Did you know that up to 40% of the children in the United States have problems learning to read, according to research? Since 1995, the Cooper Learning Center (LEAP) has changed the lives of thousands of children by helping them learn to read. A division of the Department of Pediatrics at Cooper University Hospital, the Cooper Learning Center uses the proven, evidence-based methods that are the most effective way to teach children to read.This summer, the Cooper Learning Center is offering two four-week sessions of an innovative Summer Reading Camp that helps children who have reading difficulties and gives other children reading enrichment for the coming school year. The program is designed to actively engage children ages 5 to 12, while developing their reading skills by using multi-sensory materials to teach them how to segment sounds within words.
About the Summer Reading Camp
- For children ages 5 to 12
- Small groups, organized by age and ability
- Two four-week sessions: June 25 to July 19 and July 23 to August 16
- Children can attend one or both sessions
- Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Optional extended camp day, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“We utilize the best components of the best methods,” says Richard Selznick, Ph.D., Director of the Cooper Learning Center and a psychologist. “Children love coming to our summer camp because of the relationship they develop with their teachers and the other children.”
A range of activities, including weekly visits from the Garden State Discovery Museum, provides supplemental reinforcement. The Garden State Discovery Museum will focus on science with hands-on learning. Other surprise visits are planned as well.
“The program focuses on developing adequate decoding skills within the foundation of early reading development,” said Pamela Goldberger, Director of the Summer Reading Camp and an Educational Coordinator at the Cooper Learning Center. “The program is especially beneficial for children whose skills are in need of more intensive development.”
Building Reading Proficiency through Summer Reading Camp Programs
For 5-year-olds and 6 year-olds — Rookie Readers: Rookie Readers addresses emerging reading skills in young children. This program enhances their ability to read in a whole language or phonics-based program targeting: phonemic awareness, letter and sound knowledge, auditory discrimination, sound blending and segmentation, and listening skills.
For 7-year-olds through12-year-olds — Beginning and Advanced Decoders: The decoders program uses multi-sensory instruction emphasizing phonemic awareness, phonological decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension strategies. This program focuses on building decoding, fluency, and reading comprehension skills.
Dr. Selznick teaching a summer reading camp student
The Summer Reading Camp, located in Voorhees, New Jersey, offers two sessions: June 25, 2007 to July 19, 2007 and July 23, 2007 to August 16, 2007. Children can attend one or both sessions. Camp runs Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. To accommodate the needs of parents who are looking for a full day program, the Summer Reading Camp is excited to be offering an extended camp day option following the morning program, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The extended program will incorporate more language arts activities, including Readers Theatre and writing, as well as language arts games and arts and crafts.
All children receive highly individualized attention, with a teacher/student ratio of no more than 5 to 1. Children are grouped both by age and ability. In order to provide individual attention, enrollment is strictly limited.
Each four-week session provides 48 hours of intensive learning—basically a year’s worth of learning (based on one hour of tutoring for a year). “Parents who send their children to our camp are giving them a gift of learning, and are helping to strengthen their reading foundation. Everything revolves around reading,” said Goldberger. At the end of the session, parents receive a progress report on their child.
For more information about the Cooper Learning Center’s Summer Reading Camp, or other programs, please call (856) 673-4900.