Inside: Five entertaining read alouds to end the school year on a fun note.
It’s the end of another school year, and we are doing everything we can to keep our students focused.
There’s a lot pulling their attention away.
- Assemblies and other schedule changes
- Thoughts of summer fun
- That little ant that somehow made it into your classroom
After 33 years of teaching, I can’t say I have the perfect solution, but I’ve found a few things that help.
My number one? You can’t beat a great read aloud!
Table of Contents
Why use Read Alouds to end the school year?
Read alouds are one of the easiest ways to model desired behavior, even at the end of the year. They naturally pull everyone in at a time when attention spans are short and routines are off.
A good story creates a shared experience and strong connections. The opportunities for discussion and laughter are endless.
Even better, read alouds don’t stop at the last page. They’re the perfect springboard for simple, meaningful activities. With just one book, you can move into discussion, writing, movement, or games. This way you’re not chasing attention because all eyes are on you!
Here’s five great read alouds to end the school year and two activities to go with each! Get ready to see your students smile as your they listen, write, draw, and move.
1. Remind students they were truly seen
Perfect for those last days when you want every student to feel noticed, valued, and remembered
A Letter from Your Teacher on the last day of school
Take a trip down memory lane as a teacher reflects on the little moments that made the school year special.
Follow Up Activities
- Have your students write you a letter about their favorite parts of the school year.
- Have your students write a letter to next year’s class to get them excited about their new grade.
2. Celebrate how far they’ve come
Helps students connect their progress to all the hard work they’ve done this year
Strong Man
This story follows Charles Atlas as he transforms from a bullied “weakling” into one of the strongest men in the world.
Follow Up Activities
- Have students show their own growth by dividing a paper in half. Students can write or draw on both sides of the paper to compare how they were at the beginning of the year and how they are now.
- Based on how they grew this year, have students create three “training tips” for next year’s class.
3. When you want students to see you feel it too
Build that final connection by showing them that saying goodbye matters to you
Last Day Blues
As students get ready for the last day, their teacher realizes she might not be ready to say goodbye. A student gift will bring a tear to your eye.
Follow Up Activities
- Have students create a “Top Ten Things I’ll Miss” list.
- Design the perfect going away gift for a classmate, teacher, or even your principal.
4. Provide reflection time for favorite moments
Take a look back on the memories that mattered most
Memory Jars
Freda takes the idea of preserving blueberries in jars and transfers it to saving her precious memories.
Follow Up Activities
- Write memories from the school year on small pieces of paper and put them in a jar. Allow students to add to the jar during the last week or two of school. Read the memories on the last day of school.
- Memory Charades – Add a few shared memories from the school year (field trips, parties, rewards) to a jar. Have students choose one from a jar and act it out without speaking. Other students have to guess the memory.
5. Attention is gone and you need something fun
A go-to book to add a little laughter at the end of the year
Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Last Day of School
Students will love hearing the reasons why the dragon should not join the class on the last day of school.
Follow Up Activities
- Call out several items. If they are acceptable to bring to school, have students go to one side of the room. If not, go to the other. Have students justify their responses.
- What would happen if you brought your pet to the last day of school? Draw or write about it.
At this point in the year, keeping students focused is a challenge, but the right read aloud makes all the difference.
- Pulls your class back together
- Gives you a shared moment
- Keeps their eyes off that tiny ant
If you’re looking for something to keep your students engaged at the end of the year, it’s hard to beat a great read aloud.
Looking for more?
Before you go, if you’re looking for more simple ways to keep your students engaged, I’d love to stay connected.
You can join my email list here, where I share easy-to-use ideas, classroom strategies, and the occasional freebie to help make your teaching life a little easier.
