I’ve been intending to report the story for several years, but only this summer I finally wrote an article about how many school districts now offer summer classes for English-language learners to help them prevent “summer slide” in their English skills. My article, “Summer Classes a Draw for English-Learners,” based on a visit to summer English-as-a-second-language classes at Loudoun County, Va., schools, was published yesterday at edweek.org.
It turns out that a lot of other newspaper reporters had the same idea this summer to visit and write about ESL classes. Here’s a round-up of such stories, which will permit you to compare and contrast goals of the programs, which often target subsets of ELLs.
Kids Show off English Skills (via Colorin colorado)
ELLs learn about squirrels, nut trees, and berry bushes in Poughkeepsie, N.J.
Students Work on English (via Colorin colorado)
ELLs get computer time during summer ESL in Burlington, Vt.
Program at Gainsville State Offers English Language Learners High School Credit (via TESOL in the News)
Gainesville State College in Gainesville, Fla., offers Steps-to-College program for ELLs.
Phila. Summer Program Helps Refugees Conquer English (via TESOL in the News)
The Philadelphia School District offers special help in English to high school students who are new to the country.
Class Targets Spanish-Speaking Preschoolers (via TESOL in the News)
First Chance for Children, a nonprofit organization in Columbia, Mo., introduces preschoolers to English over the summer.
Summer Camp Helps Kids Enrich Their English Skills (via Colorin colorado)
Clarksville-Montgomery County schools in Tennessee focus on reading and writing for elementary school ELLs.
Creative Camp Activities Keep English-Language Learners Interested (via Colorin colorado)
Mountains is the theme this summer at an ESL camp offered to K-8 students by the Thompson School District in Colorado.