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180+ Preschool Report Card Comments: The Ultimate Guide

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Preetha Mani
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10 min read
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About Tim Seldin

Author, Educator and President, of The Montessori Foundation

Tim Seldin is an author, educator and the President of The Montessori Foundation and Chair of The International Montessori Council. His more than forty years of experience in Montessori education includes twenty-two years as Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is the author of several books including “The World In The Palm of Her Hand” more

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What could be more difficult than the responsibility of writing distinct remarks about each child in your class? Writing unique kindergarten assessment report for each child is essential yet often challenging for teachers. Thoughtful, personalized assessments provide parents with a clearer understanding of their child's performance and development, and strengthen the educator-parent connection. For teachers managing multiple children, creating these remarks can be time-intensive and demanding.

This blog explores how educators can craft meaningful preschool assessment reports, offering tips and templates to highlight key achievements across various curriculum areas. Additionally, discover how tools like illumine’s AI-powered preschool assessment tool can support teachers in efficiently creating personalized, insightful remarks, making the reporting process smoother while ensuring each child’s growth is thoughtfully captured. You'll also find 90+ report card comments for preschool and kindergarten that you can use as templates for your reports.

Understanding the Importance of Report Card Comments for Kindergartens

Report card comments are a crucial part of tracking a child’s progress, providing valuable insights into their academic progress, social skills, and emotional development. Report card comments matter because they:

  • Provide a comprehensive picture of a child’s progress, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement.
  • Help parents understand their child’s academic and social development, enabling them to support their child’s learning at home.
  • Facilitate communication between teachers, parents, and students, promoting a collaborative approach to education.
  • Serve as a tool for teachers to reflect on their teaching practices and make data-driven decisions.

By offering detailed insights into a child’s performance, report card comments help bridge the gap between school and home, ensuring that parents are well-informed and can actively participate in their child’s education. This collaborative effort is essential for fostering a supportive learning environment that encourages growth and development. Additionally, providing ongoing support both at school and home is vital for student growth and improvement in various academic and behavioral areas.

6 Strategies for Effective Preschool Report Card Comments

Keep these hacks in mind for writing honest and credible preschool assessment report comments:

  1. Begin your assessment report comments for kindergarten by telling parents how pleased you are to be teaching their kid, or how much their child is learning and developing. Positive comments can motivate pupils to do better.
  2. Report cards aren’t the best place to go over preschool curriculum. Student performance and ambitions for the coming term should be highlighted in the short remarks for the assessment report.
  3. Incorporating both parents and students in preschool assessment report comments broadens the scope of the report and decreases the likelihood of conflict between preschool teachers, pupils, and parents.
  4. Avoid general comments in preschool assessments. While vague phrasing may make parents feel better, it will not help your student improve and will prove to be a massive challenge for you later. To write specific preschool assessment report comments, look for important moments in class.
  5. Report card comments for kindergarten should cover a wide range of topics related to a student’s performance, like cognitive, social, emotional, linguistic, adaptive, etc. Summarizing each child’s performance in these areas provides a comprehensive view of their development and achievements.
  6. The primary goal of a report card is to inform parents of their child’s progress. MAJOR issues should be discussed face-to-face with the child’s parents. No matter if the child is doing well or not, the report card should be an honest reflection of the child’s performance. That said, of course, we want to frame things as positively as possible and in a way that is encouraging, with constructive feedback and suggestions.

The MAGIC report card format

If the child is doing well on the whole… you have an easy task ahead! An easy-report card is the one everyone likes to make. Sadly, not all children are Newton and Picasso, and a teacher needs to mention certain areas that need improvement. This is where the magic format comes in handy

  1. Start with a compliment. You may have to dig deep here, but be creative, while still being sincere and kind. Every kid has attributes we can praise, even the most challenging ones.
  2. Then add a line or two about the kid's challenges, and how he/she struggles in a certain area, and be sure to offer a solution or suggestions.
  3. End with a positive tone. A compliment is a nice touch at any time of the year and for the Year-End report card. Remember that your report card shouldn't make life tough for the kids and the parents. Each parent like showing the report card of their kids to everyone. My best wishes for ____ school year or a great summer, or I am so happy to have been the _____ teacher this year, and so on.

Tips for drafting preschool assessments

These tips for drafting preschool assessment comments are real-time savers:

  1. Set a timer for fifteen minutes and write two or three assessment report remarks within that period. Tell yourself you just have 15 minutes to complete it. You’ll be more productive and efficient.
  2. Break down the large process of drafting a report into smaller segments. Consider starting with your broad observations. Break out your general assessment report remarks into two or three parts every day.
  3. Begin with the most difficult assignment. It’s surprising how empowering and inspiring it is to know that you’ve finished the part you were most dreading.
  4. Completing tasks within set time frames can significantly improve your focus, organization, and time management.
  5. Make positive self-talk a habit. Tell yourself that you’ve got this!
  6. When you’re having trouble expressing yourself, comment banks are a great place to start.


