ESL Summer School Essentials: Writing Prompts, Games, and Packets to Beat the Summer Slump

Overcoming ESL Summer School Challenges

A couple of years ago,  I found myself teaching ESL summer school in Queens, NY. The program welcomed ESL kids from various schools in our district, presenting a unique challenge: preparing resources to meet the diverse needs of students just starting their English journey and those who had been in the U.S. for years. 

As summer approaches, ESL educators like us often find themselves scrambling for ESL differentiated summer school materials to keep English Language Learners (ELLs) actively learning during these warm months. How can we support our ESL newcomers, push our beginners and intermediate ESL forward and enrich our advanced students, and on top of that beat the summer slump for those that do not attend summer school? It is truly a daunting task.

One way to achieve this, both now and throughout the school year, is to center instruction around themes. Thematic units of study immerse our multilingual learners in academic content centered on a specific theme, such as a beach theme. 

To begin, they may engage in vocabulary-speaking games, such as 'I Have, Who Has,' during which they will learn or review summer nouns and verbs. They will also participate in summer-themed memory games and beach-themed sorts for nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Additionally, they will explore summer-related topics through scaffolded reading comprehension passages. Finally, they may practice writing scaffolded words, sentences, and paragraphs, all within the beach theme.

Importance of Teaching ESL Students in Themes 

Research indicates that thematic units of study enhance ESL students' reading and writing skills by providing contextually rich learning experiences (Vogt, 2003). Themes serve as a scaffold for language acquisition, fostering meaningful connections between vocabulary, grammar, and real-world contexts.

1. ESL Vocabulary Speaking Games

Incorporating vocabulary games into ESL instruction adds an element of fun and interactivity while reinforcing language skills. Find some fun images of summer themed nouns  and verbs and create I have who has Summer Nouns/ Verbs Game. 

The "I Have, Who Has" game is an interactive vocabulary activity where students match cards that state "I have [word], who has [another word]?" This engaging game helps ESL learners practice and reinforce vocabulary through a fun and repetitive format. The summer-themed version focuses on nouns and verbs, making it a perfect fit for seasonal learning. Suitable for various proficiency levels, it encourages active participation and enhances language skills in an enjoyable way.This  engages students in dynamic language practice, enhancing word recognition, comprehension, and retention.

2. ESL Grammar Games and Word Sorts: Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives

Grammar instruction doesn't have to be boring. It can be made dynamic and engaging through ESL grammar games and word sorts. Focusing on key parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives, students deepen their understanding of English grammar while participating in interactive learning activities. Research shows that gamification in ESL learning enhances student engagement, motivation, and retention of language skills (Viberg et al., 2018). 

Memory Games: Enhance retention through engaging, repetitive play.

Matching Games: Strengthen word recognition and understanding.

Sorting Mats: Develop categorization skills by sorting nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

Color by Code: Reinforce part of speech knowledge with fun coloring activities.

3. ESL Writing Picture Prompts: Beach-Themed and Differentiated

Research indicates that writing is the most challenging aspect of language acquisition for multilingual learners, as it requires the productive use of language skills. Therefore, incorporating various scaffolds such as images, sentence starters, and word banks is crucial. These scaffolds, intended to be temporary, support students until they can independently construct written language. This differentiated resource is designed to cater to different proficiency levels:

Newcomer ESL Students: Cut, Match Labels, and Write

ESL Beginner Students: Word Banks, Images, and Sentence Starters/ Focus on Present Tense Verbs

ESL Intermediate Students: Writing Prompts with Word Banks, Images, and Sentence Starters, Focus on  Past Simple Verbs

ESL Advanced Students: Writing Prompts with Images and Word Banks

All picture prompts build one cohesive narrative about a day at the beach, enhancing continuity and comprehension.

There are so many other ways you can use these stories. Here are just some examples: 

4. Avoiding Summer Slump with ESL Summer Packs

To combat the summer learning slump, I like to  provide my ESL students with opportunities to practice English at home through ESL Newcomer Summer Packet: Beach Themed. This comprehensive resource includes differentiated activities covering vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension,  writing, and assessment. It's designed to keep students engaged and motivated over the summer break.

Middle School/ High School Version

                                                            Middle School/ High School Version

Teaching ESL students during summer school presents unique challenges, but it also offers an opportunity for innovation and growth. By incorporating thematic instruction, differentiated resources, and engaging activities, we can ensure that  ESL students thrive in their language learning journey and avoid the summer slump.

Would you like more tips, trick and freebies?