Planning structured literacy homework for summer doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Whether you’re prepping for summer school or responding to parent requests for at-home reading work, you need materials that align with your structured literacy approach and truly support student growth. If you’re using the Wilson Reading System, you’re in the right place. But even if you use a different phonics program, this guide will give you the framework, ideas, and tools to simplify your planning and send home meaningful independent work with confidence.
Note: This post uses the term structured literacy homework to describe practice work that can be sent home during the summer, assigned during the school year, or used between tutoring sessions. While examples may vary, the strategies and resources shared here are useful in all of these situations.
Who is this post for?
- Special education teachers, classroom teachers, and interventionists can use this guide to plan structured literacy homework, independent practice work, and summer school assignments for their students.
- Reading tutors can use this to provide practice work for families to complete between sessions.
- Parents can use this to choose extra practice work that supplements their child’s structured literacy instruction.
Throughout this post, I’ll sometimes speak specifically to my fellow Wilson Reading System teachers. However, the advice and routines offered in this post will work for teachers who use other Orton Gillingham-based approaches, as well.
What steps will we follow?
This post and the free downloadable guide are here to support you from start to finish! Here’s the simplest explanation of the tasks you will complete:
- Identify the correct phonics skill for your student(s) to work on.
- Browse the product options and choose the activities you’d like to assign. (Or scour the materials you’ve already collected to find options that suit your purpose.)
- Make any necessary purchases.
- Print the pages you need.
- Optional: Use the Teacher’s Work Planner to organize your plans. Use the My Practice Work page to communicate expectations to families.
- Send the work home.
A little upfront effort will lead to a smooth, effective process that saves you time and gives your students meaningful reading practice all summer (or school year) long.
Teachers: Identify the Correct Skills for Your Students’ Structured Literacy Homework
Teachers, your first step is to determine which skill your students will practice in their structured literacy homework. Most likely, you will assign work that aligns with past or current concepts, but not new concepts. Here are some scenarios you might find yourself in and considerations to make about what skills to assign.
- Homework during the school year: Consider sending review work if your student demonstrates difficulty with previously taught skills. Consider sending current work once you have introduced the new concept and you believe your student can complete the work with some independence.
- Work to complete with a caregiver over the summer: You will most likely send home review work. Summer work is typically intended to maintain progress, rather than to acquire new skills.
- Work to complete with a teacher over the summer: This will depend on the teacher who will be implementing the lessons. If the teacher has the training to introduce new skills adeptly, you may choose to send current work with the intention of your student becoming fluent with the targeted skills. You may also choose to send new work if you have full faith in the summer teacher’s ability to implement lessons focused on skills your student has not yet learned. Of course, review work is always an option, as well.
- Work for homeschooled/private tutoring students to complete with a caregiver between tutoring sessions: Consider sending review work if your student demonstrates difficulty with previously taught skills. Consider sending current work once you have introduced the new concept and you believe your student can complete the work with some independence.
Real-Life Examples of Choosing Skills to Address
Theo is about to complete a phonics unit on welded sounds with –ng and –nk in words like think and long (Substep 2.1 in the Wilson Reading System). He demonstrates accuracy and fluency with words and sentences at this level. Here’s what we can assign to Theo for structured literacy homework:
- For weekly homework in a school setting: Current work that addresses his current concept (-ng and –nk); Review work that addresses previously learned concepts, including CVC words, the bonus letter rule, words with am and an, and CVC words with suffixes –s and –es. (These are skills from Step 1, for the Wilson folks!)
- For work to complete over summer break with the support of his grandmother: Same as above
- For work to complete at summer school with a teacher who is not trained in structured literacy: Same as above
- For work to complete at summer school with a teacher who is trained in structured literacy and can adeptly introduce new skills: Current work that addresses –ng and –nk; new work that addresses a new skill, such as closed syllable words with consonant blends (Wilson Substep 2.2)
- For work to complete with his grandmother between tutoring sessions: Current work that addresses his current concept (-ng and –nk); review work that addresses previously learned concepts, including CVC words, the bonus letter rule, words with am and an, and CVC words with suffixes –s and –es.
