest and useful to families, who often read the final report more closely than any other. This guide gives you the formula, examples for kindergarten through 5th grade, phrases for academics, behavior and work habits, and a quick checklist before you submit.

How the final comment is different

During the year, comments describe the current quarter or trimester. The final comment has a different job. It closes the year and opens the next one. Families want to know three things: how much their child grew, where they stand now and what to do over the summer. The next teacher may read it too, so a clear focus for next year helps the handoff.

Two rules make final comments work:

1. Compare the student to themselves. “In September, Maya read 30 words per minute; she now reads 72” says more than “Maya is a good reader.”
2. Nothing should be a surprise. If a student is significantly below grade level, families should have heard that at conferences and in earlier reports. The final comment sums up; it doesn’t break news.

The 4-part formula

Keep each part to one sentence. Use the student’s name once or twice and “he,” “she” or “they” as the student and family prefer.

Kindergarten examples

• “Sofia has grown so much this year! She started kindergarten recognizing a few letters and now knows all letter names and sounds and reads simple words like cat and sun. She is a kind friend who includes others at centers. In 1st grade, she will keep building her reading of short sentences. Reading together for a few minutes every day this summer will help her keep her momentum.”
• “Liam now counts to 100 and solves addition problems within 10 using objects and fingers, a big jump from the fall. He listens carefully during whole-group lessons. Next year, he will work on writing numbers neatly and in the right direction. Counting snacks, steps and toys at home is a fun way to practice this summer.”
• “Ava learned to follow our classroom routines and now takes care of materials independently. She is proud of her name writing and draws detailed pictures to tell stories. Next year, she will work on adding words to her drawings. Asking her to tell you a story about her picture and writing one word together is great summer practice.”

For more kindergarten language, see our full list of kindergarten report card comments.

1st and 2nd grade examples

• “Noah ends 1st grade reading on grade level after starting the year just below it. He decodes words with blends and digraphs and rereads when something doesn’t make sense. Next year, he will work on reading with more expression. Visiting the library’s summer reading program would be a fun way to keep him reading.”
• “Emma’s math thinking has grown steadily. She solves two-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping and explains her strategy with drawings. She is a patient partner. In 3rd grade, she will build fact fluency for multiplication. Practicing addition and subtraction facts in the car or at the store will keep her skills sharp.”
• “Lucas made big gains in writing this year, moving from lists of words to stories with a beginning, middle and end. He takes feedback well and revises his work. Next year, he will focus on spelling high-frequency words correctly. A summer journal with a few sentences a week would support his progress.”

3rd to 5th grade examples

• “Isabella grew as a reader this year, moving from short chapter books to longer novels. She finds the main idea and supports it with evidence from the text. Next year, she will work on comparing themes across books. Reading every day this summer and talking about the books with family will keep her growing.”
• “Ethan has become much more confident with fractions and multi-digit multiplication since the fall. He perseveres on challenging word problems and checks his work. In 5th grade, he will continue building speed with multiplication facts. Short daily fact practice over the summer would help.”
• “Mia’s writing this year shows real voice. She organizes informational essays with clear sections and uses linking words to connect ideas. She is a respected leader during group work. Next year, she will work on varying her sentence length. Keeping a summer journal or writing letters to a relative is a good way to practice.”
• “Daniel ends the year as a careful, thoughtful science student who asks great questions during investigations. His reading comprehension improved as he learned to reread and take notes. He is still working on turning in assignments on time, and using a planner next year will help. Reading about topics he loves this summer will build his stamina.”

Comments for students who are still working toward grade level

Be honest and kind, and always point to the next step. Name what the student can do now, describe the growth, state the gap clearly and connect it to support.

• “Aiden worked hard this year and grew from reading at an early 1st grade level to a mid-2nd grade level. He knows his short and long vowel patterns and is building fluency. He is still working toward grade-level reading, and continued reading practice will be important next year. Reading aloud with an adult for 15 minutes a day this summer would make a real difference.”
• “Chloe made steady progress in math, especially with place value. She is still developing her addition and subtraction facts, which slows her down on multi-step problems. Next year, she will keep practicing fact strategies. Card and dice games at home are a fun way to build fluency this summer.”

If a student has an IEP or 504 plan, make sure the comment agrees with what the plan and the progress reports say. The report card is not the place to suggest a new evaluation or a diagnosis; that conversation belongs with the family and the school team. For more language like this, our guide to report card comments for struggling students has dozens of examples.

Behavior and work habits phrases

Growth:

• “has become more independent in managing materials and time.”
• “now uses calm-down strategies on their own when frustrated.”
• “has grown as a listener and waits for a turn to speak.”
• “shows much more persistence with hard tasks than in the fall.”

Strength:

• “is a kind and inclusive classmate.”
• “takes pride in neat, complete work.”
• “is a dependable leader during group projects.”

Next focus:

• “will continue working on starting tasks without reminders.”
• “will keep practicing raising a hand before speaking.”
• “will work on checking work before turning it in.”

For a full bank of conduct language, see our behavior report card comments.

Summer suggestions families can actually do

Keep suggestions free, short and specific. Avoid anything that requires buying a program or materials.

• Read for 20 minutes a day, or listen to audiobooks from the library.
• Join the public library’s summer reading program.
• Keep a simple journal: one or two sentences a day with a picture.
• Practice math facts with dice, cards or in the car.
• Count money, measure ingredients or tell time during everyday routines.
• Write a letter or postcard to a relative.

Final checklist before you submit

• Does each comment mention growth since fall with something concrete?
• Does it match the grades and the progress reports?
• Is there only one focus for next year, stated positively?
• Is the language free of labels, diagnoses and comparisons with other students?
• Is the name and pronoun correct? (Copy-and-paste errors are the most common complaint from families.)
• Would you be comfortable reading it aloud to the student and family together?

Report cards are student records under FERPA, so keep drafts in school-approved systems, don’t paste full names and grades into tools your district hasn’t approved and never share one student’s comments with another family.

Write final comments faster

Writing 25 or more thoughtful final comments in the busiest weeks of the year is a lot. An AI report card comment tool can draft a comment from a few notes you type (growth, strength, focus), and you edit the result so it sounds like you and fits the student.

For comment banks by grade and subject for every grading period, visit our full guide to report card comments.