Strengths/Weaknesses Phrases that describe

COMPREHENSION
Strengths

follows directions that student reads

himself

Readily Participates in class

discussions

Excellent note taking skills

Weaknesses

Experiences difficulty following

directions, especially when it's more
than one at a time

Infrequently participates in class

discussions

rarely raises his/her hand to

respond

Unable to follow oral discussion

Unable to take notes

READING - GENERAL
Difficulty with/has not achieved or
accomplishes as compared to
peers/grade level:

Overall pre-reading /reading skills,

accurately identifies majority of

sounds associated with each letter,

accurately sounds out unfamiliar

words, sight word mastery,

answers who, what, when where

questions about story or in general
conversation;

able to follow written directions,

able to recall facts after reading

story/passage

ORAL LANGUAGE
Strengths

Verbally tells events in correct and

logical sequence

Speaks with appropriate voice

intonation and expression

Grade appropriate use of grammar

Expanding vocabulary
Weaknesses

Difficulty expressing self orally both

individually and in a group

Grammar skills are quite weak

Experiences difficulty distinguishing

between similar sounds

Vocabulary below grade level

MATHEMATICS
Strengths
Sequences numbers, equations and
formulas at grade level/above grade
level
Is able to perform 'mental math'
Computation is typically accurate
Completes math work logically and
with minimal errors
Understands mathematical concepts
Uses mathematical terms
appropriately both orally and in
written work
Knows math facts from memory
Weaknesses
difficulty sequencing numbers,
equations and formulas accurately
Unable to perform 'mental math'
Computations are frequently
inaccurate
Many careless errors,
frequently chooses the wrong
operation
Has Difficulty understanding
mathematical concepts
Has difficulty using mathematical
terms accurately both orally and in
written work
Does not know math facts
Difficulty with mathematical word
problems

READING
Strengths
Grade appropriate word
discrimination

Strong visual tracking skills when

reading

Seems to Enjoy reading

Fluent reader

grade appropriate Reading rate

Reads accurately and with

expression

Strong scanning or skimming skills

Ability to re-tell what was just read

and predicts what may happen

based on what has happened in
the story, passage

Uses context clues to identify

unknown vocabulary
Weaknesses
Confuses similar words and letters
Often loses place when reading,
requires finger tracking
Difficulty when silent reading, needs
to mouth words or whisper when
reading
Reading is slow and deliberate
Lots of word substitutions,
omissions and invented words
Cannot skim or scan for pertinent
information
Cannot re-tell parts of the story
Cannot sequence events in a story
Cannot state main idea of a story
Difficulty making predictions

Math - General:
Difficulty with/has not achieved as
compared to peers/grade level:
o Overall math, mastery of
basic math facts appropriate
to grade level; math
reasoning/word problems;

WRITTEN EXPRESSION-GENERAL
Difficulty with/has/has not
Achieved, as compared to peers:
writes sentence or paragraph
comparable to peers,
understands/utilizes
conventions/grammar rules
MOTOR SKILLS
Strengths
large motor coordination typical for
age group
strong fine motor skills (evidenced
in art, written work, copy etc.)
Holds pencils, pens, crayons,
scissors appropriately
Exhibits large motor co-ordination
typical to age group
Weaknesses
Large motor coordination not typical
for
age group
Weak fine motor skills (evidenced in
art, written work, copy etc.)
Inappropriate grasp when Holding
pencils, pens, crayons, scissors

SOCIAL SKILLS
Strengths
Easily establishes friends within
peer group
Gets along well peers
Accepts responsibility well
Likes to get involved
Accepts rules and routines well
Study and work skills are strong
Initiates interactions with peers
Cooperates with other students
Is appropriately assertive
Weaknesses
Has a difficult time establishing
friends or has friends that are
younger
Rarely accepted by peers
Argues with peers
Has difficulty accepting
responsibility for own actions
Avoids peer contact
Teases other students
Attention seeking behavior
Difficulty following routines and
rules
Tantrum behavior, at times
Difficulty controlling impulses within
the classroom and in other areas
Difficulty managing own behavior
especially during unstructured times
such as lunch, recess, etc.

