We know that planning and preparation for summer school is time consuming. So, we developed a product to help save you time while meeting student needs: Summer School Theme Packs.
Summer school Theme Packs are a series of comprehensive curriculum plans and tools created to deliver skill-based, differentiated instruction that can be adapted to any summer school setting.
Lesson plans are organized into 5-day sessions and center around a specific theme and comprehension skill. Students will learn or review the skill and apply it throughout the week as they read various books and passages. Each week is independent of the next, allowing teachers the flexibility to teach lessons in any order based on student needs.
In addition to the central theme and target comprehension skill, content in each week’s lessons revolves around a Key Question related to the theme. During the week, students will formulate a response to the Key Question as they participate in collaborative and differentiated learning. Students will work in whole group, small groups, and independently to gather evidence to support their response to the Key Question. On Day 5, students will respond to the Key Question, collecting each week’s responses and learning in a special Passport Binder.
Every weekly lesson lists all of the materials needed for the week’s plans. These materials are organized for download together on site in one place for each week, minimizing preparation time. The tasks and instruction in the Summer School Theme Packs follow a specific sequence to best foster student growth and in-depth understanding. Each day of a summer school lesson is organized around a whole-group activity, followed by a small-group or independent activity, and wrapped up with another whole-group activity. This plan allows the teacher to reach all learners every day and maximizes learning time.
In grades 1-5, students practice grammar and mechanics skills using Write Rights from Writing A-Z. Students listen to leveled books and passages during read out loud activities for modeling of fluency, critical thinking, and answering text-dependent questions around a central theme.
In grades 1-3, intensive instruction of the week’s skill is introduced, modeled, practiced, and assessed, using the Reading A-Z Comprehension Skill Packs.
In grades 4-5, students also have an opportunity for differentiated instruction through practice with the week’s target skill using leveled books and games. Lessons for grades 4-5 follow a similar structure, with one major difference. At this grade level, Close Reading Packs are used to model critical thinking and to promote collaborative learning. Students will work to apply the week’s comprehension target skill while analyzing text independently and collaboratively to find evidence to support their answers to the Key Question.
Each day concludes with a whole-group activity to further tie in the week’s skill, provide students with cyclical skill review, and allow students to gather additional evidence to answer the week’s overarching Key Question.
Throughout the week’s instruction, multiple and varied opportunities are built in to help you monitor student progress of elements covered during the instruction. On Day 1, optional time is set aside to assess students’ reading levels using Benchmark passages. Later in the week, formal assessments are incorporated to reflect student understanding of the target comprehension skill, using graphic organizers, identifying pertinent information within texts, responding to the week’s Key Question, and comprehension quizzes for the leveled reading books. This variety of ongoing assessment will help to ensure students’ growth and understanding.
We understand the important role summer school plays in helping kids achieve success. Our Summer School Theme Packs are designed to effectively teach key reading comprehension skills with engaging weekly themes that prompt interest, collaboration, and in-depth understanding of content.
