January 8, 2025
•
15 mins

Streamline report card comments with AI tools for personalized, growth-focused feedback.
Header image

3 Best Tools for Writing Report Card Comments for Struggling Students in 2025

ChatGPT: Quickly draft and refine comments with flexible prompts.

Claude AI: Analyze patterns and generate constructive, context-aware feedback.

Make Progress AI: Specialized for teachers, creating personalized and growth-oriented comments.

‍

AI Tools for Writing Thoughtful Report Card Comments for Struggling Students

The clock shows 9 PM, and you're stuck staring at a blank screen. Your task? Writing thoughtful report card comments for students who struggle. Most teachers know this feeling - searching for just the right words or trying to balance honest feedback with encouragement.

Students who struggle need carefully crafted report card comments. You'll want to point out areas for improvement while keeping their spirits high. The job should take 30 minutes, but it often turns into a three-hour session filled with rewrites and doubt.

While recognizing their efforts is important, you should also highlight specific areas of improvement for students. Constructive feedback helps guide their learning journey and fosters a growth mindset, ensuring they know where to focus their energy for progress

AI tools can make this process easier without losing your personal touch. These digital assistants help you write those challenging comments quickly and naturally. They suggest positive remarks for weak students and constructive feedback for improvement. Your report card writing can become smoother and more impactful. Let's look at three AI tools that will save you time and help create better comments for your struggling learners.

ChatGPT for Report Card Comments

Image

Image Source: Create Dream Explore

ChatGPT Features for Teachers

ChatGPT's versatility makes it a great tool to generate report card comments. You'll find it helpful to think over different ways to phrase feedback. On top of that, it responds to your prompts with suggestions you can tailor to your needs, whether you're looking for positive report card comments or remarks for weak students.

ChatGPT Comment Writing Process

Writing effective comments with ChatGPT needs careful prompt engineering. Your prompts should include these key elements to get the best results:

  • Educational terminology guidelines
  • Preferred comment structure
  • Professional tone requirements
  • Grading system context
  • Examples of effective comments
  • Specific phrases to avoid
  • Language consistency requirements

A simple request like "Write a comment for a student who don't deal very well with math" actually needs detailed instructions spread across several paragraphs to match proper educational language [1].

‍

‍

‍

ChatGPT Tips for Struggling Student Comments

You can make the most of ChatGPT's features when writing comments for struggling students. The system learns from every interaction with you. Here are some strategies that work:

  1. Start with a Base Comment: Create an original comment and refine it to match your student's situation better [3].
  2. Iterative Improvement: Ask ChatGPT to "Make this comment better" and it will help arrange the language and tone [3].
  3. Data Protection: These guidelines matter when using ChatGPT:
    • Minimize student data usage
    • Keep information anonymous
    • Focus on behavior and performance descriptions rather than personal details [4]

Writing report card comments for students presents unique challenges, especially when addressing difficult students, struggling readers, or students in need of positive report card comments for struggling students. The key is to maintain a balance between honesty and encouragement, ensuring the comments highlight areas of improvement while also recognizing their efforts. For struggling readers, for instance, emphasizing progress in decoding skills or reading fluency can boost confidence, while feedback for difficult students should focus on actionable steps for improvement and fostering positive behaviors.

Teachers often spend much time revising ChatGPT's output to match educational standards [1]. The original output serves as a first draft that needs your expertise.

ChatGPT helps you break through writer's block and shows you different ways to express your feedback [3]. In spite of that, note that ChatGPT isn't in your classroom - it needs your knowledge about your students to create meaningful comments.

To help struggling students, you might want to:

  • Shape prompts around growth-oriented language
  • Ask for balanced feedback that shows effort
  • Request suggestions that boost student confidence
  • Create comments that point to specific areas to improve

In some cases, teachers might need to include negative report card comments to address areas of concern. However, it's crucial to frame these comments in a way that remains constructive, focusing on solutions rather than simply pointing out issues.

To help solve some of these difficulties, we created an all-in-one prompt that should give you a great output from ChatGPT.

All-in-One Customizable Report Card Comment for Struggling Student Prompt

Prompt:

"Generate a constructive report card comment for [Student Name], a [Grade Level] student, who is struggling with [Specific Subject: Math, Science, ELA, PE] in [Specific Topic or Skill].

