Summer Literacy Strategies
For Parents and Teachers
Summer vacation — while it’s a wonderful time to watch children grow, play, and enjoy their childhood — brings some challenges for teachers and parents. Without steady practice and review, students often forget what they’ve just been taught. Come fall, teachers will find themselves with a classroom full of students who need to be retaught large portions of academic content from the previous grade level. Teachers lose valuable time in the classroom that was intended for new content, and parents find themselves with a responsibility: continually engage child with academic content and learning experiences over summer vacation.
This is not to say that parents should be developing lesson plans, giving grades, and bringing their children in from the outdoors for spelling tests and lectures. It is only to say that children need to be continually intellectually stimulated, engaged, and challenged throughout the summer months. The form this learning takes does not need to be structured at all — in fact, parent-child relationships, summer weather, and the home’s flexible learning environment can provide children with a much-needed refresher from the more traditional educational activities they encounter in school.
To empower parents on this journey of taking on a new role, we’ve made three lists of summer activities, divided by age range. We’ve chosen to focus on literacy here, because it’s such a foundational part of learning at every stage, and each gain a student makes in fluency is precious. It also opens the door for flexibility, creativity, and social-emotional learning — all perfect elements for parents to connect with their children, and perhaps even learn something new about them in the process. Teachers, feel free to pass these articles along to the parents in your network. They will thank you for the resources, and you will thank them when you find a class full of refreshed, sharp minds in the fall!
Summer Literacy Strategies for Elementary School Students
In this article, you’ll find:
- 9 strategies for engaging elementary school students in literacy practice throughout the summer
- Plenty of examples and external resources, including crafts for kids and research for adults
“Kids love to share the excitement of stories and talk about what they’ve learned, so try incorporating reading into family time: grab a book on tape for a road trip, do a read-aloud of a great picture book once a week, or have your whole family read a book, then watch the film version together.”
Summer Literacy Strategies for Middle School Students
In this article, you’l find:
- 9 strategies for summer literacy specifically designed to appeal to middle school students
- Age-appropriate reading lists and games
“Reading with your child will set a powerful example of what it means to be a reader and a thinker, will open your eyes to some of the narratives and struggles relevant to today’s teen, and might help you discover something new about your child.”
Summer Literacy Strategies for High School Students
In this article, you’ll find:
- 9 tools for empowering high school readers throughout the summer
- Strategies and resources to use the summer to both connect to your teen, and prepare them for higher education
Instagram is full of young readers, posting artsy pictures of their favorite books, making recommendations, and connecting with other readers across the world. Literary blogs function the same way: for a generation fluent in the art of digital communication, parents should take advantage of the opportunities available on social media, and encourage their teens to incorporate their reading experiences with their social experiences.
For a summer learning experience just for teachers, read:
