ACT Report Comments: English Examples, Years 1–10

Writing ACT report comments for English

ACT public schools report against the Australian Curriculum using the mandated student report template. An English comment sits beside the A–E grade, so it needs to explain what sits behind that grade in words a family can use.

• Open with the performance level wording that matches the grade.
• Anchor the comment in the mode: reading, writing, or speaking and listening.
• Give one concrete piece of evidence, such as a text type, a task or a discussion.
• Close with a next step that a parent or carer can support at home.

Reading examples

Examples

• "[Student] is achieving at expected level in reading. They read grade-level texts accurately, identify the main idea and answer literal and inferential questions. Next, [Student] will practise explaining how an author’s language choices shape meaning."
• "[Student] is achieving beyond expected level in reading. They compare themes across two texts and use evidence from the page to support their view. Reading texts with more complex structure will extend them."
• "[Student] is developing skills with guidance in reading. They sound out unfamiliar words using known patterns and are building fluency. Reading aloud for ten minutes a night and talking about the story will help them retell events in order."

Writing examples

Examples

• "[Student] is achieving at expected level in writing. They plan and write structured texts with a clear purpose and use punctuation accurately. Editing for varied sentence beginnings is the next step."
• "[Student] is achieving at a high standard in writing. They choose precise vocabulary for their audience and revise their drafts independently. Trying a new text type such as a persuasive argument will stretch their skills."
• "[Student] requires additional support in writing. They can write a short sentence about a familiar topic with prompting. A sentence starter and a three-point checklist (capital letter, finger space, full stop) will help them work more independently."

Speaking and listening examples

Examples

• "[Student] contributes to class discussions and listens respectfully to the ideas of others. They are learning to build on what a classmate has said before adding their own point."
• "[Student] delivers a clear short presentation using notes and answers questions from the audience. A next step is varying their voice to emphasise key points."

Matching ACT performance wording to the grade

• Requires additional support: name the smallest next step and the support already in place.
• Is developing skills with guidance: say what the student can do with prompts and what independence looks like.
• Is achieving at expected level: describe where the skill is reliable and where to extend it.
• Is achieving beyond expected level, at a high standard, or at an exceptional standard: add evidence of depth rather than extra adjectives.