Shenandoah University Makes Reading Fun

Over the summer, 38 teachers studying for Shenandoah University’s Professional Studies Certificate or Master of Science in literacy education with a reading concentration helped 64 elementary school students in Woodbridge and Loudoun County, Virginia, to strengthen their reading skills at Camp Read A Lot. 

“The purpose of Camp Read A Lot is to reduce summer reading loss and to provide additional opportunities for children who attend Title I schools. Low-income students tend to lose more reading skills over the summer compared to their middle- and high-income peers, who often make slight gains,” said Karen Huff, Ed.D., the camp’s director and professor for RDG 530 – Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Reading Difficulties (aka Camp Read A Lot).

The camp benefited both the children, who are selected through teacher referrals, and the Shenandoah students, who put what they’ve learned in their reading specialist studies into action. “Teachers assessed each student to identify their specific needs and then planned and implemented targeted intervention programs,” said Dr. Huff. “The camp’s structure maximized one-on-one and small-group instruction, ensuring that every student received the personalized support they needed to grow as a reader.” 

The two-week experience begins with an assessment of each child’s motivation to read as well as what they think of themselves as a reader, Huff said.

By the end of the first week, we notice that children are more engaged and motivated and are very excited about choosing their books … and having conversations about the books they choose with the teachers and each other. Also, they are proud of their improvements in reading fluency, decoding skills and word recognition. In addition, the daily attendance rate is high, with 90% of the children attending camp every day as opposed to regular summer school where attendance rates are often low.

Karen Huff, Ed.D.

Huff said as the camp progressed, the teachers grew in confidence, as well. “‘Camp Read A Lot was one of the most valuable and inspiring learning experiences I have had as an educator,” said one student. “It was a rare opportunity to step out of my regular classroom role and focus completely on working one-on-one and in small groups with students who needed targeted reading support. Every day, I was able to apply the science of reading in a very hands-on way and watch the results unfold right in front of me.”

These teachers were also still in school, too. “After campers left each afternoon, the teachers met for class sessions,” Huff said. “All teachers at Camp Read A Lot are also enrolled in RDG 530 – Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Reading Difficulties, a required course for their MS/PSC in literacy education. During the class sessions, teachers discussed evidence-based strategies and defended the intervention plans they developed for each child and explored other evidence-based interventions.” 

The teachers were able to participate without assuming any extra expense courtesy of full scholarships for the course provided through the support of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, Huff said. 

Camp Read A Lot essentially caps off months worth of children’s literacy-focused activities offered by Shenandoah’s Division of Education and Leadership each year. It occurred following the in-person portion of the division’s annual Children’s Literature Conference (this year’s theme was Turn Up The Volume: Rocking Reading In Every Classroom), which celebrated its 39th year in 2025. 

The conference kicked off in late April with a two-day Rally for Reading event at Shenandoah University, attended by a total of 977 elementary school children from Winchester and Shenandoah, Frederick and Clarke counties. The children heard one day from Newbery Medal-winner Katherine Applegate and author/reading evangelist John Schu, and from Troy Cummings, author of “Can I Be Your Dog?” on another. Each day included a special element, with Shenandoah’s virtual reality design department bringing the main character from Applegate’s “Odder: An Otter’s Story” to life by having it appear to jump out of the book and run around on stage, Huff said. For Cummings’ day, the local SPCA talked about pet adoption and some dogs came to visit, too. 

All the children also received copies of the authors’ books, purchased with the generous support of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation. 

Over the intervening months, the Children’s Literature Conference offered a host of virtual visits, attended by classes across the country, before returning to Winchester in late June with presentations from authors and illustrators, as well as events like Rockin’ the Library at The Handley Library and Rockin’ the Rooftop at the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, both in the city’s downtown, where children and families could meet many of the conference’s authors and illustrators. 

Huff, who is also director of Shenandoah’s Children’s Literature Program, said she believes the CLC’s staying power is tied to a decision organizers made a few years ago. “In 2021, during the pandemic, we expanded the program by offering affordable, virtual author classroom visits for schools. Afterward, we received many emails, texts and phone calls thanking us for making virtual visits possible and affordable so we have continued to offer the virtual events. Now not only do we reach an audience of teachers that join us during the last week in June but we are proud to also bring award winning authors and illustrators to schools around the country.”

And now, the conference is looking forward to its 40th anniversary year in 2026. What delightful surprises will it bring for educators and readers? Word is, this coming year will feature some of the most popular children’s authors and educators out there and even more opportunities for children and families to join in the celebrations.