Lawrence schools Supt. Randy Weseman honed his pirate imitation before a band of Prairie Park School students on Wednesday.

He read a book about pirates in a visit to the school’s intensive summer reading program. The 11-day course offers extra reading help to about 40 students in kindergarten through third grade. It includes several guest readers, including Weseman.

“A lot of it is geared around getting kids excited about books,” Principal David Williams said.

Studies have shown students in the summertime can lose some of what they learned during the school year. And the program seeks to cut down on that.

“The more kids are read to : the better readers they become,” Prairie Park kindergarten teacher Janette Conchola said.

Lawrence Public School Supt. Randy Weseman reads to school children Wednesday at Prairie Park School. Weseman is one of several guest readers in a program aimed at improving reading skills and interests.

Teachers also target instruction to a student’s individual needs and try to build a love of reading.

It appeared to be working for Anthony Harvey. The 7-year-old dressed in a basketball jersey and matching shorts said he dreamed of playing in the NBA and the NFL. He practices basketball and football, but he also reads for an hour and a half a day, he said.

“I’m probably the smartest person out of my family and out of my daycare,” Anthony said. “Nobody else reads as much as me.”

The thickest book Anthony read was about the NBA.

“Reading makes you smarter,” he said. “If you want to be an NBA star or something, you might want to read so you can learn about the game.”

The students will be tested to gauge their progress. The program is supported by a federally funded Reading First grant. The funds support programs at Prairie Park, Woodlawn, New York and Kennedy Schools.