Begin by acknowledging [Student Name]'s efforts and current performance in [Subject]. Highlight the specific areas where [he/she/they] are experiencing difficulties, providing clear examples if possible. Offer actionable recommendations or strategies that can help [Student Name] improve in these areas. Conclude with words of encouragement and confidence in [his/her/their] ability to make progress.

Ensure the tone is [Supportive/Empathetic/Encouraging] and appropriate for [Grade Level] students."

How to Customize the Prompt:

  1. [Student Name]:
    • Replace with the name of the student (e.g., "Alex").
  2. [Grade Level]:
    • Specify the student's grade (e.g., "7th-grade").
  3. [Specific Subject: Math, Science, ELA, PE]:
    • Choose the subject where the student is struggling.
  4. [Specific Topic or Skill]:
    • Insert the particular topic or skill the student is having difficulty with (e.g., "algebraic equations," "photosynthesis," "essay writing," "basketball dribbling").
  5. [he/she/they]:
    • Use the appropriate pronouns for the student.
  6. [Supportive/Empathetic/Encouraging]:
    • Select the tone that best fits your relationship with the student and the message you want to convey.

Example Customization:

Let's create a report card comment for a student named Emma, a 9th-grade student who is struggling with biology, specifically understanding cell structures. Emma uses she/her pronouns, and the desired tone is supportive.

Customized Prompt:

"Generate a constructive report card comment for Emma, a 9th-grade student, who is struggling with Science in understanding cell structures.

Begin by acknowledging Emma's efforts and current performance in Science. Highlight the specific areas where she is experiencing difficulties, providing clear examples if possible. Offer actionable recommendations or strategies that can help Emma improve in these areas. Conclude with words of encouragement and confidence in her ability to make progress.

Ensure the tone is supportive and appropriate for 9th-grade students."

This approach ensures that report card comments for improvement are not just a reflection of challenges but also a roadmap for achieving better outcomes. Including actionable steps helps students and parents understand how to move forward.

Make Progress AI Comment Generator

Streamline Your Teacher Comments for Struggling Students

Writing teacher comments for struggling students can be time-consuming and challenging. Make Progress AI is designed to simplify this process, allowing you to create meaningful, growth-oriented feedback effortlessly.

Why Make Progress AI is the Perfect Choice
  • Best for Creating Unique Comments Quickly: Effortlessly generate personalized report card comments for struggling readers and other students without the need for complex prompting. Handle multiple students at once with ease.
  • Teacher-Sounding, Growth-Oriented Feedback: Produce final report card comments for academics that resonate with both students and parents. The AI ensures your feedback sounds authentic and supportive, highlighting each student's potential and areas for improvement.
  • Targeted Support Through Group Processing: Easily group students by proficiency levels or specific learning challenges. Whether you're addressing reading difficulties or other academic struggles, Make Progress AI tailors comments to meet each student's unique needs.
  • Organize and Save Comments Efficiently: Keep all your teacher comments for struggling students organized in one secure place. Save, categorize, and reuse comments, ensuring consistency and saving valuable time during report card season.

How Make Progress AI Enhances Your Workflow

  1. Group Similar Students: Organize students based on proficiency or specific challenges, such as struggling readers, to streamline the comment generation process.
  2. Generate Tailored Comments Instantly: Create final report card comments for academics that are both professional and encouraging. The AI crafts comments that align with your teaching voice and address each student's progress effectively.
  3. Review and Personalize: While Make Progress AI provides a solid foundation, you have the flexibility to refine each comment, adding your personal insights to maintain authenticity and connection.
Key Benefits for Teachers
  • Efficiency and Speed: Transform hours of writing into minutes, allowing you to focus more on teaching and student interaction.
  • Consistency and Quality: Ensure every teacher comment for struggling students maintains a high standard, avoiding repetition and fostering a positive narrative for each learner.
  • Supportive and Constructive Feedback: Balance honesty with encouragement, helping students understand their challenges while motivating them to improve.
Secure and User-Friendly

Make Progress AI prioritizes your data's security with top-end encryption compliant with FERPA, COPPA, and PIPEDA standards. Manage your report card comments for struggling readers and other students confidently, knowing your information is protected.

Claude AI Report Card Assistant

Picture having a relaxed, patient writing partner who's always ready to help you create a fantastic report card comments for weak students, that is curriculum aligned. Claude AI brings exactly that to your desk - a sophisticated assistant that knows the delicate balance needed for writing comments about struggling students.

Claude AI Features for Teachers

Claude AI sets itself apart with its remarkable capacity to process up to 200,000 tokens (about 350 pages) of text in one interaction. You can upload multiple documents, including curriculum guides and previous report cards, to help Claude understand your writing style and requirements.

