The Wonderful World of Woods, Worms and Words

The Wonderful World of Woods, Worms and Words

A Joyful Learning Experience

                   Mission- to increase reading, writing and spelling skills in an environment of nature, movement and play.  

As the years flow by, state curriculum has reduced recess, and play areas in early childhood classrooms.  Today, kindergarten is the first grade of my past.  Added to this developmentally inappropriate expectation, children spend more time with electronics than ever before.  This lack of play and movement at school and at home,  and increased expectations have resulted in an increase of students who do not read at grade level and who have no confidence in themselves as readers and writers.  Everywhere you look you will find books and articles about this new dilemma. The affect of constant electronic use in some children is frightening.  Being turned off to reading in a young child is just sad.

This past summer I was trained in the Orton Gillingham method of reading rehabilitation.  All research points to the effectiveness of this method. However, it takes time and is very costly.  In the fall, I wanted to practice what I was taught and began tutoring in the morning before school.  I could not imagine any child wanting to come to school 45 minutes early four days a week to drill with flashcards.  I prayerfully considered the many books and articles I’ve read and developed a program attempting to hit on all the student’s needs- phonics, comprehension, test taking skills, fluency and movement.  Thank the Lord, it has really seemed to benefit these students.

With that in mind, I am offering a summer program for the struggling reader/writer.

  

This program will look like an outdoor wood’s school, but the Orton Gillingham component, fluency, comprehension and writing will be consistently woven into the play. The goal- to increase your child’s confidence as a reader, writer, and speller.

We will meet each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning from 9 to 12 with the exception to the week of July 1. Please see attached calendar.

In order to be an affective program, I will need a helper for every five campers.  Signing up will mean a financial commitment for the whole summer, six weeks.  I will waive payment for one week, besides the one we’re already off, for vacation. Once your camper is signed up, materials will be purchased and help will be paid.  In addition, our goal cannot be met if campers aren’t in attendance. Thank you for your careful consideration of this matter. 

$75 weekly

$50 registration fee due May 1

$200 due June 4

$200 due June 25   or $125 if vacationing one of the six weeks.

  *Important* Attire- This is a camp with an equal focus on outdoor play as on reading.  In order to best protect students in wood and grass, they need long pants and a long sleeved shirt (these can be lightweight cotton), sprayed with whatever you use as mosquito and tick repellant.  They also need a complete athletic shoe with socks- no sandals or Crocs. I will spray their socks and shoes with premithrin to prevent ticks.  For creek days, they should come to camp in swim clothes under their pants and shirt and shoes they can be worn in the creek.  No flip-flops.

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