What is Reading Camp?

Reading Camp is a FREE week-long camp for kids going into third, fourth or fifth grade who could use extra help with reading. Reading Camp builds both reading skills and self-confidence!

A typical day at Reading Camp

Activities vary by camp location

According to 2012-13 Kids Count Data Center, 66 percent of U.S. 4th graders are NOT proficient in reading. If the children are on free or reduced lunch, those percentages jump 10-15 percent. Sadly, statistics show if these children are not reading on grade level by the end of the 4th grade, they are more likely to drop out of high school, than complete it.

Reading Camp steps in to serve struggling 3rd, 4th and 5th grade readers, as identified by their teachers, guidance counselors and reading intervention specialists. These students are reading “below basic” level and struggle with content knowledge and reasoning, effective verbal and written communication skills and making connections within or between content areas. Typically, they are at least one grade level below their peers and are ill-equipped to succeed in middle and high school. They are the children who will most benefit from remedial tutoring in the summer to build their skills and get a necessary “boost” before the next school year begins.

Reading Camp meets the educational, social and emotional needs of these children each summer by providing a FREE week of camp. At Reading Camp each child receives intensive reading instruction geared to his/her needs, participates in groups with other children who share the same struggles, discovers he/she is “smart,” and reading is possible, and reduces chances of summer learning loss that is so prevalent among at-risk students. Equally important, children grow socially and emotionally by enjoying experiences that they may not have at home, testing their confidence and abilities and discovering new skills, talents and interests. Most importantly, they develop relationships with adults that teach them trust and discipline, and increase their self-esteem. Reading Camp nourishes the mind, body and spirit, developing children holistically.

Reading Camps advance skill levels by encouraging exciting interdisciplinary associations, connecting students to the world around them and developing a love of discovery and learning. In addition, through school year mentoring, the relationships formed during camp continue as mentors make regular visits to children at their schools.