Are you web-designers?

No, we are teachers and tutors. This is why our website looks the way it does.

Why does the website look unpolished?

If you have to ask this question after reading the prior question, please contact us for a free reading consultation so we can tell you how bad your reading issues are. At first glance, it is terrible. You need us.

What is the free consultation and why do you do it?

The free consultation is where we get on a Zoom meeting with our potential students and their parents to see what we can do to help. We will have the student read certain words and phrases so we can see where they are struggling. Are they struggling to understand what they read? Do they not know how to sound things out? Do they get anxiety attacks because they are used to doing timed reading tests? We will look at all of these common issues and explain to you how we can help and what the options are.

We have had a few kids do the consultation only to realize that they don’t actually need our help. If that is the case, we will tell you. For now, this is free, so there is no risk to you.

As the resident tech guy, these consultations also allow me to address any tech issues you may have and get them resolved before it’s time for class or tutoring. This is also when I cross my fingers and pray that you’re not still using Windows Vista

What age range do you teach?

We tend to focus on ages 8 and up; however, we teach all ages. Younger kids will take far more time and require a lot more practice than older students. Because of this, we have the parents take the class or tutoring with their child so they can learn how to do most of the long-term teaching themselves, rather than being forced to rely on us. Young kids tend to focus in 10-15 minute bursts, which makes classes and tutoring a struggle. Parents, on the other hand, can teach them more effectively in this way than we can. Parents can also legally hang the kids upside down by their feet, throw them on the couch repeatedly, and chase them around the house until they burn off all that extra energy. This helps the kids focus when it’s time to learn.

How long will the program take?

Typically, our main reading program takes 30 to 60 class hours (1-3 months with our normal schedule). However, there isn’t a set-in-stone time frame. Some students progress very quickly and can achieve their goals in a month or less, while others may face significant challenges that require a longer period. Additionally, some may want private tutoring to help them advance to the point where they can read classic literature without issues at a young age, which requires a lot of practice.

If a student is with us for a few weeks without improvement, there is usually a secondary issue that needs to be addressed before they can learn to read. This issue is typically a vision problem. It turns out it’s nearly impossible to read if you can't see. Shocking, I know. At this point, we highly recommend having the student’s vision checked and getting glasses if needed. This is a very common problem. Even students who already have glasses can struggle if they have the wrong prescription or it is outdated.

However, if you’d rather pay us to do the impossible instead of seeing an optometrist, we are okay with taking your money as long as it doesn’t prevent other students from learning. The money will go toward updating our own prescriptions when the time comes.

My student has Dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, or another learning disability, can you help?

Yes! In the majority of situations, these difficulties have not prevented a student from learning how to read. Sometimes it does go slower; in other cases, it goes much faster than expected. Once the struggling student realizes that they aren't stupid and are taught the correct way to read using phonetics, things start to make sense to them, and they quickly gain the skills needed to learn. Other times, we have them get their vision checked, and it turns out that they simply needed glasses. While we can’t promise or guarantee success 100% of the time, the odds are good, and we have a track record to back us up. Reach out to us for a free consultation, and we will find out what we can do to help. If we don’t believe we can help, we will be honest with you.

Can I sign up for only 1 day a week?

No. Our method is to go quick and fast. We do not want this to be a long-term program for our students. Once a week isn’t nearly enough. It drags on and on, and the students struggle to remember what they learned from a few classes prior, delaying progress even further. Instead of only taking 20-40 classes, it may take 60-80 classes, which would last over a year. This isn’t our style or goal, so we refuse to do it. Our method, when done daily, teaches the students strong reading habits before they have a chance to forget them. At that point, they will have those skills for life. Taking classes 5 days a week allows for around 20 classes a month. This means most students will be done in a few months rather than years. It also makes for a scheduling nightmare when students show up to only one hour of class a week—please don’t do this to us.

Do I have to show up to learn, and do I still need to pay if I miss a class?

Shockingly, this is a question many people ask. This isn’t just me making a joke—oh, how I wish it was. Yes, you have to show up to learn; this isn’t the Matrix. We understand that things come up, and sometimes you need to skip a class or two—that’s okay, and we understand. However, when you miss a class or tutoring session, you obviously miss things that you need to learn to complete the program and become a strong reader. You will need to stay longer to learn those things. This means for every class you miss, you’ll need to stay in the class for one more day. If we have a full class, that means another student won’t be able to join until you catch up, which delays their education.