Notable features include:

  • File upload capability for PDFs, TXT, and CSV files
  • Customizable writing priorities
  • Long-term memory within projects
  • Complete analysis of student performance patterns

Claude AI Comment Writing Process

The comment writing process with Claude flows smoothly. Think of Claude as a thoughtful collaborator rather than a replacement for your expertise.

Here's what makes Claude work:

Claude does well at expanding your original thoughts into well-crafted comments. Start with simple bullet points about a student's progress and let Claude transform them into professional sounding feedback.

Claude's ability to maintain context throughout your writing session means you won't need to explain your requirements or teaching style repeatedly. This feature saves time on repetitive instructions.

‍

Claude AI Tips for Struggling Student Comments

Claude's approach to crafting comments for struggling students stands out through its ability to maintain objectivity while providing constructive feedback. Here are practical ways to maximize Claude's capabilities:

  1. Start with Context Setting
    • Upload relevant student work samples
    • Provide specific areas of struggle
    • Include any accommodation requirements
  2. Focus on Growth-Oriented Language
    • Ask Claude to highlight improvement opportunities
    • Request balanced feedback that acknowledges effort
    • Emphasize progress over perfection

Claude excels in helping you create balanced feedback by pairing positive and negative report card comments. For example, acknowledging effort while addressing specific challenges ensures a fair and constructive approach.

In addition, Claude can process and analyze patterns in student performance. You can use this feature to identify trends and suggest targeted interventions that benefit struggling students.

The best way to use Claude is by combining its analytical capabilities with your personal knowledge of each student. The system helps you maintain consistency in your comments while you add the vital personal touch that makes feedback meaningful.

Note that you should verify any generated content before using it in your final report cards. Always protect student privacy by avoiding the inclusion of identifying information in your prompts to Claude.

Prompts for Claude

Mathematics Report Card Comment Prompt

You are a supportive math teacher writing a report card comment for a student who is significantly struggling with mathematical concepts. Your goal is to acknowledge challenges while identifying pathways for growth and highlighting any small wins.

Student Information:

Grade Level: [GRADE]Current Grade: [GRADE_PERCENTAGE]Key Topics This Term: [CURRENT_UNITS]Specific Struggles: [LIST_CHALLENGES]Small Wins/Efforts: [POSITIVE_MOMENTS]Current Interventions: [SUPPORT_IN_PLACE]

Generate a 4-5 sentence comment that:

  1. Acknowledges current challenges with specific math concepts without judgment
  2. Highlights ANY signs of effort or improvement, no matter how small
  3. Identifies 1-2 most critical areas for immediate focus
  4. Provides very specific, achievable next steps
  5. Details concrete support systems and interventions in place

Focus on building confidence while being honest about needed growth.

Science Report Card Comment Prompt

You are an experienced science teacher crafting a comment for a student who is having significant difficulty with scientific concepts and/or lab work. Your goal is to identify specific supports while recognizing any engagement or interest shown.

Student Information:Grade Level: [GRADE]Current Grade: [GRADE_PERCENTAGE]Areas of Greatest Challenge: [MAIN_STRUGGLES]Lab Safety/Participation: [LAB_NOTES]Signs of Interest: [ENGAGEMENT_MOMENTS]Current Supports: [INTERVENTIONS_IN_PLACE]

Generate a 4-5 sentence comment that:

  1. Addresses current struggles with scientific concepts sensitively
  2. Highlights ANY positive moments in class or lab work
  3. Focuses on most critical areas needing immediate support
  4. Provides concrete, manageable steps for improvement
  5. Outlines specific intervention strategies in place

Emphasize safety and understanding over memorization.

English Language Arts Report Card Comment Prompt

You are a dedicated ELA teacher writing a comment for a student facing significant challenges with reading and/or writing. Your goal is to recognize both academic and effort-based progress while addressing key areas of concern.

Student Information:

Grade Level: [GRADE]Current Grade: [GRADE_PERCENTAGE]Reading Level: [CURRENT_LEVEL]Primary Struggles: [SPECIFIC_CHALLENGES]Engagement Efforts: [PARTICIPATION_NOTES]Support Services: [CURRENT_INTERVENTIONS]

Generate a 4-5 sentence comment that:

  1. Acknowledges reading/writing challenges with empathy
  2. Highlights ANY signs of engagement or effort
  3. Identifies most critical skills needing development
  4. Suggests specific, manageable strategies
  5. Details support systems and accommodations in place

Focus on building confidence in reading and writing separately.

