The Podcast Project is a student-led learning experience that empowers 4rd–5th grade students to develop communication, collaboration, research, and digital literacy skills through the creation of authentic podcasts. Students will explore topics, conduct research, write scripts, practice speaking skills, and use technology to produce episodes that share their ideas and perspectives with a wider audience. This project supports literacy growth by strengthening reading comprehension, writing fluency, vocabulary development, and oral language skills while building student confidence and creativity.

Elementary students are expected to communicate effectively across multiple formats, yet many have limited opportunities to practice authentic speaking, purposeful writing, interviewing, and collaborative communication.

Campus assessment data continue to show that students need additional support in:
Reading comprehension
Academic vocabulary
Written response development
Oral language skills
Confidence when presenting ideas

These needs are especially important for multilingual learners, who benefit from meaningful opportunities to use academic language in authentic settings.
Research consistently demonstrates that oral language development is strongly connected to reading comprehension and writing achievement. When students regularly explain ideas, justify thinking, collaborate with peers, and communicate with authentic audiences, literacy outcomes improve.
A podcast club creates these opportunities while increasing student motivation and engagement.