Enrichment Strategies for Advanced Learners at All Grade Levels

Every week you work hard at carefully creating meaningful lesson plans for your students. However, regardless of how much planning you do, there will be a student (or two) who will finish the assignment or lesson early. So, what do you do for these students? And, equally as important, how do you ensure that the activities you’re providing are relevant and enriching to their learning?

Before you begin providing enrichment, it is important to consider the age of your students as there are certain strategies you can leverage to better ensure a positive experience, depending on which grade span you are teaching to. Below, we’ve compiled a few suggestions for structuring your enrichment opportunities, segmented by grade levels.

Elementary School Enrichment

• Provide limited choices and transitions, especially for grades K–2.
• Use a thematic approach (term 1 = arts; term 2 = STEM, etc.) for better comprehension.
• Embed project-based learning into extended core classes.

Students in this grade span are most receptive to simple and intuitive enrichment. Rather than calling out enrichment, simply infuse it into activities for students who are ready for it. For example, when teaching social studies or language arts, you could integrate a project where students create a "community helpers" diorama. They can research different community roles (like firefighters, doctors, and teachers), create small models, and present their findings to the class. 

Providing opportunities to connect career awareness, curriculum, and instruction will unite academic and social themes and begin to introduce careers in the classroom. Scheduling your enrichment in a thematic approach will help with comprehension and enable students to engage more quickly.

Middle School Enrichment

Middle school is when the opportunity for enrichment really starts to flourish and career exploration begins. Explore career planning pathways to help map out sequential pathways and programming so that students can monitor progress. Also, introducing outside resources is always a great way to spark energy for these students.

Develop programs where middle school students mentor younger students or receive mentorship from high school or college students to build leadership skills. Offer creative writing workshops where students can explore different genres of writing, such as poetry, short stories, and playwriting. Establish a robotics club where students can design, build, and program robots to encourage problem-solving, teamwork, and hands-on learning.

High School Enrichment

• Find community organizations and businesses to provide apprenticeships and internships. For example, partner with a local hospital to offer internships for students interested in healthcare, or a tech company for those interested in IT and software development.
• Embed traditionally after-school activities like a debate club into the school day during a flex period. This ensures that all students, regardless of their after-school availability, have the opportunity to participate.
• Partner with local colleges and universities, including dual-enrollment opportunities. For example, a partnership with a nearby community college might offer courses in advanced mathematics, science, or foreign languages. 

Continue to build off enrichment programs from middle school, and allow students to identify which areas most interest them. High school students can embark on their career-aimed curricular journey by taking a coherent sequence of CTE courses designed to scaffold employability knowledge, skills, and experience and to concurrently support their interdisciplinary needs.

At Edmentum, our programs provide comprehensive support for enrichment by providing age-appropriate content and resources. We believe that the level and complexity of the curriculum should always match the readiness and motivation of students. Learn more about enrichment strategies with this introduction to enrichment and classroom strategies.