101 Helpful Math Report Card Comments (Elementary Edition)

Understanding math is an essential skill.

So when drafting math report card comments, you want to be very clear about students’ strengths and weaknesses so that parents know what next steps to take in helping their child to succeed.

A prerequisite of basic math skills supplies the information students need for understanding more complex math concepts.

So if students have a weak math foundation, it’s going to affect them negatively when learning new math skills.

That’s why you want to be very clear and specific with math report card comments in addition to providing actionable next steps.

In what is the student excelling?

What does the child need to improve, and what actionable steps must be taken in order for him to succeed?

When drafting math report card comments, it can be hard to put the answers to those questions on paper.

That’s why I compiled this list of helpful math report card comments to take off some of the burdens.

Using these math report card comments, parents and teachers will know how students are progressing in math plus know what steps to take in order to help students reach their math goals.

Math Report Card Comments

Following you will find a variety of math report card comments that you can modify to fit your needs.

General Performance

  • _____ puts forth much effort during math block. However, (insert any math skill or strategy) is still difficult for him/her.
  • _____ frequently uses math manipulatives appropriately and effectively.
  • _____ demonstrates a solid grasp of (insert any math skill or strategy).
  • _____ consistently and accurately sorts and classifies (insert appropriate topic, e.g. shapes, 3D figures, colors, etc.)
  • _____ converts between (insert any two metrics, e.g. inches to feet) easily.
  • _____ is having trouble with (insert any math skill or strategy).
  • Even with accommodations and/or modifications, _____struggles with (insert math skill or strategy).
  • _____ exhibits a strong math foundation in (insert any math skill or strategy).
  • _____ is struggling to maintain mathematical grade-level expectations.
  • _____ effectively uses the math word wall to aid in understanding complex math terms.
  • _____ has shown strong growth in (insert any math skill or strategy).
  • _____ shows difficulty in retaining math processes.
  • _____ exhibits precision in analyzing and interpreting various types of graphs.
  • _____ frequently forgets math processes, strategies, and/or basic facts.
  • _____ applies mathematical knowledge with few errors.
  • Though_____ is making gradual steps to improve (insert math skill or strategy), progress is delayed due to…
  • _____ math progress is moving slowly due to a weak math foundation.
  • _____ is performing below grade level in (insert any math skill or strategy).
  • _____ lacks the prerequisites for analyzing harder math concepts.
  • _____ is able to articulate the importance and/or prevalence of math in our lives.
  • _____ applies reading comprehension skills when reading math texts.
  • _____ uses text features to aid comprehension of math texts.
  • Low reading comprehension skills affect _____ understanding of concepts when reading math selections.
  • _____ makes connections between math concepts and skills.

Operations, Numbers, and Number Sense

Utilize the following math report comments to communicate how well students are progressing with basic math concepts.

  • _____ understands place value up to…
  • _____ is inconsistent with reading and writing numbers over 100,000 and/or 1,000,000.
  • _____ demonstrates a natural knack for numbers.
  • _____ accuracy and speed of responding to math facts are strong, fair, or weak (choose one).
  • _____ is experiencing difficulty memorizing basic math facts.  
  • _____ exhibits a strong math foundation.
  • _____ consistently struggles with (insert any math skill/strategy).
  • _____ performs well on timed math tests.

Problem-Solving

Of course, math report card comments should include remarks that discuss students’ problem-solving abilities.

