Super Why Reading Camps bring literacy to young learners in Arizona

It was a special day for students at Litchfield Elementary School. Children who attended a Super Why Reading Camp headed home with tubs filled with books and school supplies, all part of a three-week program aimed at building early literacy skills.

Principal Denise Lundberg said she’s thrilled to host the reading camp at her school for the first time.
“In my experience, I have never found anything like this. Just because it is so interactive, and it is so comprehensive,” Lundberg said.

Behind the scenes, Arizona PBS staff members design and coordinate multiple Super Why Reading Camps, extending them to tribal communities including Leupp, Arizona. The goal is to provide children with strong literacy foundations at an early age.

Arizona PBS’ Senior Director of Education and Community Impact Kimberly Flack said the need is critical.

“We know Arizona’s literacy rate is lower,” Flack explained. “Kids aren’t necessarily entering school ready to learn how to read, and that’s going to help them be successful later in life.”

Each day of the camp, students receive a new book to take home. Teachers lead games and activities tailored to make reading fun while reinforcing essential skills.

For five-year-old camper Harper Hauns, the experience is simple and joyful.

“I did a great job at Super Why camp, and Super Why camp is great,” she said.

Lundberg said offering the program underscores both the importance of early literacy and the challenges schools face without adequate state funding.

“Without PBS, we would not have been able to offer this and to offer all the materials that went with it, and to make it again that 360° experience that they’ve had with it,” Lundberg said. “We’re hoping we get to do it again.”

Flack has a goal to expand Super Why Reading Camps, particularly in underserved communities, giving more children the tools to succeed in school.

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Reporting by “Arizona Horizon” Education Solutions Reporter Roxanne De La Rosa. Her role is made possible through grant funding from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund and Report for America.

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