In Springfield, Massachusetts, a summer literacy program for middle schoolers has produced results that most districts only dream about. Students who completed the four-week intensive showed twice the growth on MAP scores compared to their peers during the entire school year. And they did it two summers in a row.
This initiative was born out of a gap identified in 2023 by Bob Bolduc, founder of Hope for Youth and Families. He wanted something specifically for middle school pupils reading below grade level. By 2024, he had partnered with Storyshares and HILL for Literacy to launch the first session.
The results surprised even the organizers.
Here is what the project looks like on the ground. Between 120 and 150 participants are recruited from schools across the city. Most families speak two languages, so a Spanish-speaking staffer helps bridge communication. It holds open houses and online meet-and-greets throughout the year to connect with families. The pitch is simple: academic support, a safe place, and no cost to enroll.
Springfield is one of the poorest cities in Massachusetts. For families there, free programming is not just convenient — it is often the difference between participation and staying home.
Small groups and a ‘perky pace’
The instructional model leans on high-intensity tutoring in small-group settings. Each classroom holds about 15 pupils with two to three adults trained in the curriculum. The target ratio is 5:1, achieved by mixing licensed teachers with interns studying youth development or literacy education.
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The curriculum, called Literacy Intervention for Teens (LIFT), is built for intensity and scaffolded instruction.
It also follows what literacy expert Dr. Anita Archer calls “perky pace.” Teachers might spend 20 minutes on direct instruction, then pivot to practice and student choice. Choice matters, because many attendees of this initiative have low confidence after years of being told they are bad at reading.
Books that respect the reader’s age
This summer intensive serves grades 4 through 8. That is a wide age range, and the reading materials have to match. Older struggling readers are not handed books about butterflies or The Cat in the Hat. Instead, they get stories about kids their age dealing with the real dilemmas of being a pre-teen or teen. That connection makes a difference.
All materials are available in print and digital formats.
This year, for the first time, it added paper workbooks to track participant progress. The workbooks help them stay organized and see what they have accomplished. Traditional assessments like CORE and DIBELS are used to measure reading speed, fluency, and comprehension. Because the intensive is short, the initial assessment happens on day one and the final one as close to the last week as possible.
Reading meets creative writing
A successful summer initiative cannot live on test scores alone.
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It has to feel worth showing up for. This project pairs reading with creative writing, and attendees look forward to it. They respond to a teacher’s prompt and write whatever they want. The writing is not graded, which frees them to experiment. It might wander or remain unfinished, but pupils are proud of it. Organizers say they have had kids run up holding their pages, excited to show what they wrote.
The interns running much of the effort are from the local area. Attendees see themselves in these near-peers. The message is “if you can do this, I can too.” It is easier to relate to someone closer to your own age, and those connections help build classroom culture.
One story sticks with the director.
A boy was finishing 8th grade and reading close to grade level but not quite there. The intensive worked on his comprehension and stamina. When a staffer visited his high school that fall, he said, “I want you to know I’m out of remedial English. And because of that, I got to choose an elective. I’m in Junior ROTC. I never thought I’d be able to do something like that.”
For districts considering a similar effort, the message from the city is straightforward: it takes hard work and organization, but the payoff shows up in student options later. When middle schoolers can read proficiently, the next chapter looks different.
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