Gebbie Clinic Enrolling Kids for Summer Literacy Camp

Thursday, June 6, 2013, By Rob Enslin

Phonological Awareness Camp for Kids (P.A.C.K.) promotes literacy development in fun environment

Syracuse University is looking for a few budding bookworms to enroll in its annual Phonological Awareness Camp for Kids (P.A.C.K.). The camp will meet every Tuesday from July 9 to Aug. 6, between 9-11 a.m., in the Gebbie Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic’s new facility on the SU South Campus (621 Skytop Road). Enrollment is limited, and is open to children ages 4-5 who want to improve their literacy skills in a fun, stress-free environment. For more information, call the Gebbie Clinic at 315-553-4485.

The cost of P.A.C.K. is $75 for children of SU faculty and staff members; $150 for non-SU faculty and staff members. Siblings will be charged the full amount for one child (i.e., $75 for SU personnel and $150 for non-SU personnel) and, in all cases, $75 for each additional child.

“Children who attend P.A.C.K. will practice phonological awareness skills that are vital to developing successful reading skills, particularly in kindergarten,” says camp supervisor Megan Leece, also a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist. “Each week will focus on a different theme, and will incorporate listening and rhyming games, vocabulary activities, songs, crafts and story-time, all in a small-group setting.”

At P.A.C.K., Leece will supervise a team of graduate students who, in turn, will facilitate the sessions. “The camp provides an outstanding training site for graduate student clinicians, and offers the most advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities for clients with disabilities and differences,” she says.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, The Gebbie Clinic is housed in the Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders (CSD) in SU’s College of Arts and Sciences. In July, the Gebbie Clinic—and CSD—will move into a new 10,500-square-foot facility to better meet the needs of its more than 3,900 clients.

“The new facility will enable us to continue our commitment to personalized care, while providing a complete array of diagnostic and treatment services for people with speech and hearing difficulties,” says Leece.

More information about the Gebbie Clinic and CSD, the latter of which offers graduate and undergraduate opportunities in speech-language pathology and audiology, is available at csd.syr.edu.