With handwriting being limitedly taught in schools; high intensity, summer handwriting camps may resolve the numerous handwriting rehabilitation referrals of school-aged children. To improve handwriting, a 5-day (3-hr/daily session) summer camp was created for children (ages 5-9 years old). Thirty children (ages 5-9) were given manuscript…

Reading motivation declines across elementary school. Although a substantive body of empirical work exists specific to the reading motivation of older children, researchers have paid less attention to younger readers. Given that children's perceptions of school experiences shape motivation, and motivation impacts achievement, it is imperative that…

The K-12 population learning Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) has been increasing rapidly within recent years in the United States. Ruan, Zhang, and Leung (2015) state that summer programs are one of the most recognized forms of Chinese learning, cultivating immersion language environments in the United States. As CFL programs expand, there is…

Research on the effectiveness of STEM-focused (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-focused) schools and other learning experiences (e.g., short-term camps) on student outcomes is sparse. This study documented perceptions of STEM content and careers for elementary, middle, and secondary school students participating in…

Elementary students find themselves engaged and learning at a digital writing camp. The authors find that such elementary students usually have limited access to technology at home and school, and posit that teachers should do all they can to give them more access to and experience in digital composing. Students were motivated and learned to use…

Research shows student participation in science programming can affect scientific interest, academic performance, college majors, and careers. This article reports a study where results obtained from questionnaires completed by participants, parents, and guardians assessed whether interest in STEM disciplines was advanced by a summer day-camp…

Arts integration in science has benefits of increasing student engagement and understanding. Lessons focusing on form and function of animal skulls provide an effective example of how handicrafts integrated with science instruction motivate students and support learning. The study involved students ages 9-12 during a week-long summer day camp.…

As much as play is researched and discussed by people interested in children and childhood, studies often fail to examine closely the ways that kids accomplish their play. This study sought to answer the question of how children sustain their play interactions. By making use of qualitative methods to collect and analyze data, the play of…

Faculty members from a university teacher education department partnered with a local school district to develop a summer camp program for children at-risk. This four week summer camp for elementary students provides reading and math intervention to rising first graders. This article discusses the math aspects of the camp, including camp lessons,…

Previous research has focused on who the primary attachment figures are for children in middle childhood, but there has been relatively little research on other important people who may fulfill attachment needs. The goal of the study was to identify who children use as non-parental attachment figures and to examine whether children's use varies…

Last summer, 400 elementary school students from rural Athens County, Ohio, spent six weeks attending a day program at Ohio University. Originally intended to feed poor children during the summer, the program now provides tutoring in reading, math, and computers, as well as enrichment activities and swimming. Parent aides can take one university…

Dickinson College has operated the Program for Education, Enrichment, and Recreation (P.E.E.R.) for 66 children ages 7-11 since 1968. The program operates for an 8-week summer session for elementary school children who may benefit from a supervised, structured, small group experience. Swimming instruction is provided along with other sports, arts…

Results of a national survey of domestic summer foreign language programs for elementary and secondary students are the basis for information on summer schools, workshops, and camps. A description of a cultural immersion-type camp run by Concordia College receives significant attention. Other camps, including those for disadvantaged or potential…

The Disadvantaged Pupil Program Fund School Camping Program respresented local educational efforts for the sixth consecutive year to extend classroom learning experiences into the natural environment. The Project sponsored a five-day long resident school-oriented camping program which attempted to offer an integrated balance of typical learning…

The goal of this study was to take a first step in evaluating the potential of virtual reality (VR) as a learning environment. The context of the study was The Technology Academy, a technology-oriented summer day camp for students ages 5-18, where student activities center around hands-on exploration of new technology (e.g., robotics, MIDI digital…