Camp Focuses On The Joy Of Reading

Reported by: Megan Graves

At this summer's Reading Camp, third and fourth grade students who have struggled with reading will receive focused attention from caring educators, experience hands-on activities and field trips and receive a boost in confidence—all for free.

The Northern Kentucky Camp will be July 13-17 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Covington.
 
Reading Camp is a revolutionary program that targets elementary students who are at least one year or more behind in reading for reasons other than attendance, behavior issues or special education needs. The camp’s goal is to help children who are reluctant and struggling readers improve literacy skills and become more confident students.

“We want the kids who are truly struggling and need tutoring, but whose families are unable or unlikely to get for them because of financial or other reasons,” said Lucie Collier, one of the site coordinators for the Northern Kentucky reading camp.

From February to April, liaisons recruit students from local schools who have completed grades 3 or 4. Coordinators also receive calls from teachers and parents recommending potential campers. Camp is completely free for the students. Each camp works to raise funds to support itself.

Reading Camp is not your typical “summer school” program. Most of the camp activities take place in the great outdoors and the materials and methods are new to the students. Children receive personal attention with the small staff-to-camper ratio. The staff includes professional educators, recreation coordinators and counselors, all of whom volunteer their time because of their passion for children and education.

Here's a typical schedule at reading camp that Collier shared:

• Campers arrive between 8:15 and 9 a.m., and are fed breakfast while working on camp journals and listening to books read aloud. 

• At 9 a.m. the campers move to our reading centers.  This is the heart of the program.  For the next three hours, participants will move through six different centers in a small group, focusing on a different essential element of reading.  Each center is led by a certificated teacher who uses games and interactive learning to engage students and strengthen reading skills. There are no desks, chairs and tables.  This is fun with a purpose and very different from a traditional school setting.  Our teaching staff are excellent and do this as volunteers.

• We break for lunch and enjoy more read-aloud time before heading out for afternoon activities.

• The campers meet up with their counselors, most of whom are area high school and college students, to participate in a range of activities including swimming, rock wall climbing, zip lines, puppet shows, lessons on circus performing and meeting with an actual author.  This year the theme is horses, so many activities will involve our equine friends.  These are not like school field trips and are often new experiences for our campers.  It’s a lot of fun.

• Campers leave at 5 p.m., and are encouraged to go home and read a little before they sleep.  We make sure they have plenty of books for this.

Reading Camp is sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington.
 

Although recruitment is closed, it is never too early to be thinking about next year. If you would like to volunteer, financially support this program, recommend a child, or get more information, call the Reading Camp Office at (859) 252-6527 x 110, email readingcamp@diolex.org., or check out the Web site by clicking here.