Quick Start Guide for Students

Welcome to CommonLit! 


Step 1: Sign Up with CommonLit

If your teacher has already created an account for you, they will tell you to log in with Google, Clever, or ClassLink on the CommonLit login page.


However, if your teacher has NOT created an account for you, and you need to create one, follow the steps below:

  1. Get your class code from your teacher and go to https://www.commonlit.org/en/enroll.
  2. Enter your class code.
  3. Then you will be prompted to enter a first and last name and password. You have the option to add an email address to your account. If the email is linked to Google, you will be able to click "Login With Google" in the future to sign in quickly.

Write down your log in information.


In the future, log in by typing in your CommonLit username and password.


Note: If your teacher tells you that you were imported from Google Classroom, ClassLink, or Clever, you can skip this step. Instead, Log in by clicking Log in with Google, Log in with ClassLink, or Log in with Clever and entering your Google, ClassLink, or Clever login credentials.


Step 2: Join More Classes (Optional)


If you have multiple classes using CommonLit, you can access them all from one account. The next time a teacher asks you to join their CommonLit class:


  1. Log in using your username and password (or click Login With Google if you signed up with a Google email).
  2. Go to My Account and Classes.
  3. Click Add Another Class Code.
  4. Enter the new class code. Click Add.

Note: If your teacher tells you that you were imported from Google Classroom or Clever, you can skip this step and go straight to Step 3.


Step 3: Begin an Assignment

  1. Go to My Assignments.
  2. Click on an assignment from the Assignments To Do section to begin or resume it.
  3. If you need help as you read, open Read Aloud and click the speaker icon next to the paragraph, line, or question you want to hear read aloud. If you need to read a translation, open Translate and click the globe icon next to the line or paragraph you want to read a translation for. To annotate a part of a passage, select the text you want to annotate and choose the highlight or note option.
  4. Answer all the questions. CommonLit will save your progress as you go, so you can come back later, but be sure to click Save and Next when you finish each assessment question.
  5. When you are done with your assessment, click Submit Your Assignment.



Important Notes:

  • If you search for a text in the library, even if you've been assigned it, you will not be able to complete your assignment from the library. You must go to your My Assignments page to take your quizzes. If you have been assigned a text and are on its text preview page in the library, you can click "Go to Assignment" from the questions panel.
  • CommonLit will log you out of your session after 2 hours; if you are trying to save answers and get an error message, copy your most recent answer and refresh your page to make sure you are still logged in.
  • Did you make a mistake by submitting your assignment early? Ask your teacher to unsubmit your assignment.

Step 4: Track Your Performance

You can see how you are doing on your assignments overall by going to your My Performance page. You will only see your scores and your teacher's feedback on assignments after your teacher has released your scores.


You can also see how you answered and did on individual assignments from your My Assignments page by clicking on an assignment in your Completed Assignments section to view your score.