Best Practices for Writing Report Card Comments for Kindergartens

When writing report card comments, it’s essential to keep the following best practices in mind:

  • Break it down: Divide the larger process into smaller segments. Start with broad observations and then refine them into specific remarks. Spread out the work over a few days to make it more manageable.
  • Be specific and concrete: Avoid generalities and vague statements. Specific comments provide clear insights into the child’s progress and areas needing attention.
  • Focus on the child’s progress: Rather than making comparisons to other students, highlight the individual achievements and growth of the child. Keeping parents informed about their child's progress fosters better communication and alleviates teacher stress.
  • Use positive language: Emphasize strengths and achievements to motivate and encourage the child.
  • Provide actionable feedback: Suggest areas for improvement and strategies for growth, offering clear guidance on how the child can continue to develop.
  • Keep comments concise and easy to understand: Avoid jargon xand technical terms to ensure that parents can easily grasp the information.
  • Enhance with illumine’s AI magic: Use illumine’s AI Writing Assistant during observations and assessments. This tool helps translate, paraphrase, and suggest personalized comments effortlessly. Whether you need to refine phrasing or generate ideas, illumine AI simplifies the process, saving valuable time and ensuring each remark is meaningful and professional.
  • Use teacher-parent communication apps: illumine can also be used as an app for parents to communicate with teachers to make sure no important communication is missed.

By adhering to these best practices, teachers can create report card comments that are not only informative but also supportive and encouraging, helping to foster a positive learning environment for the child.


Organizing Your Report Card Comments

Personalized report card comments can help you to efficiently and effectively communicate with parents and students. Here are some tips to get you started:

Creating a Report Card Comment Template

Creating a report card comment template can help you to streamline the comment-writing process, ensuring that you cover all the essential areas of a child’s performance and child’s progress. Consider including the following sections in your template:

  • Academic progress: Comments on the child’s academic achievements, strengths, and areas for improvement, providing detailed feedback on the student's performance.
  • Social skills: Comments on the child’s social skills, including their ability to work with others, communicate effectively, and demonstrate empathy.
  • Emotional development: Comments on the child’s emotional development, including their ability to manage their emotions, develop self-awareness, and demonstrate self-regulation.
  • Classroom behavior: Comments on the child’s behavior in the classroom, including their ability to follow classroom rules, complete tasks, and demonstrate a positive attitude.

By following these best practices and creating a report card comment template, you can ensure that your comments are informative, supportive, and help to promote a child’s academic and social growth. This structured approach not only makes the process of writing report card comments more manageable but also ensures that all critical aspects of a child’s development are addressed comprehensively.

180+ Report Card Comments for Preschool and Kindergarten

Our preschool teachers have compiled a list of assessment report comments that highlight the remarkable progress of students, making them meaningful and impactful for both the parents and the students alike:

Behavior

  • Consistently demonstrates positive behavior and is a role model for peers.
  • Shows respect for classroom rules and routines, contributing to a harmonious environment.
  • Is learning to manage impulses and is making progress in self-control.

Class Participation

  • Actively participates in class discussions and shares thoughtful ideas.
  • Is eager to contribute to group activities and engages with enthusiasm.
  • Is beginning to participate more confidently in circle time discussions.

Social Skills

  • Builds positive relationships with peers and is well-liked in the classroom.
  • Demonstrates kindness by including others in play and activities.
  • Is learning to share materials and take turns during group play.

Communication and Collaboration

  • Communicates thoughts and ideas clearly during class discussions.
  • Is developing confidence in expressing needs and wants verbally.
  • Listens attentively to others and responds thoughtfully in conversations.

Social Emotional Learning

  • Has shown significant improvement in managing emotions during challenging situations.
  • Consistently demonstrates empathy and kindness toward classmates.
  • Is developing strong self-awareness and reflects on their actions.

General Positive Comments on Student Performance

  • Has shown remarkable progress in all areas this year. Keep up the great work!
  • Consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic and dedication to learning.
  • Is making steady progress and shows enthusiasm for new challenges.

Positive Attitude Comments

  • Consistently approaches challenges with a positive and determined mindset.
  • Shows enthusiasm and excitement for learning new things every day.
  • Is always prepared and eager to participate in class activities.

Critical Comments

  • Is working on staying focused during independent work time.
  • Needs encouragement to participate more actively in group discussions.
  • Is making progress but needs support to complete tasks on time.

