ROGERS -- Books were the focus of the day at Rogers Activity Center summer camp Wednesday.
Reading is fun and it keeps her busy, said Nia Conner, 8.
At A Glance
Summer Reading
A summer with no school can lead to a loss in reading level, according to the Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. In Arkansas, 17 percent of school children join summer learning programs. Enrichment activities, such as the summer camp at the Rogers Activity Center, aren’t always available for low-income students. Those students can fall two to three years behind their peers by fifth grade. Third grade is commonly viewed as the turning point in whether a child will be a successful reader.
Source: Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.
"I can read all day, nonstop," she said.
Summer camp kids visited the Pages & Pictures book fair hosted Wednesday by Altrusa of Rogers.
Every child got both a new and used book and dental supplies, said Jennifer Gray, Pages & Pictures chairwoman. Literacy and oral health are both missions of the community service organization. Gray estimated 200 children received books on Wednesday, some provided by Friendly Bookstore.
Jacob Ross, 8, got a book about dinosaurs. He said he loves them for their different sizes, long necks and scales.
Books are great for entertainment, said Stephen Lanier, 8. He got a football book.
Dionna Fleming, 8, got a girl's decorating guide. It will teach her how to re-decorate her room, she said.
Books about butterflies and jokes, joined pet care instructions and books about bears and sharks among those selected by the young readers.
The event has been held the last three years at the center, Altrusa members said. Prior to that they held it in the library. Children at the library are surrounded by books, said Barb Smith, an Altrusa member, so the group moved the book fair to the activity center.
"Some of these students may not come from a home environment that encourages reading," Smith said.
The day was about making reading fun. Children met Strike, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals mascot, during one group book and Fire Chief Tom Jenkins in the other.
"We enjoy seeing children enjoy reading," said Francis Rankin, Altrusa member.
Children who were picking out books said they like to read.
Reading is part of the program at the Rogers Activity Center, said Marleen Heyns, childcare program director.
"All our campers read at least 30 minutes a day when they are here," Heyns said.
Academic support is a goal at the center. Two years ago, the staff started working with the library to bring in books for reading sessions. Students read every day during the after-school program too, she said.
It's the third year Amari Jones, 8, has been to the book fair. This year he picked up a 2005 copy of Guinness World Records.
"It has cool, interesting facts, and the records that people have set," Amari said.
He paged through the book, pointing out entries on trick roping, trucks with record-setting wheels. He said he'd already read about the tallest man in the world. Reading is how he finds out things, he said.
Conner Dean, 8, and Mason Luttrell, 8, picked up books on history of World Wars I and II and the classic "Frankenstein."
"We read big books," Conner said.
"I wanna get more knowledge," Mason said.
NW News on 07/17/2014