Reading Heroes Summer Camp

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How We Got Started

In 2000, a mother's need for "something more" for her son with dyslexia sparked an idea to start a summer camp for children with reading difficulties. Summer school and expensive learning centers could not meet her son's specific needs, and as a parent of a child with dyslexia, she knew what areas to address. Along with her close friend, who also had a son with dyslexia, they formed the non-profit organization Magic Mirror, Inc. The Magic Mirror summer camp program, also briefly called "Camp I Can", provided hundreds of students with a summer enrichment experience designed to meet their unique needs. In 2009 Magic Mirror, Inc. approved a new administration dedicated to continuing their efforts. The camp name changed to Reading Heroes, but the enriching summer support provided by dyslexia specialists and devoted volunteers has remained the same!

What Reading Heroes Is Devoted To

Our enriching summer camp program offers a variety of classes and activities which target the unique needs of the children we serve.

Our goal is to help our campers leave feeling excited about the upcoming school year, and better about themselves! They will learn ways to compensate and strategies unique to their needs. Just as important, they realize they are not the only ones trying to overcome struggles in school. We strive to teach them everyone has strengths and weaknesses, but in our own ways, we can all learn to be better at what we do!

Included in the classes and activities we offer, is instruction from the Wilson Reading System. Many districts in our area use this same research-based approach, most appropriate for improving a child's encoding and decoding skills. This program incorporates specific, sequential, direct, multi-sensory instruction. Each day our campers' reading, writing, and spelling is a devoted focus on our part.

The Read Naturally program is also incorporated into our offerings. It supports the five components of reading identified by the National Reading Panel: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Other classes offered at Reading Heroes include Math, Creative Writing, Readers' Theater, Art, and Music. Also included are skill-building activities incorporated twice daily to help improve self-confidence, build self-esteem, and create friendships. Through these activities, we can address feelings of disparity and encourage opportunities for building on social and emotional skills.