Park Books & Literacy Lab, a new retail bookstore and literacy lab opening in downtown Severna Park this spring, announced the early opening of its Literacy Lab on Jan. 4. The Lab will be temporarily housed within the Waypoint Wellness Center located at 877 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd., Severna Park, 21146, until the official grand opening of Park Books & Literacy Lab.

The Literacy Lab’s top reading specialists are tasked with assessing a child’s strengths and weaknesses and will employ evidence-based interventions to develop children into engaged, passionate and wholly literate readers who will have greater success in school and ultimately increased opportunities in life.

The Literacy Lab will offer both virtual and (Covid-compliant) in-person support in the following areas:

• Reading Assessment (including, but not limited to, Fountas and Pinnell (F&P), WADE (Orton-Gillingham), GDRT-2 and DIBELS
• Small Group Guided Reading
• College Admissions Essay Writing Workshop
• Guided Writing
• Reading Readiness (Pre-K through Kindergarten)
• Leveled Book Clubs for Kids (including the Harry Potter Book Club for 5th-7th graders)

“We believe that young readers will greatly benefit from the early opening of our Literacy Lab — especially now given the disruptions in teaching, the obstacles to learning and social isolation over the last nine months of the pandemic,” said Park Books & Literacy Lab owner Melody Wukitch, MS.Ed. “My network of literacy specialists, special educators and classroom teachers are anxious to supplement the children of our community who may be disengaged, are new or struggling readers or those who simply want to enjoy a reading community like ours.”