Fourth grader Coby Kimble laughs to himself as he reads a book from his favorite series, Dog Man. Kimble admits he reads for entertainment, and Dog Man, who is part dog and part man, is a character that has captured his attention.
"I think he's funny," said Coby with a grin.
This summer, Coby got to know more about Dog Man during a literacy camp he attended in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District funded with a $16,000 grant from Coaching for LIteracy. During the 10-day camp-like learning experience, Coby enjoyed pretending to join Dog Man for his heroic adventures.
Through engaging, hands-on activities, the camp focused on five essential components of reading including vocabulary words, comprehension, and context clues. Coby got to go on a scavenger hunt adventure to find vocabulary words, draw scenes from the book and answer questions about the story, which was his favorite part.
"I really liked sharing what I learned in the story with my teacher and classmates," said Coby.
Coby gained confidence in his reading skills, and he's continued to read at home.
"I like chapter books, and I am reading one about Star Wars right now that I have almost completed," said Coby, who is already thinking about his next reading adventure which he thinks may be another Dog Man book.
The investment of Coaching for Literacy made it possible for the Starkville Oktibbeha School District to offer the summer reading program free of charge to 40 students during four weeks of camp.
