Students Lynleigh Shonk (from left), Kaylee Williams and Sinai Mendoza participate in Warren County Public Schools’ fourth annual Summer Literacy Academy.

Warren County Public Schools’ annual Summer Literacy Academy is enjoying its highest attendance yet, with about 170 students participating and the district offering seven bus routes – up from two last year.

“This is a worthwhile investment of your time and energy,” said Arrah Holdsworth, the district’s literacy consultant.

That’s because when it comes to reading and writing, the third grade might be the most pivotal year in a child’s entire academic career. Research has shown that students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are more likely to struggle academically long term.

Results of a study of nearly 4,000 students published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that those who do not read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers.

That’s why WCPS is stepping up support for the program in the academy’s fourth year.

Christy Bryce, the district’s director of intervention, said the academy is a way to prevent literacy problems instead of just reacting to them. In previous years, the academy’s youngest students have made the biggest gains, Bryce said.

Student participation has also rapidly increased, Bryce said.

“We’ve doubled (in size) in the last few years,” she said.

The program is free and focuses on students between kindergarten and third grade. Students need an invitation to get in, but parents can request that their child be admitted.

Every Monday through Thursday through July 19, students will practice guided reading, writing letters and vocabulary, among a variety of activities that vary based on a student’s age, Holdsworth said. Class sizes are small, with 15 students or less per class.

During classes Thursday, students practiced writing the alphabet and actively listening to reading sessions from teachers.

Holdsworth said the academy also helps fight summer slide, which is when students gradually forget what they’ve learned in school over summer break. She encouraged parents to take advantage of a critical learning window for their children.

“If you want to make it easier and increase their likelihood of success, there is a developmental window for prime literacy learning and this program is designed to target that timeframe in a child’s life,” she said.