To promote literacy over summer break, Friendly Center’s CEAC (Community Engagement Advisory Committee) hosted a 4-week program titled “Lectura Infantil” through the month of August. Lectura Infantil, which translates to Child Reading, gave parents and their children a space to read books, work on literacy exercises, and participate in other activities.
Coming at the close of summer break, the program was a great way for children to brush up on reading skills and experience bonding activities with their family. A recent study from Johns Hopkins showed that students can lose up to two months of reading knowledge from the previous school year over the summer months. This is especially true for students in early elementary school. The phenomenon is what experts call literacy slide – when engagement and exposure to literacy building tools declines, it can cause setbacks in a student’s overall academic progress.
On the final session of Lectura Infantil, CEAC arranged for four Orange Police Department officers to visit to participants and share the importance of doing well in school. When the officers arrived, they delivered goodie bags with snacks and art supplies. One officer even stayed to read a story aloud to the group.
Lectura Infantil was the first program of its kind at Friendly Center Orange, and CEAC plans to do more throughout the year – especially during school breaks. To help support Friendly Center programs that are impacting the community and strengthening families.