SUMMER READING Room 

READ 718’s Summer READing Room is a 6-week program in July and August that offers students entering grades 3-8 the opportunity to practice fundamental reading skills, promote engagement in reading, and prevent “summer slide.” Each READer works one-to-one with a trained volunteer for one hour two days per week during scheduled afternoons on Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesdays/Thursdays.

Summer READing Room will take place July 7-August 14, 2025 in both our Boerum Hill and Bed-Stuy locations as well as remotely.

Students register from either 4:00-5:00 or 5:00-6:00 PM.

This program is for READers in grades 3-8.

Payment for Summer READing Room is a sliding scale for eligible families. The fee is either $25, $65, or $100 for the 6 week cycle. Families choose.

Summer Book Club (remote)

NOT OPEN FOR 2025 YET! — Details coming

For the first time, READ 718 is offering a summer book club! A small group of students entering grades 5 and 6 will meet with a READ 718 staff member to read and discuss Jason Reynolds’ Coretta Scott King Award winning short story collection Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks.

Students will read two short stories from the collection at home each week and meet as a group to answer discussion questions, complete group activities, and to practice in-depth textual analysis and sharing their thoughts with their peers.

This book club is for rising 5th and 6th graders.

READ 718 Remote on Tuesdays via Zoom from 4:00-5:00pm.

Attendees will sign up for one location to join on a weekly basis.

The fee is $50 which includes a copy of the book.


You can read Look Both Ways synopsis below:

This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy—

Talking about boogers. Stealing pocket change. Skateboarding. Wiping out. Braving up. Executing complicated handshakes. Planning an escape. Making jokes. Lotioning up. Finding comfort. But mostly, too busy walking home.

Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.

WRITING WORKSHOP

ESSAY WRITING WORKSHOP (Boerum Hill), TUES/THURS 3:00-4:00 PM

A small group of rising 6th-9th graders will meet twice a week with a READ 718 staff member to strengthen their informative essay writing skills. Students will learn to construct an organized, four-paragraph essay based on a chosen topic of interest. They will complete the workshop with a final draft and improved confidence in their writing!

SHORT STORY WRITING WORKSHOP (Bed-Stuy), MON/WED 3:00-4:00 PM

Calling all storytellers and story lovers! In this workshop, a small group of rising 6th-9th graders will read and discuss a selection of short stories, learning what makes a strong setting, characters, plot and narrative arc. We will also dive into the craft of writing – how to use grammar, syntax and the revision process to make their ideas shine. Writers will leave the workshop with a stronger understanding of narrative writing, confidence in their writing skills, and their own original story.  

These summer workshops are for rising 6th-9th graders.

The fee is $50.