ARC Press Visits Student Authors at READ! By 4th Back to School Jumpstart Camp

In an ongoing partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia, American Reading Company (ARC) was excited to have three of their authors visit and speak with the Back to School Jumpstart Campers on August 24th. As part of the READ! By 4th initiative, the Free Library of Philadelphia is working to improve the literacy skills of youth by increasing engagement, learning, and aspiration for educational excellence.

READ! by 4th! is a citywide effort of 50 organizations, public and private, large and small, convened and managed by the Free Library of Philadelphia, aiming to majorly increase the number of students in Philadelphia entering the 4th grade at reading level by 2020. On track literacy is an important indicator of a child’s future academic and professional success, and the inability to read at grade level by the fourth grade is correlated to higher rates of dropping out of school, risky behavior, and incarceration later in life. READ! by 4th’s comprehensive strategy includes improving early learning, providing parents with resources to teach their children reading skills, emphasizing summer reading and other strategies to prevent learning loss, decreasing absenteeism by addressing behavioral and health concerns, and enhancing reading instruction in schools.

Back to School Jumpstart Camp is a three-week program for children entering first through third grade. This fun and educational camp helps children gear up for school with hands-on activities in literacy, science, and math to “jump-start” brainpower. Students will be reading from the ARC Wild and Endangered Animals thematic text set as they research like scientists and create their own books about animals.