Summer Writing Ideas

Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 38 seconds. Contains 329 words

Primary Reading Audience: Classroom teachers and literacy coaches

Why It Matters: A common question at this time of year is a welcome one! How can we encourage children’s writing lives over the summer?

Ideas to Try: Here are a few ideas to share.

1. Start a family routine that involves writing. My daughters initially resisted the idea of writing for five to ten minutes before leaving the dinner table, but gradually it became a ritual. We lived with my father who had increasing dementia, and even he participated. We all had writing journals, we wrote about something from the day– no rules– and we shared. This practice shines a light on the value of writing for building relationships.

2. Have children research and report out on planned or possible summer adventures. Even young writers are able to create persuasive pieces about why summer vacation should include certain experiences. Set children up with some information about a place and challenge them to educate and convince other family members about why they should go there. Multi-media presentations welcome!

3. Tap into the power of competition. Even during the summer, there are some writing competitions that are available to young writers. Here are a few with summer deadlines:

• Anti-bullying book contest: Deadline is July 15.
• Ocean Awareness Contest– Deadline is June 15.
• Tadpole Press 100-word Contest– Deadline in November, but submissions are open soon, if not now.
• The Betty Award– Deadline is in October, but submissions are open now.

4. Summer is a perfect time for young writers to submit pieces for potential publication. Here are a few sites that welcome submissions:

• Story Monsters
• Magic Dragon Submissions
• Stone Soup

Go Deeper: For other ideas, check out these posts and podcast:

• End the Year with a Comma: Building Excitement for Summer Writing
• Ideas and Inspirations for Summer Writing
• Some Summer Writing Motivation
• Ready for a Challenge? Keep Learning Going Throughout the Summer

Writing Workshop in Contentious Times: A Digging Deeper Dialogue – Two Writing Teachers Podcast

In the season four finale, Stacey Shubitz and Melanie Meehan tackle the increasingly contentious topic of “writing workshop” in today’s educational climate. They reflect on the origins and evolution of the writing workshop, the research supporting its key principles, and why certain foundational practices remain crucial, even if the label itself is under fire. Drawing from recent evidence-based recommendations and their own classroom experiences, Stacey and Melanie unpack what truly effective writing instruction looks like and why authentic, joyful writing communities matter now more than ever.Resources Mentioned:“All Children Can Write” by Donald H. GravesCommon Core State Standards for English Language Arts“Evidence-based recommendations for teaching writing” by Steve Graham, Alyson A. Collins & Stephen CiulloLiteracy Specialist Graduate Program at Teachers CollegeMore Than Words: How to Think about Writing in the Age of AI by John WarnerSentence Structure for Young Writers: A Tip for Tomorrow from MelanieThe Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy CalkinsTransfer Writing Skills Across Genres: A Tip for Tomorrow from StaceyWriting, 20th Anniversary Ed.: Teachers & Children at Work by Donald H. GravesSend us Fan MailPlease subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district. Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.comEmail us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

1. Writing Workshop in Contentious Times: A Digging Deeper Dialogue 45:58
2. Use the Summer to Cultivate Your Wri-dentity: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey 06:57
3. What General Educators Need to Know About Neurodiversity in the Writing Classroom: A Writing Roundtable 01:02:45
4. Introduce Summer Writing Bingo Boards: A Tip for Tomorrow from Melanie 08:14
5. Turn Authors Into Mentors for Your Students: A Tip for Tomorrow from Stacey 07:10

The Bottom Line: Just as reading is important during the summer, so is writing! Consider accepting the challenge of inspiring writers to keep writing going when school isn’t in session.