The Last 20 Days of Literacy Learning: 6 days to go, Drafting Our Summer Reading Plans

Post #8 in the Last 20 Days of Literacy Series… Written after a crazy early release day of 5th grade promotion practice, music, PE, and a little literacy time squeezed in.

All posts in this blog series can be found here.

For the past few weeks now, we’ve been chatting about our plans for summer reading in class. The fifth graders have shared book recommendations with each other, chatted about when and where they’ll read this summer, and have even made plans to connect with each other around their reading while they’re away from school.

After casually chatting with each other and recommending books the past couple weeks, we sat down to draft our plans today. Because we spent so much time thinking, talking, and jotting about our plans, the kids were ready and anxious to get drafting today! Some students sketched their ideas, some wrote paragraphs, some created charts- all the plans were different and created with each fifth grader’s personal vision of their summer reading in mind. No two plans looked the same.

In addition to choosing which books they’ll read, they discussed how they will access their books, when and where they’ll read, and how they will connect with others around their reading. A few fifth graders made plans to connect with each other digitally and two groups of students formed book clubs that plan to meet in person.

Many will access books through our local libraries and our online middle school digital library. Some asked if they can borrow books, and I said yes. Even though they are heading to a new school next year, I trust I will get (most) of the books back. Part of the reading plan for students borrowing books is figuring out how they will get the books back to me- some will send the books back with younger siblings while others will figure out different means to get them back to the classroom.

While drafting their plans today, the fifth graders were truly giddy with excitement about the possibilities to come. This entire school year, my biggest goal, my most important goal, was to make choices as a teacher that would lead my students onto a path of lifelong reading. After watching and conferring with them today around their drafted plans, I feel like that goal is on its way to being accomplished. Simply put, it feels really good.

Tomorrow, we’ll revisit our drafted plans for revision and then start to generate ideas for putting the plans into place. One of my posts next week will share a few finished plans for summer reading. Until then, here are a few drafts…

For some further thinking on summer reading, Kari Yates and I share some ideas here.