Let’s look at another student. Sammy is working in Wilson Substep 3.1. He just started learning to read and spell two-syllable words with closed syllables, like muffin and bathmat. It’s not clicking for Sammy yet, and he needs more time to develop his accuracy with these words. Here’s what we can assign to Sammy for structured literacy homework:
- For weekly homework in a school setting: Stick with review work that addresses previously learned concepts, including one-syllable, closed syllable words including consonant blends (Wilson Steps 1 and 2). When two-syllable words start to click, add homework with this current skill.
- For work to complete over summer break with the support of his grandmother: Review work that addresses previously learned concepts, including one-syllable, closed syllable words with consonant blends. You can tackle two-syllable words when Sammy returns for the new school year.
- For work to complete at summer school with a teacher who is not trained in structured literacy: Same as above
- For work to complete at summer school with a teacher who is trained in structured literacy and can adeptly introduce new skills: Review work that addresses previously learned concepts, including one-syllable, closed syllable words with consonant blends (Wilson Steps 1 and 2); Current work that addresses two-syllable words with closed syllables (Wilson Substep 3.1)
- For work to complete with his grandmother between tutoring sessions: Review work that addresses previously learned concepts, including one-syllable, closed syllable words with consonant blends; When two-syllable words start to click, add homework with the current skill (two-syllable words with closed syllables).
Summer School Considerations
This information is for teachers who send work to summer school staff to use with Wilson students. Ideally, a student will continue to receive their Wilson instruction from a certified Wilson teacher over the summer months. However, this is not always an option. If you are sending work for another teacher to complete with your student, it is possible that this teacher cannot implement the Wilson Reading System with fidelity. In this situation, you can send review work to ensure that your student does not regress over the summer months. Choose work from Substeps that your student has already completed. Hopefully, your student will maintain their progress and be ready to move forward when they begin the new school year with you!
Parents: Identify the Correct Phonics Skills for Your Child’s Structured Literacy Homework
Are you a parent looking to supplement your child’s lessons with structured literacy homework? Your child’s teacher can advise you on which skills your child should work on at home. Ask what skill they are currently working on and if they should review any previously learned skills. For families using the Wilson Reading System, your child’s teacher can tell you which Steps or Substeps to work on.
Choosing Student Materials for Structured Literacy Homework
Before buying anything new, start by taking inventory. If you already have materials like phonics worksheets, decodable passages, or high-frequency word games, you’re halfway there. Look through what you own and identify which pieces align with your structured literacy homework goals. With a little organizing and photocopying, you can build a strong summer or homework plan without reinventing the wheel.
Need More Student Materials? Here’s What to Look For.
If you don’t have student materials yet or if your stash needs a refresh, you’re in the right place. I’ve pulled together a collection of ready-to-use resources that target six essential areas for literacy instruction. These materials are designed to make your structured literacy homework plans both effective and easy to implement. The skills and activities covered are:
- High frequency word learning
- Word and sentence reading
- Word and sentence dictation
- Sentence building and reading with scrambled sentences
- Reading comprehension
- Engaging games that reinforce skills while keeping practice fun and motivating
If you’re in the market for some fresh student materials, I’ve highlighted some of my favorites at the end of this blog post. But for now, let’s finish talking about how to create an effective plan!
How do I incorporate dictation/spelling practice in structured literacy homework?
Depending on your students and the level of support they will receive when completing their homework, dictation tasks may or may not be possible. Some children must complete their work without adult support, which means dictation practice might not be an option. On the other hand, with the support of a parent, tutor, or caregiver, words and sentences can be dictated to your student for spelling practice.
Words and sentences for dictation can come from various sources. One option is word lists that are made specifically for dictation practice. You can also repurpose reading materials by instructing the parent, tutor, or caregiver to simply dictate the words and sentences from a reading resource, such as these sentence-level worksheets aligned to targeted skills.
Your Go-To Forms for Planning and Communicating Structured Literacy Homework
When you download the free guide, you’ll also get access to two helpful planning forms. The Teacher’s Work Planner is designed to keep you organized as you map out which activities students will complete each day. It’s a simple way to ensure your structured literacy homework plan stays clear and consistent. You’ll also receive the My Practice Work page, a parent- and kid-friendly form you can send home to communicate daily expectations. It’s the perfect tool for supporting follow-through and keeping everyone on the same page.
