See Jane improve. Watch Sam excel. Then feel free to award each of them a certificate for doing their best in your elementary school classroom.
Certificates of appreciation or achievement can be an ideal way to recognize students for a job well done, whether it’s acing the spelling test, making momentous improvements in their math scores, or even showing compassion, kindness, and a positive attitude throughout the year.
As long as they’re not given out willy-nilly for no real reason, certificates can be useful tools that help motivate students, boost self-esteem, and provide recognition in front of their peers. When given for no apparent reason they can start to lose significance or meaning. You want certificates to help your students feel special when they’ve done something special and because they’ve truly earned it.
Check out what we mean with several examples below, complete with the wording you can use for your awards.
Certificate Wording for Elementary School: Basic Info
Before we dive into the examples, it’s essential to note the basic information that should appear on every certificate. This includes:
- Name of student receiving the honors
- Name of teacher, department, or school awarding the honors
- Reason the student is receiving the award
- Date and signature
Certificate Wording for Elementary School: Examples
Student of the Week
Congratulations to (name)
for earning Student of the Week honors
in/at (classroom/school)
for his/her (reason).
Certificate of Excellence
This Certificate of Excellence goes to
(name) for his/her outstanding efforts in (subject)
in/at (classroom/school).
Certificate of Achievement
You Did It!
(Name) is receiving this
Certificate of Achievement for
successfully completing (task/project/activity)
in/at (classroom/school).
Certificate of Improvement
Way to Go!
(Name) gets this certificate for
his/her notable improvement in (subject)
in/at (classroom/school).
Graduation Certificate
Great Job!
This certificate is for
(name), who successfully completed
(grade) at (school name).
Simple wording works best for elementary school students, and you can simplify some of the examples further by putting the teacher’s name, classroom, or school name at the bottom of the certificate instead of in the middle with the rest of the text.
Lastly, choose bright colors, upload a cheery image or two and your certificates can be ready for action the next time one of your students does something genuinely great.
