Third-grade pupils from 33 Frankfurt grade schools with a large share of immigrants participated in a three-week intensive German programme for the first time over the 2007 summer holidays. Each day, the pupils had two hours of German lessons and two hours of dialogue-heavy play rehearsal, followed by recreational activities. The classes of up to 160 pupils each practiced their German in small groups, at youth hostels located all over the greater Frankfurt area.

"DeutschSommer" is based on a successful model project from Bremen, which was initiated by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, the Jacobs Foundation and the Bremen Department of Education. Its objective is to improve language comprehension and expression before starting the fourth grade, which is an important milestone in the German education system. 42 instructors helped out at "DeutschSommer": instructors for German as a second language, drama educators and social workers.

Each of the involved Frankfurt grade schools could sign children up for "DeutschSommer" through parents and class teachers. During the first week, the children were picked up by buses in the city and driven to three youth hostels in the greater Frankfurt area. In the second and third weeks, the children stayed at the hostels overnight from Monday to Friday.

The "DeutschSommer" programme revolved around the tome "Der Sprachabschneider" ("The Language Cutter"), the acclaimed children's book by Hans-Joachim Schädlich. It's the story of a dangerous deal: A pupil relinquishes his various parts of speech (articles, prepositions, verbs etc.) to the Language Cutter, who promises to do his homework. But in the end, no one can understand the pupil any longer. The story is the starting point for a variety of exercises in reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar, as well as a stage piece that the children perform at the end of the three-week programme. The language development and character formation fortify the children for fourth grade, as they learn in a playful way and mix leisure with learning.