Ontario Learning Skills Comments, Grades 1-8
In Ontario, Grades 1-8 classroom teachers rate six learning skills and work habits on the fall progress report and on both report cards, using Growing Success (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2010) as the reference. Each skill gets a letter on the E / G / S / N scale, and one comment box for the section describes strengths and next steps. Character limits and formats are set by each board's report card software.
Each page below covers one skill for one grade band, with sample strengths and next steps at every level and tips for writing your own. These comments are written for the Learning Skills and Work Habits section of the Ontario progress report and report card.
Comments by skill and grade band
| Skill | Grades 1-3 | Grades 4-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Responsibility | Responsibility, Grades 1-3 | Responsibility, Grades 4-8 |
| Organization | Organization, Grades 1-3 | Organization, Grades 4-8 |
| Independent Work | Independent Work, Grades 1-3 | Independent Work, Grades 4-8 |
| Collaboration | Collaboration, Grades 1-3 | Collaboration, Grades 4-8 |
| Initiative | Initiative, Grades 1-3 | Initiative, Grades 4-8 |
| Self-Regulation | Self-Regulation, Grades 1-3 | Self-Regulation, Grades 4-8 |
Also: opening and closing sentences for each report period.
The 4 comment levels
| Code | Level |
|---|---|
| E | Excellent |
| G | Good |
| S | Satisfactory |
| N | Needs Improvement |
Match the verbs to the letter. Excellent comments use words like consistently, independently and without reminders; Good uses usually or with few reminders; Satisfactory uses sometimes or with reminders; Needs Improvement describes what the student does with adult support and what is beginning to emerge. Then add the evidence behind the rating rather than repeating the letter in words.
Tips for learning skills comments
- Write about the skill, not the child's personality. Instead of calling a student helpful or messy, describe what you saw: returning library books on time, packing up before the bell, or sharing materials at a group table.
- Since the six skills share one comment box, choose the two or three skills that tell the clearest story this term rather than squeezing in all six, unless your board asks for every skill. Rotate the focus across the three reports.
- Pair every next step with one concrete strategy the student can use tomorrow, such as a checklist taped inside a desk, and one low-cost home routine parents can try, like a set time and quiet place for homework.
This site shows 170 of the 1,272 sentences in the pack. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Growing Success is a Ministry publication; learning skill names are used for identification only.
How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.