Needs Improvement Comments

  • Is inconsistent in their effort and needs encouragement to stay focused.
  • Struggles with completing tasks on time and would benefit from time management strategies.
  • Needs support to develop stronger listening skills during instructions.

Academic Achievement and Progress Remarks

  • Has shown significant improvement in letter recognition and phonics skills.
  • Demonstrates a strong understanding of basic math concepts and applies them confidently.
  • Is making steady progress in developing fine motor skills for writing.


Developing Motor Skills

Developing motor skills is a crucial aspect of a child’s overall development, and report card comments can play a significant role in tracking progress. Fine motor skills, such as writing, cutting, and drawing, are essential for academic success, and positive comments can encourage students to continue practicing. Gross motor skills, such as running, jumping, and throwing, are vital for physical development, and report card comments can highlight areas of strength and improvement.

Using an AI Report Card Comment Generator: Prompt Examples for Preschool and Kindergarten

Writing report card comments for each child takes a lot of time and effort. Every child is different, and it’s important to share their progress in a clear and thoughtful way. But when you have many children to assess, the process can feel overwhelming.

An AI report card comment generator can help. These tools let you type in a short description of a child’s progress, and they quickly create a full sentence or paragraph you can use in a report. This saves time while still allowing you to share personalized and meaningful feedback.

Here are a few example prompts you can try, along with sample comments that the AI might give you. You can use these directly or adjust them as needed.

Sample Prompts to Generate AI Report Card Comments

Academic Progress

Prompt:Write a positive report card comment for a preschooler who is beginning to recognize letters and enjoys reading time.

Example Output:“[Student Name] is starting to identify letters and shows a growing interest in reading. Their enthusiasm during story sessions reflects a budding love for books and language, contributing positively to their student learning experience.”

Social and Emotional Development

Prompt:Generate a comment for a kindergartener who is becoming more confident in group activities.

Example Output:“[Student Name] has become more comfortable interacting with peers and is participating more actively in group tasks. Their growing confidence and developing communication skills are encouraging to see.”

Fine Motor Skills

Prompt:Write a comment for a child who is working on developing fine motor control.

Example Output:“[Student Name] is making steady progress in developing fine motor skills. They are showing increased control and effort in activities like drawing, writing, and using scissors. Additionally, [Student Name] is actively engaged in activities that are essential for developing gross motor skills, such as running, jumping, and playing on the playground.”

Areas for Growth

Prompt:Create a supportive report card comment for a preschooler who needs help following daily routines.

Example Output:“[Student Name] is learning to follow daily classroom routines with greater independence. [Student Name] actively participates in classroom activities, which enhances their learning experience. Continued support and consistency will help reinforce these important habits.”

Recommended AI Tools for Educators

If you want to try an AI tool for writing effective report card comments, here are some good options. Some are general tools, while others are made just for teachers.

General-purpose tools

  • ChatGPT (OpenAI) – Offers highly customizable outputs and is widely accessible.
  • DeepSeek – A strong open-source model with support for multiple languages.
  • Claude (Anthropic) – Known for balanced, thoughtful writing that suits classroom communication.
  • Google Gemini – A natural choice for teachers already using Google Workspace tools.

Education-specific tools

  • MagicSchool.ai – Designed specifically for educators, with a report card comment generator tailored by grade level and learning domain.
  • SchoolAI – Helps create quick, relevant feedback for various classroom tasks, including student assessments.
  • Diffit – Though mostly focused on literacy, it includes content generation tools that are helpful for writing reports.

These tools can save time and make it easier to write report cards. However, they are not a replacement for your knowledge, care, or judgment as a teacher. The comments they generate should always be reviewed and adjusted to reflect each child’s actual progress. You know your students best—use these tools to help, not to take over.

Preschool Assessment Report Card from illumine

One of the most important components in defining a student’s learning path is creating short remarks that are both relevant and meaningful. Utilizing report card comment examples is one of the best strategies for effective engagement and teacher-parent communication. illumine enables teachers to effectively capture and track progress through preschool comments for assessment reports. It also provides support and training to teachers. illumine collects and analyses rich, detailed data throughout the school year and saves time by organizing the data for you Download Sample Preschool Assessment Generated Using illumine.

Furthermore, illumine's very own AI can help you craft observations in your preschool's brand voice and across 20+ languages. It can also help you improve parent communication and generate lesson plans in mere seconds!

Photo of Preschool assessment report and digital portfolio generated from illumine

10 Steps for Creating Kindergarten Progress Reports on the illumine App

Creating preschool assessment reports is easy, fast, and hassle-free when you use a preschool assessment software. illumine pre-school assessment tool is compatible with various curriculum structures such as MontessoriEarly Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework (EYFS), and other country-specific frameworks.

