As I sit in Mrs. Zeller’s English class, I experience what started out to be a normal day. My classmates were discussing their opinions on that day’s reading, and there was calm in the room. But the calm was quickly interrupted by those around me groaning. Mrs. Zeller had just announced our summer reading assignment, and almost everyone in the room looked around in confusion. Just from their expressions, it was clear that most of my classmates were disturbed by the fact that they would have to complete an assignment over the summer.

I was one of the few people who did not react with frustration. I did not agree with my peers that summer reading is bad. I was actually kind of happy that she was going to assign us work.

I understand that summer is relaxing and should be a time to somewhat disconnect from schoolwork. However, if one completely distances oneself from schoolwork, the process of going back to school becomes much harder.

I have gone summers without working on anything school-related, and when early September came back around, I was easily overwhelmed. I struggled to catch up to those who hadn’t lost their work ethic because they had read over the summer or worked in another way. It took multiple weeks to acclimate to reading assignments because I was simply not used to that type of work. I had given myself too much of a break from school, which came back to hurt me, and I know I am not the only one who had this experience.

I have also gone summers where I completed school-like assignments, which ultimately made the transition back into school smooth. Going into eighth grade, I had prepared the whole summer for the MAP and selective enrollment tests, tests which are required by Chicago Public Schools in order to get into one of the selective enrollment schools. Although the work I was doing to prepare was not administered by Parker, I was still completing reading assignments alongside math packets and worksheets. Because over the summer I had been continuing a work ethic, which I had grown throughout seventh grade, my entrance into the eighth grade curriculum was manageable and as close to stress-free as school can get.

By being assigned a summer reading, students are forced to exercise their brains and continue the reading skills they’ve built up throughout the school year. Without being assigned a reading, I know many of my peers and I would not be motivated to pick up a book when we could be doing other things like watching Netflix, hanging out with friends, or swimming.

Students who already read on their own time over the summer won’t be affected by summer reading because it is something they would have done anyways. But for those who aren’t avid readers, a teacher’s push is always helpful and in the long-run beneficial. Teachers aren’t assigning work to please themselves–they are doing it because they genuinely think we will gain skills and knowledge, or in this case, preserve our skills and knowledge.

Reading is not the only common summer assignment. Math packets are popular amongst middle school teachers.  But as students move into high school, they start to see those packets less and less.

When I was in middle school, I loved doing those packets because it got me prepared for the school year. But last summer I did not do any math work, and I felt a noticable difference getting back into the groove of math class. It was harder for me to recall past knowledge. This was not something I struggled with before, and I strongly believe it is because I had done math packets prior.

Language is another subject for which I strongly feel summer review would be beneficial. Every language class builds directly off the previous year’s class. So by reviewing over the summer, students would not forget simple things like how to say certain words and how to conjugate correctly.

Although I definitely find it beneficial for teachers to assign math, English, and language work over the summer, I am not sure summer work would be as effective for other subjects such as science and history.

Science is a different topic each year, so I don’t think reviewing freshman biology would help with assimilation into sophomore chemistry. The same idea is also true for history. Every year of history is a different topic, and although some may build off each other, the bulk of the class will be new information.

Even though math, English, and language also cover different topics each year, the same basic skills are required and applied to all further classes.

Since grades are locked in by the end of the semester, teachers can’t technically require summer work, but they can suggest it. In Mrs. Zeller’s case, although she cannot grade her students on their completion of the assignment, there is still incentive to complete it. In the fall, we will regather as D period Zeller English to discuss our summer book, and if someone failed to read a book, they will simply be embarrassed and uncomfortable in the meeting.  

After all, our teachers want to help us as students. Teachers don’t make us do work without purpose–they assign us work so we’ll preserve and gain knowledge. Although to many, it may seem like summer work is a burden, I believe when it’s time for school to come around this fall, we will all be grateful that we exercised our brains.