Part 2

50 "Needs Improvement" Report Card Comments for Social, Emotional, Learning

The main purpose of “positive youth development” in the SEL programs is to set young people on a positive developmental trajectory so that they have the proper emotional skills to realize their potential and adapt to any obstacles they may encounter. Fostering healthy emotional skills in students serves as a combatant against the emotional distress that comes from the many trials and tribulations of growing up.

Education World has put together this list of 50 report card comments that are focused on building character skills and improving social emotional learning behaviors.

Related resources:

• 50 Needs Improvement Report Card Comments (Part 1)
• 125 Report Card Comments (for positive comments)

The following pre-written report card comments can be easily modified to make report card writing faster and easier. 

1. ___ has a lot to say, but needs to work on figuring out the appropriate times to speak.
2. ___ likes to contribute to group discussions, but needs to work on staying on topic.
3. ___ gets along well with all of his/her classmates, but needs to work on staying on task and not socializing.
4. ___ has a lot of great questions, but needs to keep them focused on what we are learning in class.
5. ___ is very quiet in class and I would love to see him/her attempt to participate more.
6. ___ sometimes struggles with the material in class, but does not ask for help. It would be beneficial if ___ would ask for help when unsure.
7. ___ works quickly and would benefit from slowing down.
8. ___ works very slowly and carefully, but often ends up not finish his/her work. ___ would benefit from working a little faster.
9. ___ is working on carefully listening to directions and then acting on those directions.
10. ___ shows inconsistent effort. I would like to see him/her put forth consistent effort during all times of the day.
11. ___ appears tired and has a difficult time concentrating. He/she would benefit from getting more sleep.
12. ___ gives up easily and is working on persevering when facing a difficult task.
13. ___ has difficulty communicating with his peers. He/she is working on expressing him/herself in a more appropriate manner.
14. ___ knows how he/she likes things and has a difficult time working with other students. He/she is working on being more flexible and open-minded.
15. ___ is working on keeping his/her unkind comments to him/herself.
16. ___ goes along with what other people say and needs to work on expressing his/her own ideas and thoughts.
17. ___ struggles when trying new skills. He/she is working on his/her confidence.
18. ___ has been working on thinking outside of the box and expressing his/her creativity.
19. ___ is working on sticking with a task, even when it is difficult.
20. ___ struggles with understanding how his/her classmates are feeling. He/she is working on putting him/herself in other’s shoes.
21. ___ does not always tell the truth. He/she is working on being honest all of the time.
22. ___ likes to be like everyone else. He/she is working on showing his/her individuality.
23. ___ does not always respond with kindness. He/she is working on being kind when responding.
24. ___ does not think before speaking and can be hurtful. He/she is working on thinking and only making kind, constructive comments.
25. ___ often does not use manners. He/she is working on being more polite and using manners.
26. ___ often forgets to use his/her manners. He/she would benefit from practicing at home as well as at school.
27. ___ tends to focus on what other people more than him/herself. He/she is working on staying focused on him/herself.
28. ___ does not demonstrate responsibility in the classroom.
29. ___ has a difficult time accepting responsibility for his/her actions.
30. ___ has a difficult time sharing the classroom materials.
31. ___ does not demonstrate respect for the classroom materials.
32. ___ does not demonstrate respect for him/herself or others.
33. ___ is working on being more confident
34. ___ is very concerned with what is happening around him/her. He/she is working on staying focused on his/her own task.
35. ___ often blames other people. He/she is working on taking responsibility for his/her own actions.
36. ___ is very worried. I am working with him/her to find solutions to what worries him/her.
37. ___ has a difficult time focusing and getting work done when he/she is anxious. He/she would benefit from outside intervention.
38. ___ is working on demonstrating compassion for others.
39. ___ is learning how to show others he/she cares.
40. ___ is working on accepting that other people are different and have different thoughts and ideas.
41. ___ has a difficult time working with people who are different than he/she.
42. ___ is very caring and wants to help everyone, but has a difficult time getting his/her own work done because of it.
43. ___ is learning techniques for overcoming obstacles.
44. ___ has a difficult time completing tasks.
45. ___ is unable to identify how others are feeling. We are working on that skill.
46. ___ is not very tolerant of others. He/she is working on being more accepting.
47. ___ appears unhappy many days. He/she would benefit from outside intervention.
48. ___ is not confident in his/her answers. We are working on increasing his/her confidence.
49. ___ does not always follow through on the tasks with which he/she is supposed to do. We are working on strategies to help him/her remember.
50. ___ has a difficult time relating to his/her peers.

Written by Kimberly Greacen, Education World® Contributing Writer

Kimberly is an educator with extensive experience in curriculum writing and developing instructional materials to align with Common Core State Standards and Bloom's Taxonomy.

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