Here's the breakdown of the steps:

Step 1: Go to the menu and select learning, then milestones.

Step 2: To create a development area, go to the top right corner and click the add development area button.

Step 3: Select the classrooms for which you wish to construct the development area and give it a short name, label, and add.

Step 4: After that, give it a title and submit it. The development area will be added to the list successfully.

Step 5: Next to the development area you wish to add it to, select the subdomain option.

Step 6: Select the classrooms for which you wish to construct the development area and give it a short name, label, and add.

Step 7: After that, give it a title and submit it. The development area will be added to the list successfully.

Step 8: Next to the development area or subdomain you wish to add it to, select the milestone option.

Step 9: After that, add a description and hit submit.

Step 10: The achievement will be added to the list. Using illumine's high-tech tools to create and share accurate kindergarten progress reports with parents can help you develop a strong working connection with them.

Our app also enables you to write preschool comments for assessment reports fast, helping you save a massive amount of time.

Better Teacher-Parent Communication with the illumine App

illumine can also be used as an app for parents to communicate with teachers, fostering a positive classroom environment. Messages never get missed, updates are sent in real time, and observations are recorded quickly and accurately—all in one place.

Sample Preschool Report Templates

report card template
report card template 2
report card template 3
report card template 4


Conclusion: Final Thoughts on Preschool Report Card Comments

Report card comments are a powerful tool for communicating a child’s progress and documenting a student's achievements, promoting their academic success. By using report card comments effectively, teachers can build a collaborative relationship with parents, promote a sense of shared responsibility for the student’s education, and provide students with the feedback and support they need to succeed. Following the strategies outlined in this guide, teachers can maximize the impact of their report card comments, helping their students achieve their full potential. Thoughtful, well-crafted comments can make a significant difference in a child’s educational journey, fostering a positive attitude towards learning and continuous improvement.

FAQs

Preschool Report Card FAQs
1. What are some examples of end of the year report card comments for preschool? +
End of the year report card comments should summarize the child’s progress while celebrating their milestones. For example:

“It’s been a joy watching [Name] blossom this year. Their curiosity and love for learning have been inspiring.”
“As we wrap up the year, [Name] has shown great strides in social development and classroom routines.”

These comments work well in both preschool report cards and pre-K progress report templates.
2. How do you write general comments for report cards that are still personalized? +
General report card comments like “Shows steady growth in all learning areas” or “Enjoys participating in class discussions” can be personalized by referencing specific activities or subjects the child enjoys. You can draw inspiration from a report card comment bank or adapt 50 quick report card comments for preschool to suit each student.
3. What should I write for a child who is struggling academically? +
Use positive report card comments for struggling students that acknowledge their effort while identifying support areas. For example:

“With continued encouragement, [Name] is showing more confidence in recognizing letters and sounds.”
“Though [Name] finds some tasks challenging, they remain eager to learn and are beginning to ask thoughtful questions.”

This approach builds trust and supports growth, especially in final report card comments for academics.
4. Can you give short remarks for report card behavior? +
Sure! Short remarks that reflect positive behavior include:
“Follows classroom rules consistently.”
“Demonstrates kindness and empathy toward peers.”

For behavior concerns, try:
“Needs occasional reminders to stay focused during group time.”

These are ideal for preschool and kindergarten report cards, especially in the social emotional report card comments section.
5. What are some examples of preschool teacher evaluation comments? +
Preschool teacher evaluation comments often highlight growth, behavior, and learning disposition. A few examples:

“Shows curiosity and a willingness to try new things.”
“Listens attentively and responds well to direction.”

Such remarks are useful in both academic report card comments and anecdotal record samples.
6. How do I write report card comments for special needs students? +
When writing report card comments for special needs students, focus on strengths and individualized goals. For example:

“With additional support, [Name] is making steady progress in communication skills.”
“Demonstrates persistence when working on fine motor tasks.”

Always align comments with IEP goals or specific developmental benchmarks.
7. Are there templates for end of year report card comments for kindergarten? +
Yes! End of year report card comments for kindergarten should reflect academic and emotional growth. Example:

“It has been a pleasure teaching [Name] this year. They have grown in confidence and independence.”

You can find more ideas in our list of kindergarten report card comment examples and end of year progress report comments.
8. What should I write for report card comments in math or reading? +
Use subject-specific math report card comments like:

“Understands number concepts and applies them to real-world problems.”

Or reading comprehension comments such as:
“Identifies key details in stories and makes simple predictions.”

These are suitable for kindergarten through 4th grade report card comments.
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