Use Summer Reading to Strengthen ELA Skills

Summer reading – ELA teachers either love it or hate it.  Some teachers choose to assign it to students; other teachers are required to assign it.  Whatever camp you’re in (and good or not is a debate for another time), the big question is – what do you do with it?

In my case, summer reading is required.  Students must read one book assigned by individual ELA teachers and another “whole school read.”  Honestly, I have mixed feelings about summer reading, but because I don’t have a choice, I choose to embrace it and use it to my benefit to review important literary concepts.

By the time students have reached middle school, they have had exposure to literary elements, terms and important ELA skills MANY times over.  That said, I never have the expectation of what students have been taught (or to what depth) when they walk into my classroom.  What’s crucial is that students know the essential “language” of ELA so that discussions aren't hindered by gaps in understanding these fundamental skills and concepts as we progress through the year.  Summer reading offers the perfect opportunity for reviewing concepts and reinforcing these skills since students enter the classroom having all read the same novel.  I use our summer reading novel to focus primarily on these 5 skills and concepts: identifying literary elements, reviewing figurative language and devices, making purposeful annotations, writing a response to literature, and participating in academic discussions.

 1. Identifying Literary Elements

Recognizing literary elements in literature provides a foundation on which we can base discussions.  I make sure that my students understand the “language” of these 6 literary elements: plot, theme, characterization, point of view, setting and conflict.  I use these six as the basis of our discussion and build upon these with other literary elements such as mood, tone, symbolism, etc. 

 

I created a short but detailed Literary Elements Review resource several years ago, and it is the perfect thing to introduce or review these 6 primary literary elements.

If you are looping with your students or just want to use a film to review these elements, see my Literary Elements - Analyzing Pixar’s Animated Film La Luna.  To see all of my resources on literary elements, CLICKHERE.  

2. Reviewing Figurative Language & Devices

Recognize this standard - “Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.” 

To meet this standard, students must have an understanding of basic figurative language terms and literary devices.  Having this foundational knowledge is essential for developing deeper analytical skills and for performing well in both class discussions and written assignments.

Where to start? There are many places to find these terms and devices online – here are 2 of them: Literary Devices.net and 40+ Literary Devices Every Student Should Know (and How To Teach Them).  Figure out the basic terms you need your students to know to get started.  Then, add the age-level and standards-focused terms as you progress through your literature units throughout the year.  

3. Making Purposeful Annotations

Over time, I have learned that most of my middle school students don’t know how or what to annotate. So, this is a skill I teach right off the bat using summer reading.  Making annotations for fiction and nonfiction texts is a crucial skill because it enhances reading comprehension and critical thinking. Annotations encourage active engagement with the text, allowing students to highlight key points, make connections, ask questions, and note their interpretations. By making these annotations, students retain information, understand complex ideas, and develop their analytical skills – all of which lay the foundation for class discussions and analytical writing.

I teach students how to annotate primarily through modeling.  I do NOT require certain colors or specific symbols for literature annotations as I believe it’s important for students to develop a personal style for annotations.  I DO require that students both mark the text AND write a note regarding why they marked the text.  Keep in mind that I do teach only advanced-level students at this point, but I believe that a gradual release method works well for students of all levels, but lower level students may require more guidance and practice.

I build upon annotation skills with students by close reading several important passages from the summer reading text with modeling.  I start by identifying specific tasks/purposes (annotate for figurative language, character development, etc.)  for the passage annotations and then model this for them.   We do many passages together, and I make sure the purpose for the annotations is varied.  Next, I have students annotate on their own, but I give them specific purpose(s).  Then, students gradually develop their own style and are given the general instruction to read and annotate a text or piece of a text. Even after my students become “pros,” there are definitely times that I have them annotate for a  specific purpose.   Finally, I do not grade annotations.  They are intended for each student’s use for skills and standards-based activities and assignments.  

4.  Writing a Response to Literature 

I know most teachers use this phraseology to refer to essay writing, and it can and does mean that.  But here, I’m talking about students learning to write a personal response to literature.  You’d think that telling students to write your thoughts, connections and feelings about the text would be easy, but honestly, most students find it harder to develop writing a personal response than they do in finding text-based evidence to support analysis of literary elements.  Yes, they can write a few sentences, but developing these ideas into a 1-2 page response is HARD for many of them.  However, this is such an important skill because it encourages critical thinking and forces them to articulate their insights clearly.

You can grab these FREE Response to Literature organizer pages by clicking the image below:

 These pages are included in my Literary Elements & Response Pages for Any Story which are perfect   for summer reading since they will work with any work of fiction.  You can use with summer reading

and then use pieces or the whole resource all year long.  

5.  Participating in Academic Discussions

Finally, I take the opportunity to use summer reading as a means to teach students to participate in academic discussions.  This is a crucial skill for secondary students because it cultivates important communication and collaboration skills that students will need in the classroom and well beyond the classroom where effective communication and teamwork are vital.

Academic discussions teach students to articulate their ideas clearly, listen actively, and respect diverse perspectives. Additionally, through participation in these discussions, students gain a deeper understanding of the material PLUS it encourages analytical thinking and enhances their ability to construct and defend arguments.

One of my favorite academic strategies to use early in the year is the Topic Talk activity.  You can read more about this strategy and get a FREE organizer in THISBLOG POST.  We then advance to Student Led Socratic Sessions, which in shorted form I call “Hot Seats.”  You can read about how it works in THIS BLOG POST.  These 2 activities build upon one another.  In the first one, students are all in small group private discussions.  In the second, students are in small group public discussions, but these are short (like 3-5 minutes per round).  Both of these are pre-cursors to full-blown Socratic Seminars where students must sustain an academic discussion for minimally 20 minutes, but this time varies in my middle school classroom depending on time allotments and the text(s) we are reading.

If you are not a fan of summer reading, changing your mindset to embrace it as an opportunity to review key literary concepts can transform it from a mere requirement into a powerful teaching tool. By doing so, you can ensure that your students start the school year with a solid foundation to not only enhance their comprehension and analytical abilities but also to foster a deeper appreciation for literature.  

*Have questions about anything in this post? Want to continue the conversation about summer reading? Join me over on Facebook!

*************

**If you are interested in more ideas like these, be sure to follow my blog and join my email list to be notified when new blog posts are released.  Joining my list will also give you access to exclusive tips, discounted (and free) resources plus special giveaways that are shared only with my email subscribers.  Let's continue this conversation and build a community that thrives on mindful teaching and lasting inspiration.