WORD NERDS
Summer Workshop 2026

BUILDING CONFIDENT READERS THROUGH PLAY

This workshop is specifically designed for kids that need specialized, explicit instruction in the basics and complexities of reading and writing in English. These are the kids for whom school-based programs are not cutting it, and the ones who often start to lose confidence.

This summer workshop is designed for kids going into 2nd & 3rd grade in Fall 2026 where we’ll focus on the foundational reading and writing skills needed for success in the 2nd-3rd grade classrooms!

We’re talking about skills like...

• Strong letter/sound connection

• Understanding how to break up words into manageable chunks

• Knowledge of key spelling patterns (vowel teams, digraphs, suffixes, etc)

• Comprehension of the “main idea” and basic inferencing

This is your Rising 3rd grader’s opportunity to lock in the literacy concepts they were introduced to in previous school years. They’re heading into a big year when kids typically move from learning to read toward reading to learn, so here’s the perfect chance to make sure they’re ready for that leap.

Rising 2nd & 3rd graders will boost their foundational literacy skills in a fun group environment with active games and learning activities.

All activities are designed and led by licensed/certified speech-language pathologists with in-depth knowledge of written language (literacy) development and intervention strategies.

This is an epic collaboration between Maria Tavani, MS, CCC-SLP at Sound Connection Speech & Reading Therapies and Rebecca (Becca) Cummings, MS, CCC-SLP at Groundwork Family Education.

Maria will lead this year’s workshop! She’s super jazzed about using her specialized clinical knowledge to boost your child's reading skills.

Becca will be the go-to resource for all of Word Nerds’ coordination behind the scenes. She’ll also be there alongside Maria all week as an SLP, literacy expert, and summertime enthusiast.

“The bottom line goal of Word Nerds is to give each child a sense of success and confidence in their own reading skills. The kids that come to Word Nerds often have felt mostly failure and difficulty associated with reading, so it can be really refreshing and powerful to be around kids that have the same challenges that they do and to be able to build new associations of reading with fun and success!” - Maria

See you there!

Becca and Maria