“Not another end-of-the year essay!” Said every student (and teacher) ever! The last thing teachers need is another essay to grade, and students are wiped out! So here are our favorite ideas for the end of the school year projects to close learning gaps, keep students engaged, and allow them to reflect on their learning.

Build Student Agency with Project-Based Learning 

After a whole year of guiding students through lesson plans and learning activities, it’s time to hand over the reins to them! That’s right – let them be in charge of their learning! Surprised? With Project-Based Learning (PBL), students not only gain agency over their approach to learning but also become more engaged. It also provides an avenue for students to explore learning concepts from new angles to solidify their grasp on the material and close any gaps in understanding.

Stumped about what to assign as a project, or just don’t have time to pull something together? Read to Lead has your back! Choose from one of three different Enrichment Projects and let your students take control of their learning. We particularly love “Develop a Community Service Plan” for the end of the school year – students put together a plan to make a difference in their community as part of the project, and you can encourage them to make it a reality over the summer vacation!

Close Learning Gaps with Immersive Games Catered to Different Levels

In the last couple of weeks of school, it can be tempting to let kids play games and relax, but you also want to help weaker students play catch up. We have the solution – Read to Lead learning games!

Confidently meet students’ educational needs using real-time progress and CCSS-aligned formative assessments. The platform’s adaptive technology modifies assessments based on students’ performance within the platform to help students close learning gaps. Read to Lead also features accessibility tools like the audio read-aloud function and the language translation feature to provide students with additional support. With a game-like interface that puts students in the driver’s seat to manage employees and navigate various challenging workplace scenarios, Read to Lead is bound to be a hit! (We can keep all the learning they’ll be doing our little secret!)

Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month

This May, teach students how to develop, recognize, and practice good mental health with a FREE lesson bundle jam-packed with learning games, activities, and resources! Featuring a series of four immersive learning games that focus on helping students find anxiety relief, support from others, and navigate complex decisions, this lesson bundle makes for great morning work, early-finisher activities, or extra credit activities to keep students engaged even as they build essential life skills.

One click is all it takes to assign the learning games in the Mental Health Awareness Bundle. Simply select it right from the playlist section of your Activities Page Tab on the Read to Lead platform! 

Save a Seat for Read to Lead: Live! 

Bring the real world into your classroom just for an afternoon! Join us on Friday, June 3rd at 1:00 PM EST for this school year’s last inspirational career chat – this time with Emmy-winning documentary filmmakers Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren! Your students will have an opportunity to go behind the camera and learn to tell a story they are passionate about to the world. They will learn all about researching a topic, interviewing experts, editing a film, sharing knowledge on that subject, and more. The webinar is free for all to join but has limited capacity, so you’ll want to save your seat early!

Let’s make the last few weeks of school enjoyable yet educational as we bring the year to a close on a positive note. Sign up for free for Read to Lead to get immediate access to literacy-focused engaging learning games, complete lesson plans for Project-Based Learning activities, and so much more!