Can I set a start date for an assignment?

All CommonLit assignments come with an editable start date. Students cannot see or access the assignment on CommonLit before the start date arrives. 

Start dates allow you to plan your lessons in advance without letting students see or access them before you want them to. You can set the start date when you create an assignment (it defaults to the creation date). You cannot set start dates (or due dates) in the past, and you must select a due date to create the assignment.

Additionally, as long as no students have started the assignment, you can edit the start date after creating an assignment by opening the Edit Assignment wizard. Do this from the Assignments page by clicking the pencil icon for an assignment (Edit Assignment on mobile). You can change the start date at the bottom and click save. If you move it to a future date, students will no longer be able to see it.

Please note: you can share an assignment link to Google Classroom before the start date. If students click the assignment link on an assignment with a start date in the future, they will not be able to access the assignment. 

Furthermore, assignments on CommonLit do not account for "start times" — only start dates. CommonLit also does not yet account for time zones and operates using Pacific Time. If you and your students are located far outside of Pacific Time and students are unable to view an assignment on their My Assignments page on the start date, this may be due to a difference in time zone.