  • _____ isn’t able to justify answers using evidence and/or clues from the math word problem.
  • Using math manipulatives, _____ frequently and accurately solves complex math problems.
  • _____ struggles with higher-order thinking word problems.
  • _____ shows difficulty with multi-step math problems.
  • Even after repeated modeling by the teacher, _____ is unclear on how to solve multi-step word problems.
  • _____ solves math word problems with minimal help from the teacher.
  • _____ is not able to retell key information from a word problem.
  • _____ has significant trouble following clear steps to solve higher-order thinking word problems.
  • _____ rarely explains thinking processes using pictures, numbers, and/or words.
  • _____ has a deep understanding of how to strategically apply a problem-solving strategy to figure out a complex word problem.
  • _____ produces outstanding work in applying mathematical skills in project-based learning activities.
  • _____ almost always identifies and ignores irrelevant “added information” within word problems.
  • _____ comprehends the importance of key vocabulary in solving word problems.
  • _____ becomes easily overwhelmed with the information present in complex math word problems.
  • With assistance from the teacher, _____ accurately solves complex math problems.
  • _____ gravitates towards more challenging math word problems.
  • _____ experiences difficulty in strategically applying a problem-solving strategy to solve a word problem.
  • _____ has a hard time using context clues to figure out the meaning of new words in math word problems.
  • _____ is able to clearly verbalize problem-solving strategy.
  • _____ shows difficulty in applying math skills in project-based learning activities.
  • _____ solves varying levels of math word problems with ease.
  • _____ memorizes basic facts but has trouble applying the information to real-life situations.
  • _____ limited vocabulary impedes his understanding of word problems.
  • _____ is able to clearly explain how he solved a math word problem.

Work Habits and Conduct

  • Rushing causes _____to have lots of careless errors in her math work.
  • _____ has to be told continuously to be respectful of math materials.
  • _____ actively participates in math lessons.
  • _____ rarely makes an attempt to ask for help when he or she does not understand a concept.
  • _____ demonstrates a strong work ethic in math block.
  • _____ math assignments and/or math homework are often or always late.
  • _____ eagerly approaches challenging math tasks with a positive and confident attitude.
  • _____ requires frequent reminders to remain on task during math centers.
  • _____ makes careless mistakes due to not revising math assignments carefully.
  • _____ struggles with keeping her hands to herself during math learning centers.
  • _____ requires a high level of encouragement in order to complete most higher-order thinking math tasks.
  • Instead of listening to others, _____chooses to talk over them during math group work.
  • _____ is inconsistent with his efforts in math block.
  • _____ consistently turns in math work that is disorganized, illegible, and/or not neat.
  • _____ participates fully during math discussions but sometimes talks excessively.
  • Even when given extended time, _____ fails to complete math assignments.
  • _____ lacks confidence in his mathematical abilities.
  • _____ exhibits a lack of confidence in mathematical proficiency which has affected his work performance.
  • _____ takes pride in her math work.
  • _____ demonstrates a positive attitude even when math problems get challenging.
  • _____ is frequently unprepared to begin math lessons.
  • _____ exhibits poor time management and consequently has trouble completing math assignments on time.
  • _____ demonstrates a healthy attitude toward math.
  • _____ eagerly participates in math discussions and/or whole class activities.
  • It’s challenging for _____ to complete a math task if he isn’t supervised constantly.
  • _____ distracts others often while completing math assignments.
  • _____ has a difficult time working independently during math lessons.
  • _____ reacts negatively and/or becomes highly discouraged when given constructive feedback on math assignments.
  • _____ seldom uses anchor charts to assist with learning.

Next Steps

  • The following modifications/accommodations in the area of math will be helpful to implement:
  • _____ will continue to work within small math groups and one-on-one with the teacher at least two times a week.
  • I suggest _____ participates in after-school math tutoring x number of times per week.
  • It would be helpful to review at home the following math topics _____ …
  • _____ would benefit from…
  • I strongly encourage _____ to (insert action that will improve the situation) in order to improve (insert math issue).
  • I suggest having _____ continue studying the math topics of…
  • Review X number of times each week the math skill/strategy of …
  • In order to increase math proficiency, _____ requires assistance with learning tools such as…
  • Let’s schedule a follow-up meeting for the date of …. to discuss…
  • For a (specify a time frame), let’s implement an intrinsic/extrinsic reward system to motivate _____.
  • During the summer, continue to… (insert any action that will help to improve the situation + how often) in order to improve (insert issue).
  • I recommend….
  • _____ needs more opportunities to…

Final Thoughts: Math Report Card Comments

Now you have a quality collection of math comments to save time and frustration. No more stressing when it comes to drafting math report card comments.

See ideas for integrating literacy and math.