Grades
K - 11
How to Rethink Summer Vacation Homework
One experienced teacher’s game plan brings out the fun in summer assignments.
Summer homework may start as early as elementary school, but you don’t have to do it the way it’s always been done! Veteran educators like third-grade teacher Alycia Zimmerman have spent time thinking about how to make summer homework meaningful and interesting enough that students buy in—and even want to do it.
Read on for Zimmerman’s summer homework game plan and ideas for how to make summer assignments more fun for everyone.
If possible, meet your incoming students before summer break (even if it’s virtual!) to instill the importance of summer learning.
At the end of the school year, coordinate with the teachers of your incoming students to swap classes for a period. Introduce yourselves to your future students and build excitement for the fun and challenging learning ahead and the very “grown-up” summer homework you will assign.
“We’ve been far more successful in instilling the importance of our summer assignments when presenting about it face-to-face rather than just sending a packet of directions home cold,” says Zimmernan. “The students sit on the edges of their seats as we talk about the importance of summer reading and our certainty that they will do everything they can to 'keep their brains healthy, pink, and strong’ over the summer.”
Talk about the best summer assignment of all: diving into books!
Reading should be a treat, not a menial assignment, so Zimmerman doesn’t feel guilty about making reading the bulk of her summer homework. Here are some of her most effective strategies for promoting summer reading:
Have students fill out a log to keep track of the books and other texts they read over the summer. It isn’t necessary to require a certain number of books or specific titles. Simply ask that they find books they love and spend lots of time reading them.
Have your current students write book reviews of their favorite titles to send home with your rising students. Invite your current students to serve as reading ambassadors and speak to the younger students about the importance and joys of reading. When coming from slightly older peers, the message is very well received.
And of course: Sign your students up for the Scholastic Summer Reading Program! From May 9 to August 19, your students can visit Scholastic Home Base to participate in the free, fun, and safe summer reading program. As part of the program, kids can read e-books, attend author events, and keep Reading Streaks™ to help unlock a donation of 100K books from Scholastic – distributed to kids with limited or no access to books by Save the Children.
Direct your students to fun (and educational) activities.
When considering other homework, the best options are activities that students will be motivated to do because they’re entertaining.
Give your incoming students the “everything is better in moderation” speech so they understand that they shouldn’t play hours of computer games every day this summer. If possible, send them home with printable and book-based packs to polish their skills for the year ahead (you can even pair these with your own assignments):
Make mastering sight words fun with this colorful workbook! Learning to read and recognize sight words with speed and accuracy is an important step on the path to reading success. This workbook helps children develop and hone these skills.
Stay connected with your students over the summer through cards.
Giving incoming students the opportunity to connect with you and with each other can motivate them to complete summer assignments. Here’s one plan for connecting via letters:
Have your incoming students mail you a letter of introduction. Explain that you want to hear about their summer activities, their hobbies, their families, and anything special they want you to know before the school year begins.
When you receive letters from your students, send a postcard back with a brief response. Tell them a bit about your summer plan, and let them know you can’t wait to see them in the fall.
Encourage them to write again!
You can also pair up students and have them write to each other over the summer. In September, they can bring their pen pal letters to class to display on the bulletin board.
Take advantage of everyone’s increasing familiarity with virtual resources by connecting online, too! Post a short video, article, or question once a week on your classroom's online platform, and invite both incoming students and rising former students to write their thoughts in the comments section. Be sure to moderate their comments and enjoy their back-and-forth dialogues as they engage with each other.
Get started by shopping the best books for summer reading below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.
Super Bowl champion and literacy crusader Malcolm Mitchell presents the story of a magician who reveals an awe-inspiring treasure from his bag of tricks—books that make every kid's dream come true!
After a squabble, best friends walk the up-and-down road to reconciliation.
Take a trip around the world in this series of authentic songs, rhymes, and lullabies. Each piece is translated and illustrated by liguists and artists from each respective world region.
An inspirational celebration of little happy dreamers everywhere that is perfect for the youngest readers.
Branches books help boost reading confidence and stamina with easy-to-read text, high-interest content, and illustrations on every page.
Readers will learn about each animal's anatomy, behavior, and more, then compare and contrast the battling pair before finally discovering the winner!
This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina.
This inspirational picture book reminds listeners and lap-sitters of the value of being themselves.
When it comes to flirting, friendships, and fallouts, how is Keiko supposed to keep it all together?
Dav Pilkey's wildly popular Dog Man series appeals to readers of all ages and explores universally positive themes, including empathy, kindness, persistence, and the importance of doing good.
With illustrations by Michelle Mee Nutter, Megan Wagner Lloyd draws on her own experiences with allergies to tell a heartfelt story of family, friendship, and finding a place to belong.
Karen tries everything to make her day better, but nothing is going right and her bad luck just won't go away. Will this be the worst day ever?
History's most exciting and terrifying events come to life in these stories of amazing kids and how they survived.
Graphic novel readers and Roald Dahl fans alike will relish this dynamic new take on a uniquely funny tale.
Marrying magic realism and a coming-of age, this novel imagines a pre-teen spending a summer with her grandfather as he ebbs into dementia.
Twin sisters Maureen and Francine are best friends, but with the approach of middle school they are growing apart, and Maureen doesn't know how to stop it.
Eleven year old Max fears his dreams are slipping away, so when the opportunity arises he embarks on a dangerous journey and finds more he imagined.
