Let me be honest with you — ESY planning used to stress me out. You’ve got a shorter window, students who are very aware it’s summer, and somehow you’re supposed to prevent regression AND keep everyone engaged. No pressure, right?
Themed units completely changed how I approach ESY. And once I figured it out, I wondered why I ever did it any other way.
Why Themes Work for ESY
Students with disabilities thrive with predictability and routine — and a themed unit gives the whole week a through-line. The vocabulary, the read aloud, the math context, and even the art activity all connect back to one topic. That repetition is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
And before you think I’m just saying that because it works in my classroom — the research backs it up too. Studies on thematic instruction show that organizing learning around a central theme increases student motivation and academic achievement (Tuffelmire, 2017). Even more relevant for our students, research found that thematic units help children better understand and retain learning concepts because the brain naturally looks for patterns and connections — we learn more effectively when topics are grouped together rather than taught in isolation (Moyer, 2016; Ashokan & Venugopal, 2016). For students with disabilities who already work harder to make those connections, giving them a thematic framework to hang new learning on isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. Read more about the research on thematic units here.
In fact, a study published in PMC found that young children successfully learned new vocabulary only when words were repeated in successive sentences — distributed exposures alone weren’t enough. Read the full study here. That’s exactly what a themed week does — it creates repeated, connected exposures across multiple activities and modalities. Students encounter the same words and concepts across different activities all week long, which deepens understanding without feeling like you’re beating a dead horse.
Themes also make ESY feel less like school and more like an experience. Ocean week. Beach week. Camping week. Even your most reluctant learners tend to buy in when the context is fun and seasonal. Trust me on this one.
The research backing decodable readers and systematic phonics instruction is equally solid. The National Reading Panel — a comprehensive review of reading research commissioned by the U.S. government — found that systematic phonics instruction produces significant benefits for students learning to read, particularly in decoding and spelling. In other words, this isn’t a trend. It’s decades of research pointing in the same direction. You can read the full report here.
I’ll be real with you — I’m a little obsessed with research. I’m currently working on my second master’s degree, and I refuse to use something in my classroom just because it looks cute on Pinterest. If it’s going in front of my students, it needs to actually work. That’s exactly why I lean so heavily on decodable readers and structured literacy in my ESY units. The evidence is there. I’m just following it.
How I Structure a Themed ESY Week
Every week follows the same basic structure regardless of theme — because consistency is everything in a SPED classroom:
- Literacy: decodable reader (leveled), phonics activity, vocabulary, writing
- Math: themed math center or file folder game, word problems, number sense practice
- Optional: patterns activity, craftivity, or sensory-friendly extension
The theme wraps around everything. If it’s Ocean week, students are reading about ocean animals, sorting ocean picture cards by beginning sound, solving word problems about fish and crabs, and doing pattern strips with seashell manipulatives. It all connects. It all reinforces. And honestly? It makes your planning so much easier when everything has a common thread.
And for those of us specifically teaching students with disabilities — the research is equally clear. A meta-analysis published in ScienceDirect found that systematic phonics instruction had a large effect on decoding skills for students with intellectual disabilities, with effect sizes well above what’s considered meaningful in education research. That’s not a small thing. That’s the science telling us we’re doing right by our kids. Read the full meta-analysis here.
Keeping It Manageable (Because We’re Not Doing More Work Than Necessary)
The key to ESY planning is low prep. I lean heavily on:
- File folder games that get laminated once and used all week — or all summer
- Decodable readers students can take home at the end of the week as a win
- No-prep worksheets for days when you just need something fast and functional
Having materials ready before ESY starts is everything. I try to have all my weeks planned and printed before day one so I’m not scrambling at 10pm on a Sunday. Been there. Not going back.
Themes That Work Well for ESY
Not every theme lands equally in summer. The ones that work best for K–2 SPED students are concrete, visual, and connected to things students actually experience:
- Ocean
- Beach
- BBQ & Picnic
- Camping
- Watermelon
- Sun
Anything food-related is basically guaranteed engagement. BBQ week is always a hit — I don’t make the rules.
Where to Start
If you’re building your ESY materials from scratch, start with one strong anchor theme and build from there. You don’t need nine perfect weeks on day one — that’s a great way to burn yourself out before summer even starts. Pick one theme, get the routine down, and add as you go.
If you want ready-to-use ESY resources, I have themed decodable readers, math file folder games, word problems, and pattern activities designed specifically for K–2 special education students. Browse the full ESY collection here.
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