Thank you to Emily Waisanen, an ELA Teacher at Oakfield Middle School, for sharing her fun and creative method for stopping the summer slide. Keep reading to see how she engages her middle school readers over summer vacation!

As the end of the school year approaches, teachers everywhere are thinking about how to encourage their students to continue reading over the summer months to prevent the dreaded “summer slide.” After considering this conundrum myself, I realized that the biggest obstacle my students have over the summer is access to books. 

At the end of last school year, I came up with the plan to allow my middle school students to borrow books from my classroom library over the summer. The plan was simple: Each student was given an “I Love Reading” drawstring bag to fill with books from my classroom library and read over the summer months. Students loved being able to select books they always wanted to read but felt they didn’t have time for due to class requirements and other after school activities. To track what was taken, students simply signed out the books they were borrowing on a shared Google Document.

As an extra element of reading accountability, I also provide pre-addressed stamped postcards to students to mail back to me after they finished reading each book. Students simply completed the postcard letting me know their thoughts about the book they just finished and popped it in the mail. It was fun receiving postcards and letters throughout the summer from my students, and it was heartwarming and encouraging to know students were reading throughout June, July and August.

Was I worried that I wouldn’t receive all my books back at the end of summer? Yes, but that was a risk that I was willing to take. The week before school I posted a friendly reminder on my teacher Instagram account reminding students to return all borrowed books during registration and the first week of school. It seemed to work because the books came back in droves and we celebrated each time piles came back.

I did provide a small participation prize to students once they returned the books: a mug (purchased from Goodwill) filled with a packet of hot chocolate, a magnetic bookmark, gum and a pencil (most of those items purchased in bulk from the dollar store). Students did not know they were going to receive a prize for reading, so it was fun to surprise them when they returned their books.

Last May, I had 26 students who participated. This May, I have 36 students interested! In fact, many of my students are already scoping out which books they want to take over the summer and are tucking them away in their lockers or book bins in anticipation for some pleasure reading this summer. This year I also applied for a grant to fund the cost of the bags, postage and new water bottles with flavor packets!

I’m thrilled that I have so many students excited to read over the summer, and it’s all because they have access to books they want to read!

Emily Waisanen is an ELA teacher at Oakfield Middle School in Oakfield, Wisconsin. She enjoys playing matchmaker between a book and a reader.  She is also the author of the picture book The Book Monster. When not reading the latest MG or YA novel, she is spending time with her Harry Potter-loving family. Emily’s most important message to everyone is to always be kind.