Communicating Expectations to Parents or Other Teachers
Need a simple way to communicate the weekly expectations for structured literacy homework? Complete the My Practice Work page, which is a simplified version of your Teacher’s Work Planner.
When assigning work to families, you may be able to send home a stapled packet of worksheets and tell your families to complete them by the end of the week. This offers each family the freedom to work within their own schedule.
The same can be said when sending work to another professional who will be working with your student, such as a summer school teacher. A stapled packet of work will provide them with a solid foundation to start with, but allows the teacher or tutor the freedom to structure the lessons and add their own activities.
That being said, many people will benefit from receiving clear expectations and a schedule. Use the My Practice Work page from the free guide to create a user-friendly schedule that shows which activities to complete on which day.
Planning Ahead: It Gets Easier!
If you intend to assign structured literacy homework each week, planning ahead will become easier as you develop a routine. Once you know your preferred assignments, print them and keep them in file folders. After choosing the assignments for the week and recording them in the Teacher’s Work Planner, you can photocopy a packet of all the required worksheets to send home with your student.
Stay Flexible to Maximize Progress
You may need to adjust your plan as you go. You might find that your student flies through some activities but struggles with others. Personalize the plan for your student(s) and their needs. And if things don’t go as smoothly the first time, that’s okay! Keep tweaking the plan until you find what works best for your students. Flexibility will help you create a more effective routine as you go along.
What’s the difference between a homework plan, a summer school plan, and a tutoring homework plan?
Now let’s focus on what your specific plan might look like, whether you’re assigning homework during the year, summer school work, or extra practice for tutoring students.
Generally, a homework plan will assign a lighter workload than a summer school plan. Personally, I prefer structured literacy homework assignments to be quick review work that reinforces the current concept and helps parents see what their child is learning.
For summer school, we typically assign a heavier workload because a teacher will work with the student for at least thirty minutes per session. In a summer school plan, you’ll choose more activities and cover more skill areas.
A tutoring homework plan can be whatever you need it to be! I currently see my homeschool tutoring students two days per week, and they complete two Wilson lessons per week. On other days, they complete their “homework” using the activities I’ve assigned. Some parents choose not to complete homework, while others ask for more options. One of the advantages of the guide and its free forms is that they offer the flexibility to be tailored to fit your unique needs and the preferences of your students’ families!
Want to see some sample plans for structured literacy homework?
The free guide offers visual examples of plans, the free planning forms, and ways to use Keep Reading and Learning’s materials to create your own homework plans.
You’re Ready to Get Started!
If you already have student materials and you’ve downloaded the free forms, you’re ready to go! Consider signing up for my email list so you never miss a new blog post. If you still need to shop for student materials, scroll down for a deep dive into Keep Reading and Learning’s offerings.
Don’t forget to keep scrolling to see Keep Reading and Learning’s options for structured literacy homework!
Product Highlights
Click on an image to learn more.
Hight Frequency Word Learning
High Frequency Words: Worksheets, activities, and games aligned with the sequence in which the Wilson Reading System introduces high frequency words
Activities/Worksheets Included: Build A Sentence, Fix It, Fill in the Blanks, and Let’s Draw! worksheets; Dots & Boxes game, Roll & Read game
Sentence Reading Fluency (and Sentence Dictation)
Sentence Reading: Worksheets, activities, and games designed to build sentence reading fluency. You may also pull words and sentences for dictation from these resources.
Activities/Worksheets Included: Student Readers (for reading or dictation), Read & Draw worksheets, Roll & Read game, Sentence Cards
Scrambled Sentences
Scrambled Sentences: Students will build sentence reading fluency, as well as develop their knowledge of syntax (word order) and what makes a complete sentence.
Activities/Worksheets Included: Sentences that the teacher will cut up for students to unscramble, or the worksheet version: no prep!
Engaging Word-Level Games
Word Card Games: Play these engaging games with either high frequency words or phonetically regular words.
Instructions for 7 Games Included: 20 Questions, Which One Doesn’t Belong?, What’s Missing?, Sort By a Rule, Erase the Spaceship, Slap a Sound, Tic Tac Toe with Words
Comprehension Questions for Decodable Passages
Comprehension Questions: Includes 6 questions for each decodable passage in the 4th edition Wilson Student Readers. Choose from oral teacher-led questions or worksheets for students to complete independently.
