BY KIM HILSENBECK
As the foundation for the rest of one’s education, reading is a skill that must be mastered. But students with dyslexia encounter problems when they read. A summer of not reading has a tendency to cause many students to play catch up come fall. But for kids with dyslexia, they really can’t afford to fall behind. That’s one reason why Laura Younts, a dyslexia teacher at Barton Middle School and 2002 Hays High graduate, and her husband, Jason, also a teacher at Hays CISD, run an annual summer camp called Reading Heroes. This nonprofi t is not part of the school district, but Younts said, “They generously house us.” Back in 2000, moms Bobbie Lenz and Susan Patteson sought summer support for their dyslexic children. Finding none, they started their own camp, which has been going strong ever since. And while Lenz and Patteson are no longer at the helm, Younts said they are involved in the organization to this day. Reading Heroes runs four weeks over the summer from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday. “We typically begin about two weeks after school lets out in June,” Younts said. She said students don’t have to come the whole four weeks, can do three or two, but it’s best to do a minimum of two consecutive weeks. Seventy-fi ve students attended the Reading Heroes camp this summer, according to Younts, up from 67 last year. The camp is geared for students who are entering fi rst grade through sixth grade. She said almost the entire camp fee goes for teacher salaries. Younts said LCRA is a signifi cant contributor to the program, with about $9,500 in grant money in the past three years going towards materials and supplies for the campers. Younts said Reading Heroes now uses the same Wilson reading program utilized by Hays CISD, which is a good way to maintain continuity and consistency. Reading Heroes also has a teen mentor program; 15 middle and high school kids volunteered this summer to help the younger students. “They come back and assist teachers and campers as volunteers,” Younts said. “Bobbie Lenz’s son is going into tenth grade and he’s a teen mentor. Kids love him. The kids see these teens doing good things: band, sports, other activities. It’s inspiring to the little ones. They love seeing all that the big kids are doing.”
