Teaching ESY is one of my favorite parts of the school year! As teachers, we get the special privilege of making our students’ summers both educational AND fun. If you are new to teaching during this fun part of the year, don’t worry! I have years of tips and tricks to share with you. Keep reading to get ready for the Extended School Year!
What is ESY?
ESY is the abbreviation for Extended School Year. Extending the school year means that we are providing services to students beyond the end of the regular school year. In the US, that typically means in the summer. ESY is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) to prevent regression in skills and maintain progress on IEP goals.
ESY practices such as length of the day, number of days, and weeks of school, will vary by district. For example, in my district the program is four hours a day, four days a week, for four weeks. Other districts might have longer programs, with longer days or more weeks of school.
Another thing to consider is that class rosters can be different for the summer. You may teach different students in the summer than you do during the school year. New kids may be added to your class just for the summer, or you may teach a different setting entirely. I have even been in a completely different building for the summer!
Planning Your ESY Day
https://shop.simplyspecialed.com/product/simple-esy-special-education-print-bundle/When preparing for ESY, the first thing I do is to decide what activities I want to do with my students. Of course there will be academic blocks, but you can also incorporate other activities into your day. Cooking, crafts, and experiments keep things fun while also targeting skills for your students. For planning academics plus those special additions to your day, the Simple ESY Bundle is perfect!
Simple ESY contains a Teacher’s Guide with FAQs, planning templates, sample schedules, recipes, science experiments, sensory activities, choice boards, schedule boards and pieces, basic skills worksheets, cut and paste worksheets, social stories with comprehension, adapted books, and picture comprehension. It is literally EVERYTHING you need to set up and run your summer program!
Creating an Extended School Year Schedule
Once you know what activities you want to include each day, it’s time to figure out what your schedule will be!
Looking at examples of other teachers’ schedules is always SO helpful. Here is an example of a schedule I have used in the summer.
Arrival – Students enter the room, unpack, and have playtime while we wait for everyone to arrive.
Morning Meeting – Using the SSE Real Pictures Morning Meeting, I do a quick morning group with my kids. I love morning meeting because it lets me connect with my students and sets a positive tone for the day, while still allowing me to reinforce important math and social skills!
Center Rotations – Students will rotate through centers to complete academic and independent work with me and the paraprofessionals I work with. Read this to learn more about centers!
Read Aloud and Activity – Each day, I read a themed book (or find a video of a read aloud) and do a related craft, cooking, or science activity.
Snack – Snacktime gives us a chance to practice our handwashing routine, use our manners, takes turns, and wait politely. I like to play a calming video with background music during snack to create a relaxing vibe in the room.
Playtime – I love to take my kids outside to play and enjoy the summer weather! Be aware that some districts may have rules about whether or not you may go outside if it is above a certain temperature. Between the heat and the inevitable rainy days, I make sure to have some indoor toys and activities ready to go, just in case!
Pack Up and Dismissal – Students pack up their backpacks and we walk to the bus/the carpool line to head home after a busy, fun day of school!
The sample schedules in the Simple ESY Bundle are a great resource, too!
Tips for Making the Most of ESY!
How can you make sure your ESY day runs smoothly? Here are some of the best tips I have picked up over the years:
-Keep a consistent schedule for your students. Special education students thrive on having a consistent, clear routine. For that reason, I always make sure my students have visual schedules for the ESY day. There are many different ways to make personal schedules for students, so do what is best for your kiddos.
-Be prepared to work with therapists. Students who receive OT, PT, Speech, or counseling services during the school year will likely also qualify for them over the summer. You may have to change your schedule a bit to accommodate therapy times. However, therapists can also be a great resource for you! They can help you get to know more about the students and suggest activities to complement your curriculum.
-Maintain communication with home. Especially when you are working with new students and families, parents will appreciate hearing from you about your daily schedule and what is going on in the classroom. In turn, parents can give you great insight into their children! I always send home parent surveys at the beginning of the summer.
-Be aware of attendance issues. It can sometimes be common for students to be tardy or absent during ESY. And some students may miss a few days of ESY for family vacations. I have had days where only 2 out of 8 of my students were present! It helps to be aware of this possibility so that you have backup plans in case there are a lot of missing students one day!
-Keep your routines the same, but have some special items that only come out during the summer. For example, I add these FREE Summer Task Boxes to my work centers during the summer. That helps keep students’ interests during the center because the materials are novel.
Teaching ESY can be such a fun way to spend your summer! Are you teaching ESY this year? If you have any questions about Extended School Year, ask them below!
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