Critical and Creative Thinking Report Comments, Years 7-8 (Australia)
Critical and Creative Thinking, a general capability in the Australian Curriculum v9, covers asking probing questions, generating and developing ideas and solutions, analysing information, evaluating evidence, and explaining and reflecting on reasoning.
Below are 13 sample sentences for Years 7-8: two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Consistently / Usually / Sometimes / Rarely), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 173 critical and creative thinking sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.
Jump to: Consistently · Usually · Sometimes · Rarely · Writing tips
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Consistently C
Strengths
- In [his/her/their] first research tasks, [Name] selected information carefully from several sources and explained why each one was useful.
- Faced with an open-ended problem, [Name] comes up with several possible approaches and chooses the most promising one with good reason.
Next step
- Joining a lunchtime club such as robotics, chess or a creative writing group would give [Name] more room to test inventive ideas.
Usually U
Strengths
- When researching for homework, [Name] usually chooses suitable sources and is getting better at leaving out information that is not relevant.
- Given an open-ended task, [Name] usually comes up with more than one possible solution before settling on an approach.
Next step
- [Name] could use [his/her/their] diary to jot down questions that come up in class and follow up one each week.
Sometimes S
Strengths
- During camp and house activities, [Name] sometimes contributes creative ideas, particularly when working with friends.
- [Name] sometimes finds it hard to get started on open-ended tasks but produces inventive work once an idea takes hold.
Next step
- In homework, [Name] could show [his/her/their] working or add a sentence of reasoning so teachers can follow [his/her/their] thinking.
Rarely R
Strengths
- With the teacher's help, [Name] is learning to choose useful information for [his/her/their] first research tasks rather than including everything found.
- Open-ended tasks are an area for growth for [Name], and a list of starting options is helping [him/her/them] make a first choice and get going.
Next step
- Attending homework club would give [Name] extra time to talk through problems and practise explaining answers aloud.
Support at home
- When your child asks a question, you might wonder aloud together about how to find the answer rather than giving it straight away.
How to write critical and creative thinking comments for Years 7-8
- In Years 7 and 8, describe the kind of question the student asks, such as why a result happened or what would change if one factor were different. That shows thinking far better than calling them a deep thinker.
- For creative thinking, describe one idea the student generated and developed, for example a design changed after testing in a practical subject, rather than praising creativity in general terms.
- Younger secondary students often give an answer without the reasoning. A useful next step is explaining how they got there, perhaps with a starter such as I think this because, in discussion or writing.
Watch out: Avoid mistaking correct answers for strong thinking. A student can recall content accurately without analysing it, and another can reason well despite errors, so describe the questioning and reasoning, not the result.
Let frequency words carry the rating. Consistently suits reliably, independently or without being asked; Usually suits generally or with few reminders; Sometimes suits at times or when prompted. For Rarely, describe what is emerging and the support that helps, such as weekly check-ins with the year adviser. Show the behaviour you saw rather than restating the rating.
What Critical and Creative Thinking covers
In these comments, critical and creative thinking covers these behaviours:
- asks probing questions and investigates ideas
- generates and develops creative ideas and solutions
- analyses information and evaluates evidence
- reflects on thinking and explains reasoning
More Australian secondary comments
- Effort and Engagement, Years 7-8
- Organisation and Work Completion, Years 7-8
- Independent Learning, Years 7-8
- Critical and Creative Thinking, Years 9-10
- Collaboration and Communication, Years 7-8
- Respect and Responsibility, Years 7-8
- Self-Management and Resilience, Years 7-8
- Opening and closing sentences
- All Australian secondary skills and grade bands
- Build a comment with the comment picker
How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.