Summer Reading Backpack for Multilingual Learners: What to Pack for a Strong Fall Start

Summer is just around the corner. For multilingual learners, it can be the most important reading season of the year.

Research shows that reading loss over summer hits bilingual and multilingual students harder than their monolingual peers. But the right materials can help flip that outcome. A well-packed summer reading backpack gives students the tools to keep decoding and building fluency so that they walk into September feeling confident and stronger as readers.

This post is for teachers sending materials home, tutors working with multilingual families, and parents who want to support their child's reading in both English and Spanish this summer.

Why Summer Reading Matters More for Multilingual Learners

Multilingual learners are building literacy in two languages simultaneously. This means that without consistent practice over the summer, skills in both languages can slip.

The good news: decodable books are one of the most effective tools for multilingual readers because they remove the guessing. Every word is decodable. It allows students to build real reading skills in both languages.

What to Pack in a Summer Reading Backpack for Multilingual Learners

Here's exactly what I include:

Decodable Books in English

Choose books that match your student's current phonics level (not their reading level.) Decodable books follow a phonics progression, so match the book to the skill. Look for books that are 100% decodable and Science of Reading aligned.

→ Browse our English Decodable Readers →
Reading League vetted. Kindergarten through 2nd grade.

Libros Decodificables en Español

Spanish decodable books are not just translated English books. They follow Spanish phonics patterns and syllable structures. This matters enormously for Spanish readers.

→ Browse our Spanish Decodable Books →
100% decodable. Ciencia de la Lectura aligned.

A Simple Reading Log

This is nothing fancy, just a sheet where students track what they read each day. For multilingual learners, include columns for both English and Spanish reading. It helps students see progress and stay motivated.

A Phonics Game

Multi-sensory practice makes phonics stick. Our decodable kits include hands-on games that reinforce the same phonics patterns as the books. These phonics games work because students are practicing without it feeling like work.

A “How to Read With Your Child” Guide

For families who speak Spanish at home, providing a simple guide on how to support beginning readers can make a big difference. One of the most important reminders is this: resist the urge to tell children the word. Instead, encourage them to use the letter sounds they know to decode it independently.

For example, rather than saying “Sound it out,” try prompting children to “say the sounds and keep going.” This simple shift helps them focus on blending sounds together. This is an important skill in learning to read.

To support families in this process, every one of our books includes a “How to Use This Book” guide with practical tips and strategies for helping children practice decodable reading successfully at home.

Free Printable Decodable Books

If purchasing a full decodable kit isn't possible, free printable decodable books can still provide valuable practice and help children maintain their reading skills over the break.

A Note on District Customization

If you’re a literacy coordinator or curriculum director building summer reading backpacks at scale, we offer classroom sets and district pricing for both our English and Spanish decodable collections. Every kit can be ordered in bulk, and we’re happy to work with your team on scope and sequence alignment.

Contact us at sparkingcreativitynow@gmail.com to discuss district orders.

Free Resources to Add to Every Backpack

Before you send students home for the summer, grab these free printable resources. They are perfect for the backpack:

• Free Decodable Books — English and Spanish samples, ready to print
• Decodable CVC Poems — great for fluency practice at home
• Successive Blending Practice — for students who are still blending sound by sound
• Free Kindergarten Literacy Assessment — so families know where their child is starting

Happy summer AND happy reading!

TP @ Sparking Creativity