Physical Education Report Card Comment Prompt

You are a PE teacher writing a comment for a student showing significant difficulty with physical activities, participation, or confidence in class. Your goal is to build self-efficacy while addressing areas of concern.

Student Information:

Grade Level: [GRADE]Current Grade: [GRADE_PERCENTAGE]Primary Challenges: [SPECIFIC_DIFFICULTIES]Social Integration: [PEER_INTERACTION_NOTES]Participation Pattern: [ENGAGEMENT_NOTES]Current Modifications: [ADAPTATIONS_IN_PLACE]

Generate a 4-5 sentence comment that:

  1. Addresses participation/performance sensitively
  2. Highlights ANY positive interactions or efforts
  3. Identifies specific areas where support is needed
  4. Suggests achievable, modified participation goals
  5. Details available accommodations and supports

Emphasize personal progress and modified participation options.

Social Studies Report Card Comment Prompt

You are a social studies teacher writing a comment for a student struggling significantly with historical analysis, content comprehension, or engagement. Your goal is to identify specific supports while recognizing any signs of interest or effort.

Student Information:

Grade Level: [GRADE]Current Grade: [GRADE_PERCENTAGE]Main Difficulties: [SPECIFIC_CHALLENGES]Engagement Level: [PARTICIPATION_NOTES]Areas of Interest: [TOPICS_OF_ENGAGEMENT]Current Supports: [INTERVENTIONS_IN_PLACE]

Generate a 4-5 sentence comment that:

  1. Addresses current challenges with content/skills sensitively
  2. Highlights ANY moments of engagement or understanding
  3. Identifies most critical areas needing support
  4. Provides specific, achievable learning strategies
  5. Details support systems and modifications in place

Focus on building confidence with historical thinking skills.

‍

Prompts for Claude

Mathematics Report Card Comment Prompt

You are a supportive math teacher writing a report card comment for a student who is significantly struggling with mathematical concepts. Your goal is to acknowledge challenges while identifying pathways for growth and highlighting any small wins.

Student Information:

Grade Level: [GRADE]

Current Grade: [GRADE_PERCENTAGE]

Key Topics This Term: [CURRENT_UNITS]

Specific Struggles: [LIST_CHALLENGES]

Small Wins/Efforts: [POSITIVE_MOMENTS]

Current Interventions: [SUPPORT_IN_PLACE]

Generate a 4-5 sentence comment that:

  1. Acknowledges current challenges with specific math concepts without judgment
  2. Highlights ANY signs of effort or improvement, no matter how small
  3. Identifies 1-2 most critical areas for immediate focus
  4. Provides very specific, achievable next steps
  5. Details concrete support systems and interventions in place

Focus on building confidence while being honest about needed growth.

Science Report Card Comment Prompt

You are an experienced science teacher crafting a comment for a student who is having significant difficulty with scientific concepts and/or lab work. Your goal is to identify specific supports while recognizing any engagement or interest shown.

Student Information:Grade Level:

[GRADE]Current Grade: [GRADE_PERCENTAGE]

Areas of Greatest Challenge: [MAIN_STRUGGLES]

Lab Safety/Participation: [LAB_NOTES]

Signs of Interest: [ENGAGEMENT_MOMENTS]

Current Supports: [INTERVENTIONS_IN_PLACE]

Generate a 4-5 sentence comment that:

  1. Addresses current struggles with scientific concepts sensitively
  2. Highlights ANY positive moments in class or lab work
  3. Focuses on most critical areas needing immediate support
  4. Provides concrete, manageable steps for improvement
  5. Outlines specific intervention strategies in place

Emphasize safety and understanding over memorization.

English Language Arts Report Card Comment Prompt

You are a dedicated ELA teacher writing a comment for a student facing significant challenges with reading and/or writing. Your goal is to recognize both academic and effort-based progress while addressing key areas of concern.

Student Information:

Grade Level: [GRADE]

Current Grade: [GRADE_PERCENTAGE]

Reading Level: [CURRENT_LEVEL]

Primary Struggles: [SPECIFIC_CHALLENGES]

Engagement Efforts: [PARTICIPATION_NOTES]

Support Services: [CURRENT_INTERVENTIONS]

Generate a 4-5 sentence comment that:

  1. Acknowledges reading/writing challenges with empathy
  2. Highlights ANY signs of engagement or effort
  3. Identifies most critical skills needing development
  4. Suggests specific, manageable strategies
  5. Details support systems and accommodations in place

Focus on building confidence in reading and writing separately.

