The end of the school year is approaching and you may be feeling the pressure to make sure your students have mastered everything that you have taught. Ahh, the joys of being a teacher! One simple thing to incorporate into your school day as the last day of school approaches are end of the year writing prompts. Incorporating writing prompts is a great way to give additional practice to strengthen those writing skills that your students have been working on all year long. So, before you pack up and send your kids home for summer vacation, make sure you use these writing prompts!
Why End Of Year Writing Prompts Have A Positive Impact
As the school year winds down, teachers often feel the pressure to make sure their students have learned everything they need before heading into the next grade level. While reviewing key skills is important, the end of the year is also a valuable time for students to reflect on their growth, celebrate their accomplishments, and express their emotions about moving on.
Incorporating writing prompts into your daily routine is a simple and effective way to help students strengthen their writing skills while also processing their experiences from the past year. Writing encourages students to organize their thoughts, practice creativity, and express themselves in meaningful ways. It also serves as a wonderful keepsake for both students and teachers, preserving special memories from the school year.
Here are a few reasons why end-of-year writing prompts are so beneficial:
- Encourages Reflection: Students get the chance to think back on the highlights of their school year, from friendships and favorite lessons to personal growth and challenges they overcame.
- Fosters Emotional Expression: The end of the year can bring mixed emotions—excitement for summer, nervousness about the next grade, and sadness about leaving their current teacher and classmates. Writing gives students a healthy outlet to express those feelings.
- Strengthens Writing Skills: Writing prompts provide one last opportunity to reinforce sentence structure, grammar, and organization before students move on to the next grade level.
- Creates Meaningful Keepsakes: Whether students write letters to their future selves, share advice with next year’s students, or create memory books, these writing pieces can be cherished for years to come.
By incorporating these writing prompts into your end-of-year activities, you not only provide a fun and engaging way to wrap up the school year but also give students a chance to reflect, express, and celebrate all they’ve accomplished.
20 End-Of-Year Writing Prompts
1. Imagine the future students that will enter my classroom next year. Write a letter to one of those students that I can leave for them on Back To School Night (Meet The Teacher Night, Open House, etc). In the letter, include your favorite memory of the past year, field trips we went on, what was different about this school year than the previous school year, advice for them entering my classroom, etc.
2. What was a new skill you learned this school year that you could not do before? This does not have to be school-themed. Think of outside of school as well, like did you learn to ride your bike? Did you learn to tie your shoes?
3. Write a letter to your future teacher. You may not know who your teacher is for next school year yet, but you can still tell them about yourself! Tell this teacher about the personal growth you made this school year, what your favorite thing is, and a fun fact about yourself!
4. Write a letter about your future self. Tell your future self what the best thing is about you, your favorite activity of this past school year, and your favorite part of the school day. Tell your future self what you are looking forward to and what you hope to learn in the next grade level.
5. Summer vacation is on the way! Would you want it to snow in the summer? Why or why not?
6. Think of this last year. What was your favorite book? This can either be a book your teacher read to you or that you read!
7. What was your biggest challenge this school year?
8. The end of year is full of many emotions! How are you feeling at the end of this school year?
9. What are 5 things you will miss about this school year?
10. The end of the school year is the perfect time to reflect on the past school year. What are three things you are proud of that you did this school year?
11. If you were the teacher for a day, what would you do differently? What is one fun activity you would plan for your class?
12. What was the best day of the school year? Describe it and why it was so special.
13. Create a time capsule. If you could save three things to represent your school year in a time capsule, what would they be and why?
14. If you could give yourself an award for something you accomplished this school year, what would it be and why?
15. Write a letter to a friend in class. Tell them your favorite memory with them from this year and something you hope they remember about you.
16. Think of a time this school year when something was difficult for you, but you did not give up. What was it? What did you learn?
17. What is something you are excited about for next school year?
18. If you could go anywhere in the world for summer vacation, where would you go and what would you do?
19. Make a summer bucket list! Write a list of five things you want to do this summer and explain why you picked each one.
20. What was your favorite special class of this school year and why?
You can also mix in some summer-themed writing prompts into your end of the school year writing.
