Writing Report Card Comments for Elementary (Ideas, Organization, Conventions)

Good writing report card comments name one trait of writing (ideas, organization, voice and word choice, sentence fluency or conventions), connect it to the type of writing the child is doing (opinion, informative or narrative), give a short example from the child’s work and suggest one next step. Writing is the subject where families see the least evidence at home, so your comment may be the clearest picture they get. A comment like “[Name] is a good writer” tells them nothing. A comment like “[Name]’s opinion pieces now include two reasons with examples, and we’re working on a stronger conclusion” tells them exactly where their child is. Below are 70+ comments organized by trait, with notes for different grade bands.

What to look for by grade band

Comment on the expectations for your grade. A 1st grader who writes three sentences on one topic is doing well; a 5th grader who does the same needs a different comment.

Base comments on several pieces, not one. Keep a few dated samples per student across the term (one opinion, one informative, one narrative) and compare the first and the last. Growth between them is often the most encouraging thing you can report, and the samples give you concrete examples to quote at conferences.

Ideas and content (1–14)

Ideas are what the writing is about: a clear focus, interesting details and, in upper grades, evidence.

Strengths

1. [Name] chooses interesting topics and writes about them with enthusiasm.
2. [Name]’s writing stays focused on one main idea.
3. [Name] adds vivid details that help the reader picture the scene.
4. [Name] supports opinions with clear reasons and examples.
5. [Name] includes facts and definitions when writing to inform.
6. [Name] uses evidence from texts to support ideas.
7. [Name] writes narratives with a clear problem and solution.

Goals 8. [Name] has many ideas and is learning to choose one focus for each piece. 9. [Name] is working on adding details that explain each idea. 10. [Name] is learning to support opinions with reasons, not just state them. 11. [Name] is working on using facts from our reading in informative writing. 12. [Name] is learning to “zoom in” on the most important moment in a story. 13. [Name] is learning to explain how evidence supports an idea. 14. Talking through ideas before writing at home (“Tell me what you’ll write about”) will help.

Organization (15–28)

Organization is the structure: beginning, middle and end; paragraphs; transitions.

Strengths 15. [Name]’s stories have a clear beginning, middle and end. 16. [Name] writes paragraphs with a strong topic sentence and a closing. 17. [Name] uses transition words like first, next, also and finally. 18. [Name] groups related information together under headings. 19. [Name] writes introductions that hook the reader. 20. [Name] organizes multi-paragraph essays logically. 21. [Name] writes conclusions that connect back to the main idea.

Goals 22. [Name] is learning to put events in the order they happened. 23. [Name] is working on writing a topic sentence that tells what the paragraph is about. 24. [Name] is learning to use a graphic organizer to plan before writing. 25. [Name] is working on starting a new paragraph for each new idea. 26. [Name] is learning to use linking words such as because, for example and in addition. 27. [Name] is working on writing a conclusion that wraps up the piece. 28. Asking [Name] to tell a story “first, then, last” at the dinner table builds sequencing.

Our post on graphic organizers for writing shows the planners behind comments 24 and 25.

Voice and word choice (29–40)

Strengths 29. [Name]’s writing has a strong personal voice that makes it fun to read. 30. [Name] chooses precise words instead of words like good and nice. 31. [Name] uses new vocabulary from our reading in writing. 32. [Name] uses descriptive adjectives and strong verbs. 33. [Name] adapts tone for different audiences, like a letter versus a report. 34. [Name] uses dialogue to bring characters to life.

Goals 35. [Name] is learning to replace overused words with more precise ones. 36. [Name] is working on using sensory details (what you see, hear and feel). 37. [Name] is learning to show feelings through actions instead of only naming them. 38. [Name] is working on including new vocabulary words in writing. 39. [Name] is learning to write with a more formal tone in informational pieces. 40. Reading a variety of books together exposes [Name] to rich language to borrow.

Sentence fluency (41–48)

41. [Name] writes complete sentences with a subject and a verb.
42. [Name] varies sentence beginnings to keep writing interesting.
43. [Name] combines short sentences into longer ones using and, but and because.
44. [Name]’s writing reads smoothly aloud.
45. [Name] is learning to write complete sentences rather than fragments.
46. [Name] is working on avoiding run-on sentences.
47. [Name] is learning to start sentences in different ways.
48. Having [Name] read writing aloud helps catch sentences that don’t sound right.

Conventions (49–62)

Conventions include capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar and, in early grades, handwriting. Keep them in proportion to the rest of the writing.

Strengths 49. [Name] consistently uses capital letters and end punctuation correctly. 50. [Name] spells grade-level words and taught patterns correctly. 51. [Name] uses commas in lists and dates. 52. [Name] punctuates dialogue correctly. 53. [Name] uses correct verb tenses throughout a piece. 54. [Name] forms letters neatly and spaces words evenly.

Goals 55. [Name] is learning to capitalize the beginning of each sentence and the word I. 56. [Name] is working on end punctuation; we use a checklist at the end of each piece. 57. [Name] spells words the way they sound and is learning the patterns we’ve practiced. 58. [Name] is working on spelling high-frequency words correctly in writing. 59. [Name] is learning to use quotation marks for dialogue. 60. [Name] is working on keeping verb tense consistent. 61. [Name] is practicing correct letter formation, especially [b and d]. 62. Playing spelling games with this week’s patterns at home will help [Name] transfer them to writing.

Writing process and habits (63–72)

63. [Name] plans writing before starting and uses the plan while drafting.
64. [Name] revises by adding details and changing words, not only fixing spelling.
65. [Name] uses feedback from teachers and peers to improve writing.
66. [Name] writes with stamina for [20] minutes during writing workshop.
67. [Name] takes pride in publishing and sharing finished pieces.
68. [Name] is learning to reread writing to check that it makes sense.
69. [Name] is building writing stamina and writes a little more each week.
70. [Name] is learning to make revisions, not just edits.
71. [Name] is working on getting started quickly during writing time.
72. Encouraging [Name] to write notes, lists and cards at home builds confidence.

Putting a writing comment together

Pick one strength and one goal, ideally from different traits, and add a next step. For example: “[Name] writes informative paragraphs with a clear topic sentence and three facts about the topic. Our next goal is using linking words like also and for example to connect ideas. Asking [Name] to explain a topic to you, using ‘for example,’ is great practice.” For students with IEP writing goals, keep the report card comment general and share progress on the goals through the IEP progress report; the IEP team decides how that progress is reported. Our IEP goals for writing post shows how those goals are usually written.

For reading and math, see our reading report card comments. To browse comments by grade and subject, along with a calendar of report card seasons, visit the full bank of report card comments.