Because this is our business, we have bills to pay and teachers who need paychecks, we operate our services like a subscription. When you pay for a month's worth of classes, you’ll be able to attend that month's worth of classes. However, if you don’t show up, you still need to pay for the subscription. It’s like having Netflix but never using it. So yes, you will need to pay even if you don’t attend.

However, we aren’t heartless. If an emergency happens, contact us as soon as you can, and we may be able to help. We don’t consider dental appointments that you’ve known about for weeks as an emergency. Also, your kid putting tape on the webcam or unplugging the router does not count either—these are true stories.

Why are you online only?

There are many reasons for this. Simply put, it works better for us and our students. Firstly, we love it online. It prevents our teachers from catching colds as often while also saving on travel time. It allows us to have all of our tools digitally instead of having to print posters and rent a classroom to teach. It allows us to control our time and schedule more effectively, making our business and personal lives more predictable. A lot of our students are also not within driving distance of us, meaning that without it being online, they wouldn’t be able to get the help from us that they need.

All that aside, the main reason we do it is simple: it works better. We find students can focus on the tutor or teacher far more easily online when they are at home, rather than having to travel to some new place and being distracted by all the unfamiliar shiny things. Since we work with a lot of easily distracted students, this is a massive benefit, especially when kids are already taught, intentionally or not, to focus on a computer screen. To many of our students, it uses the same skill set to pay attention to us as it does to pay attention to a movie or a video game like Minecraft. Even if we were to teach our next-door neighbor, we would still do it online.

Why can’t students take other reading programs at the same time, such as from public school or another teacher?

The reason we don't want our students learning to read from a school, including speed tests, at the same time as taking our program is it causes the students to be confused on a topic they are already struggling with. Students use us because they are struggling; if they weren’t struggling, they wouldn’t need us. We primarily use phonetics while most programs use lists of sight words and speed challenges. These are two conflicting methods. Every time a student has tried to learn multiple methods, it backfires, and their learning plateaus while they remain confused and insecure with their reading ability because they don’t know which method they should be using, and it’s impossible for them to use both at the same time. If this continues, it will turn into a long-term class spanning many months that can turn into an entire school year instead of only around 4 to 12 weeks. We don't want it to drag on forever, hence this rule. If you believe their school teacher can teach them to read, then you don't need us. Obviously, because you're here, that's not the case.

This also includes parents. Sadly, we’ve had parents try and teach their kids other methods that conflict with our way of teaching. For the same reasons, we will tell them to stop. We encourage parents to help their kids practice reading but by using our method for the same reasons as above. Also, don’t you dare teach your kids sight words. If you do, I will use my technical powers to put a mustache on your face and use it as the background for one of my teachers to shame you and set an example for the other parents. Don’t make me do that.

Do you have classes to take after a student has completed the main reading program? 

Yes.

Great! Will you elaborate?

No. These classes are only for those who have taken our course and qualify to take them. We don’t advertise them because we only want students who we know can read and have a similar background. We are also evolving these classes, so some may be temporary, while others might be for a specific age bracket or for those with specific interests. We are constantly trying to add things that our students need. So, if you would like to request a class where students read the gruesome stories of the Wizard of Oz series, or perhaps learn about the history of the Middle East through reading a book, let us know and we might be able to make it happen—or maybe we already have what you are looking for. Feel free to ask us when the time comes.

“I’m a public school teacher and I think you should…”

Or

“But in public school we do…”

We don’t care. Currently, only around a third of public school students can read proficiently; a third can’t even read at a basic level. This is approximately correct across all subjects, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Public schools are absolute failures when it comes to teaching. Trying to convince us to use public school methods is like trying to get health advice from someone who wants you dead. While I'm sure there are good teachers out there, the educational system is designed to fail. Most people, adults included, struggle to read kids' books from a hundred and fifty years ago—Treasure Island is a good example of this. If you think public school tactics will work, go use them. If they worked, then we would be out of business.

What do we need for class?

You’ll need a computer, webcam, decent microphone, speakers or headphones that don’t echo or cause feedback, and a quiet place to have this set up. For example, if a student’s dad is watching YouTube shorts in the background, this does not qualify as a quiet spot. Either move the location or the dad. If I had a quarter for every time this has happened, I wouldn’t have many, but I’d have a few quarters—which isn’t much, but it is still weird that it has happened more than once.