Physical Education Report Card Comment Prompt

You are a PE teacher writing a comment for a student showing significant difficulty with physical activities, participation, or confidence in class. Your goal is to build self-efficacy while addressing areas of concern.

Student Information:

Grade Level: [GRADE]

Current Grade: [GRADE_PERCENTAGE]

Primary Challenges: [SPECIFIC_DIFFICULTIES]

Social Integration: [PEER_INTERACTION_NOTES]

Participation Pattern: [ENGAGEMENT_NOTES]

Current Modifications: [ADAPTATIONS_IN_PLACE]

Generate a 4-5 sentence comment that:

  1. Addresses participation/performance sensitively
  2. Highlights ANY positive interactions or efforts
  3. Identifies specific areas where support is needed
  4. Suggests achievable, modified participation goals
  5. Details available accommodations and supports

Emphasize personal progress and modified participation options.

Social Studies Report Card Comment Prompt

You are a social studies teacher writing a comment for a student struggling significantly with historical analysis, content comprehension, or engagement. Your goal is to identify specific supports while recognizing any signs of interest or effort.

Student Information:

Grade Level: [GRADE]

Current Grade: [GRADE_PERCENTAGE]

Main Difficulties: [SPECIFIC_CHALLENGES]

Engagement Level: [PARTICIPATION_NOTES]

Areas of Interest: [TOPICS_OF_ENGAGEMENT]

Current Supports: [INTERVENTIONS_IN_PLACE]

Generate a 4-5 sentence comment that:

  1. Addresses current challenges with content/skills sensitively
  2. Highlights ANY moments of engagement or understanding
  3. Identifies most critical areas needing support
  4. Provides specific, achievable learning strategies
  5. Details support systems and modifications in place

Focus on building confidence with historical thinking skills.

Comparison Table

AI Tools Comparison

Feature ChatGPT Claude AI Make Progress AI
Unique, Teacher-Sounding Comments ✓ ✓ ✓
Group Processing for Multiple Students ✕ ✕ ✓
Comment Bank Integration ✕ ✕ ✓
Data Security Compliance Standard Enhanced Highest (FERPA, COPPA, PIPEDA)
Ease of Use (No Complex Prompting) ✕ ✕ ✓
Growth-Oriented Feedback ✓ ✓ ✓
Educational Specialization ✕ ✕ ✓
Time-Saving Automation ✓ ✓ ✓

Conclusion

Those late nights staring at your screen to find the right words for struggling students' report cards are definitely behind you now. Each AI tool provides a unique experience to make your comment writing process smoother and more effective.

ChatGPT acts as your flexible brainstorming partner and helps you explore different ways to phrase feedback. Claude AI becomes your analytical assistant that processes extensive documentation while keeping context throughout your writing sessions. Make Progress AI excels as your specialized education companion by turning potentially negative observations into constructive, growth-focused comments.

These tools work best when combined with your classroom expertise. You should treat them as helpful assistants rather than replacements for your professional judgment. Your personal knowledge of each student's trip, challenges, and victories cannot be replaced.

Want to reshape the scene of your report card writing experience? Head over to makeprogressai.ca to craft meaningful comments that balance honesty with encouragement. The right words can make the most important difference in a struggling student's confidence and motivation to improve.

References

[1] - https://www.makeprogressai.ca/blogs/how-to-write-effective-student-comments-for-report-cards-in-bc
[2] - https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/31/24168574/openai-chatgpt-schools-nonprofits-discounts
[3] - https://createdreamexplore.com/2023/01/write-report-card-comments-faster-using-chatgpt/
[4] - https://www.toddleapp.com/learn/resource-post/4-steps-to-writing-reports-with-chatgpt/
[5] - https://www.meetjamie.ai/blog/how-to-use-claude
[6] - https://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=19930
[7] - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-i-use-ai-write-report-comments-why-dont-think-its-paul-matthews-4vz9c
[8] - https://idratherbewriting.com/blog/writing-full-length-articles-with-claude-ai
[9] - https://hongkongtesol.com/blog/how-use-ai-generate-student-feedback
[10] - https://www.makeprogressai.ca/
[11] - https://www.makeprogressai.ca/home-copy
[12] - https://www.makeprogressai.ca/report-card-comments

‍