As the heat of late June descends upon us, the end-of-year signs are unmistakable: Students are extra chatty, unable to sit still for more than a few minutes, and their focus depends almost entirely on how entertaining they find an activity. For teachers, though, another question begins to emerge: How do we help students continue learning once the daily routines of school disappear?
Summer packets and assigned reading certainly have their place, but students are often most engaged when learning feels personal, creative and connected to their everyday lives. Research shows that children retain learning more deeply when they share meaningful experiences with loved ones and engage in activities they genuinely enjoy.
As the school year winds down, teachers can help students and their families build simple opportunities for curiosity and exploration throughout the summer — without making learning feel like homework.
Many students become excited about reading when they know it can include nonfiction topics or genres they genuinely love, like graphic novels, sports biographies, mysteries, even joke books. Small incentives can help reluctant readers reengage with books. Programs such as Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! initiative, which rewards reading with free pizza, can make reading feel celebratory rather than obligatory.
Literacy activities also can include more than just reading. Local library branches offer incredible opportunities throughout the summer. Encouraging students to visit their local branch of the New York Public Library can open the door to free book clubs, crafts, movie afternoons and community events, along with STEAM activities like robotics, coding and art.
And don’t forget our imaginative record-keepers. Teachers can encourage students to become storytellers of their own summer experiences. Before the school year ends, my students and I typically start a “Summer Time Capsule” using Google Slides or a composition notebook in which students can document their days during the summer break. Over the years, students have filled their capsules with MetroCards, Polaroids, beach and family photos, sketches drawn during trips, pressed flowers from neighborhood parks, and hand-woven bracelets made during afternoons spent with cousins. By September, those collections become more than projects — they become windows into children’s lives.
No matter the activity, the most important part is reminding students that ordinary moments matter. Not every child will travel or attend camps, but every student has stories worth telling and sharing. A neighborhood walk, cooking dinner with grandparents or caring for a pet can become the raw material for curiosity, storytelling and connection.
These projects also create powerful connections when students return to school in September. Sharing summer memories helps students rebuild classroom community while giving teachers insight into students’ experiences, interests and growth outside of school.
Summer learning does not need to look like worksheets, reading logs or research projects. Sometimes it looks like conversations with grandparents, library visits, neighborhood adventures, photographs tucked into notebooks or stories shared with classmates in September. These moments not only keep students engaged, but also help strengthen classroom connections for the year ahead.
Ruth Duran is a 6th-grade teacher at PS 315 in the Bronx.