Combining books and movement to fight summer learning loss 

For La’Trell, summer reading wasn’t just another camp assignment.

The rising fifth grader said spending part of each day reading helped him get ready for the next school year.

“So we can be ready for the school year,” he said.

That goal is one reason the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis created its 30-day Read & Move Challenge with the Temple Made Foundation, encouraging children to read for 15 minutes and stay active for 15 minutes each day during the summer.

The program comes as educators continue looking for ways to keep students reading while school is out.

Results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that 58% of Missouri fourth graders performed at or above the basic level in reading. Among eighth graders, 65% reached that mark.

Research on summer learning has also found that some students lose academic ground while school is out, especially when reading and other learning activities are not part of their daily routine.

Brandon Williams, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, said pairing literacy with physical activity gives children another reason to stay engaged during the summer.

“When you partner movement and reading, the healthy mind and the healthy body go hand in hand,” Williams said.

More than 950 children participated in the organization’s summer camps this year, taking part in the reading challenge before gathering last week at the Matthews Dickey Boys & Girls Club to celebrate its completion during Triple Play Day.

Tony Temple, a former standout running back for the University of Missouri and executive director of the Temple Made Foundation, said the challenge was designed to make reading feel fun instead of forced.

“We challenged them for 30 days,” Temple said. “If they could read and move, we would come back for a sweet reward.”

Those rewards included books, pizza, ice cream and prizes for children across Boys & Girls Club locations. Educators and site directors were also recognized for their work during the summer.

Temple said children are surrounded by phones, games and constant stimulation, so programs must find creative ways to keep them engaged.

“We’ve gamified it,” he said. “We’ve made it fun. We made them have incentives. We gave them accountability.”

Temple said the same approach used in games and digital platforms can help build stronger reading habits.

“If we can do that through literacy, if we can do that through movement and wellness, that is the way we can reach our kids,” he said.

Ashley Allen, whose daughter Ashton Young attended the Matthews Dickey summer camp, said the program offered more than recreation.

“I like how they tutor the kids and make sure they do their homework and make sure they’re reading up to par,” Allen said. “The kids are helping other kids.”

Allen said the camp also helped children build communication skills and learn how to interact with others.

“They make sure no kid is left behind,” she said. “It’s a very good environment. It’s like family. It’s like home.”

Six Boys & Girls Club families received Hibbett shopping sprees, while teen challenge winners received Hibbett gift cards. Hibbett, Jimmy John’s, Enterprise Mobility and Temple Made Foundation supported the event.

Williams said the organization hopes to continue expanding its summer programming, volunteer base and community partnerships.

“We just want to keep growing and keep on making St. Louis better by investing in the infrastructure of our young people,” he said.

Temple said improving literacy cannot fall on schools alone.

“This is a collective effort,” he said. “You can’t do it by one person. You need everyone.”

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