When I created summer homework and project packets for my students, I can say wholeheartedly that I designed them with good intentions. I wanted my students to hold on to the incredible skills they built throughout the year and feel ready and confident for the next school year. But what many educators and I sometimes miss is that completing a summer assignment is not just an academic task; it is a smorgasbord of executive functioning demands.
Right now, in June, many families and caregivers are noticing these summer packets arriving in backpacks and may already have mixed feelings about them. There may be questions about how much support is needed, how to fit it into already full summer schedules, or how to motivate a child who is ready for a break from school. Those feelings are valid!!
Bottom line, though, the goal is not to turn summer into school at home. The goal is to help students engage with responsibility and independence in a way that still protects what summer is meant to be: rest, renewal, and joy.
This is where we at LP can offer ideas to help! Let’s explore 3 ways families and caregivers can support students this summer in ways that feel manageable, balanced, and sustainable.
Wait, Remind Me…What is Executive Functioning?
Executive Functioning is a set of metacognitive skills such as planning, organization, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control (Cartwright, 2023). These are skills that students employ in both the school setting and in their home lives. Like content-specific skills, executive functioning skills develop and progress when teachers are aware and proactive with their support.
Summer break is a unique opportunity because students are outside of their usual school routines. Without that built-in structure, executive functioning skills often need a bit more support from adults to stay active and continue growing in meaningful ways.
Make Summer Work Predictable and Visible
Students are far more likely to engage with summer assignments when expectations feel clear, predictable, and manageable. If the work is left in their backpack without a clear plan or routine, you will inevitably have frustration at home and a rushed, tense end to summer.
Make a Plan:
- Decide together when summer work will happen
- Every day?
- Tuesdays after swim team practice?
- Before the big trip to the lake?
- Keep a visible calendar or checklist of assignments or goals
- Establish a “summer work routine” (same time, same space, short duration)
- Break large packets into weekly or even daily “chunks”
To further build independence, invite your child into the planning process. Instead of assigning the structure, co-create it. Each of these moves supports your learner’s organizational, planning, and prioritization skills.
The Timing Matters
After months of test preparation, students deserve an experience that feels different—creative, choice-driven, and collaborative—while still grounded in strong instructional goals.
A graphic novel unit does exactly that. It shifts the tone from compliance to creativity. It maintains high expectations for reading and writing. It builds momentum into summer reading habits rather than letting them fade. Graphic novels leave students with a positive, lasting connection to reading and writing.
Helping Kids Get Started with Confidence
Starting is often the hardest part. In summer, without the external structure of school, task initiation can feel even more difficult. And let’s be real, procrastination can quickly take over.
The way adults talk about starting work matters more than we often realize. Our tone, consistency, and word choice can either make a task feel manageable or add to the sense of pressure. When we stay calm, use clear and simple language, and focus on the very first small step rather than the whole assignment, we help reduce overwhelm and support students in actually getting started.
Get Clear:
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- Start with your tone, not the task. Begin calmly and steadily, even if your child is frustrated or avoiding the work. Your tone sets the emotional temperature for the task.
- Keep your language simple and neutral. Instead of long explanations or reminders, use short, clear phrases like: “Let’s get started together” or “Let’s just open it up.”
- Focus on the very first step only. Don’t talk about finishing the whole packet. Start with something small and concrete, like: “Take out your pencil” or “Open to page one.”
- Stay consistent, even when it’s hard. Use the same kind of language and routine each time. Predictability helps reduce resistance over time.
Each of these moves supports your learner’s task initiation and sustained attention.
Protect Rest, Joy, and Flexibility
Arguably, the most important part of summer learning is this: executive functioning grows best when children are not depleted.
Rest is not a reward for finishing work—it is a key ingredient for sustained attention, emotional regulation, and motivation.
Summer should include:
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- Unstructured time
- Play and creativity
- Social connection
- Physical activity
- Genuine downtime without academic pressure
When we protect space for rest and joy, we are not stepping away from learning; we are supporting it. Children are better able to focus, regulate emotions, and tackle challenges when they have time to recharge. Rest helps executive functioning skills reset so students can return to tasks with more capacity and confidence.
Looking in the Mirror
As adults, we are also managing competing demands, shifting schedules, and mental load. Supporting a child through summer work requires our own executive functioning skills. When we name that, we can approach summer with more grace—for ourselves and for kids.
Here are some great resources to continue supporting your students in the summer!
Executive Skills and Reading Comprehension: A Guide for Educators
Nourishing Caregiver Collaborations
