Ready to Read!
“Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see? I see a red bird looking at me.” This is the first line of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle one of the books our pre-K students will experience this summer. Bringing the book to life, we’ve planned to visit the Jackson Zoo so our children can learn more about the animals Brown Bear sees.
We’re focusing on literacy as a theme for this year’s summer camp. After assessing the number of students in our program reading below grade level, we chose to create a summer camp experience focused on reading comprehension, fluency, story-telling, etc.
The essential need for reading is a concept we’re working hard to instill in the children we serve. “You can’t complete any work—like math or science— without reading,” said LaKesha Partee, Project Rise Assistant Coordinator.
Our summer camp is always filled with awesome activities – horseback riding, cooking classes, art and so much more. With this focus on literacy, each of these activities and excursions will be connected to a learning experience.
According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 15% of adults Mississippians are illiterate. Afterschool and summer camp programs, like Operation Shoestring’s, make learning engaging for children, so they’re excited to consume the knowledge. Our goal is to enhance the instruction they receive during the school day.
“Knowing the dangers of summer learning loss, we’re creating a camp that will bridge the gap between school ending in the spring and beginning in the fall,” Star Pool, Operation Shoestring Project Rise Coordinator.
Our summer camp is one of the examples of how Operation Shoestring works to serve the central Jackson community. And the success of these programs is, in large part, thanks to our supporters – like you.
Your willingness to invest in the children and families we serve proves your commitment to strengthening the Operation Shoestring community.
We all rise together.