BEHAVIOR SKILLS
Strengths
Completes tasks in the allotted time
displays appropriate classroom
behavior
Strong organization skills
Is attentive in class
Strong ability to manage own
behaviors
Gets along well with peers
strong decision making skills
Weaknesses
Difficulty staying on task
Difficulty staying in own area

Difficulty keeping hands to self

Difficulty with
organization/managing materials
Difficulty completing tasks in the
allotted time

acts out frequently in the classroom

byarguing with adults, hitting
others, calling names, etc.
difficulty following classroom/school
routines and rules
difficulty organizing work
difficulty getting along with peers
Becomes easily Frustrated when
tasks or requirements seem difficult
him/her

BEHAVIOR-WORK HABITS
GENERAL:

work completion in allotted time

cooperates with peers/adults
works independently/requires
much redirection/cueing back to
task
completes homework/classwork

Keeps agenda appropriately/able

to organize assignments,
materials, etc.

GENERALLY WHAT HAS HELPED

STUDENT MAKE PROGRESS:
EXAMPLES: reminder card on desk,
motivated by computer time, allowed
to stand up when doing work, daily
repetition of facts, etc.

REFERENCE LIST/ADJECTIVES/PHRASES THAT DESCRIBE

for notes, POInt plans, narratives, and more
Student strength adjectives

Student Weakness adjectives

Responsible
Thorough
Self-Confident
Capable
Cooperative
Efficient
Talented
Self-disciplined
Hard-working
Dependable
Creative
Mature
Curious
Artistic/Creative
Enthusiastic
Focused
Self-motivated

Lacking
Unclear
Unfocused
Inactive
Inadequate
Limited
Delayed
Incomplete
Unclear
Inconsistent/Inconsistently
Difficulty
Unfocused
Reluctant
Resists

Student Strength phrases

Has expansive knowledge of
Enthusiastically participates in
Demonstrates superior work in
Takes pride in his/her work
Listens and follows directions well
Asks for responsibility and follows through
Expresses ideas clearly
Writes wonderful stories
Exhibits organization skills
Does neat, thorough work
Seeks information independently
Enjoys dramatizations
Learning preferences/styles

Student weakness phrases

Not using/seldom using
Seldomly/seldomly meets
Experiencing difficulty with
Insufficiently/insufficient
Lacking in
Unclear about/when
Unfocused during
Often refuses to/fails to
Very limited in
Development in/of delayed

When describing strengths and weaknesses, remember that you are creating a longitudinal record of this student that has the power to assist all of his/her
subsequent teachers in understanding what the student has faced, confronted, and is attempting to overcome. Be as specific as possible.
Finally, avoid absolutes such as: The student will never, cannot, will not, always

It is not necessary to record strengths and weaknesses in narrative form with complete sentences. Bullets are fine. See example below.

EXAMPLE:
Student's Strengths:

able to work quietly and independently once she knows what to do

cooperates and interacts well with her peers
remains calm and in control of her temper, with just a few reminders.
is creative, decorating her papers with color and design
values kindness and a sense of humor.
recognizes that she learns much more if the lessons are presented visually or with manipulatives
enjoys writing; uses writing o communicate with others. Getting her feelings down on paper, or copying poems from a book, also helps her
manage her emotions.

Student and Parent Comments, Needs or Concerns:

struggles with reading comprehension, particularly more abstract concepts (cause/effect, drawing conclusions)
when her assignments and lessons are presented at her level of ability, with only 20% at a frustration level she stays focused and engaged. When
material becomes difficult beyond her skill level she becomes very resistant and frustrated and sometimes acts out, sometimes shutting down and
becoming argumentative.

C.Sycks 2011-12