10 Summer-Themed Writing Prompts
You do not have to only focus on end of the year prompts at the end of the school year! You can add these summer themed writing prompts as well (for more summer-themed writing prompts, check out this blog post):
- If you could go anywhere in the world this summer, where would you go?
- Imagine you get to spend the entire day at the beach! Describe what you would do, what you would see, and what snacks you would bring.
- Imagine a summer day and it suddenly begins snowing! What would you do?
- Invent a new ice cream flavor. Describe your new flavor, what it tastes like, and why people would love it.
- Describe what life would be like if you lived in a giant sandcastle by the ocean.
- Create a summer reading list. What books do you want to read this summer? Make sure to think of chapter books, picture books, and nonfiction books.
- What is your favorite summer treat?
- Do you prefer summer or winter? How come?
- Write a list of ways to cool down on a hot day.
- Create your own amusement park. What kind of rides would be there? What kind of food would you include?
For a full summer writing journal that you can use either in school or send home over summer break for your students, check out our Summer-Themed Writing Journal Prompts!
Check them out here on Missing Tooth Grins.
Incorporate Writing Prompts Into Your Bulletin Boards
Do you still have time left of the school year and need to spruce up that end of the year bulletin board? Check out these simple to prep end of the year crafts that can double as a great memory keepsake.
1. End Of Year Ice Cream Craft
Add this end of the year craft to your lesson plans during the last month of school. It is a great reflection tool for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students. You can reflect on the school year with the following writing prompts:
- My Favorite Part Of The Year
- Our Field Trip
- My Favorite Lunch
- My Friends
- My Favorite Subject
- My Teacher
- My Favorite Book
- About Me
- Also Includes: First, Next, Then, Last to create a sequencing story instead (so you can use this two different ways!)
Don’t have time to add this to your lessons plans with how busy the end of the school year is? Don’t worry- you can add this to your daily writing center! Students fill out the prompt on each ice cream scoop and then piece together a tall ice cream cone!
Click here to purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
2. End Of Year Flower Craft
This end of year craft is a great addition to your end of the year activities. With this craft, students can reflect on the school year with the provided prompts. Prompts include:
- I am most proud of myself for…
- The most fun I had this school year was when…
- What I struggled with and kept trying…
- What I liked learning the most this school year…
- I hope I keep blossoming in…
- Something I was to try next school year…
This end of year craft focuses more on growth mindset and how your students bloomed throughout the school year. It is a fun way to reflect on the past school year with a creative outlet!
Click here to purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
Use Class Memory Books
Even the most reluctant writers love a class memory book! They can add fun pictures with their writing, making the writing process more fun! Using an end of year memory book is a great way to wrap up the school year, while also creating a memorable keepsake for students. Include an autograph book inside so students can have their peers sign their book!
Prompts To Include In Your Memory Book:
- All About Me
- My Classroom
- Field Trips
- My Teacher
- My Year In Numbers
- My Favorite Specials
- When I Grow Up
- What I Have Learned
- My Goals
- Recess
- All About Lunch
- Favorite Books
- Favorite Memory
- Summer Bucket List
- What I Will Miss About This School Year
- A Note From My Teacher (for you to fill out!)
We have an end of year memory book done for you!
Get it here on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Get it here on Missing Tooth Grins.
As the school year comes to a close, incorporating writing prompts into your daily routine is a simple yet powerful way to help students reflect, celebrate, and express themselves. Whether they are sharing favorite memories, setting goals for the future, or dreaming about summer adventures, these writing activities provide a meaningful way to end the year on a high note. Plus, with creative bulletin board crafts and memory books, students will have keepsakes they can treasure for years to come!
Make sure to check out the resources mentioned in this blog post to make your end of year planning easier!
- Summer Writing Journal Prompts (TPT & Missing Tooth Grins)
- Class Memory Books (TPT & Missing Tooth Grins)
- End Of Year Ice Cream Craft (TPT & Missing Tooth Grins)
- End Of Year Flower Craft (TPT & Missing Tooth Grins)
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