Jump Start 2026

This hands-on workshop is for afterschool professionals who work with elementary-age youth and want to turn ordinary moments—snack, transitions, read-alouds, and play—into real literacy growth. Grounded in the Science of Reading, you'll see why the caring adult, not a curriculum, is a child's most powerful literacy tool. Then you'll do the work: practice research-backed literacy "moves" with a partner and build your own next-day plan inside a free companion app made for this session. Bring a device—you'll leave with your plan built, not just your notebook full. In 90 minutes, you'll move from "I should do more with literacy" to "here's exactly what I'll try Monday."