Summer Literacy Strategies

For Parents and Teachers

McGraw-Hill
Jul 28, 2017 · 3 min read

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:

“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:

“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:

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.


Inspired Ideas

Resources, ideas, and stories for K-12 educators. We focus on learning science, educational equity, social and emotional learning, and evidence-based teaching strategies. Be sure to check out The Art of Teaching Project, our guest blogging platform for all educators.

McGraw-Hill

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We apply the science of learning to create innovative educational solutions and content to improve outcomes from K-20 and beyond.

Inspired Ideas

Resources, ideas, and stories for K-12 educators. We focus on learning science, educational equity, social and emotional learning, and evidence-based teaching strategies. Be sure to check out The Art of Teaching Project, our guest blogging platform for all educators.

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