Institute of Reading DevelopmentReviews of readingprograms.org

my son did the online class for 4yr olds and children entering kindergarten. before the class he was unable to read and had trouble blending sounds to sound out a word. he is now reading simple 3-letter words without any issue, and knows many sight words without assistance. the online classes took some getting used to for him, but he soon adapted. overall it was well worth the money spent and i'm proud to say my son is reading. it also helped us avoid the summertime slide (children forgetting what they've learned the previous year during the summer). he will be one of the youngest in his class (he is a november baby, so he will turn 5 later than most of his classmates), but i'm confident that he will be able to keep up with the older kids.

My 5th grader really got into the class discussions! He came out with a smile and ready to tackle the online quizzes. The teacher did just the right thing to get him turned on to 'chapter books' and ready for the 5th grade! Because this was such a great experience on a college campus he is ready to 'go back to college' next summer. Thank you!

Amazing program! My daughter who is 5 years old, going on to kindergarten, enjoyed the online program and the classroom. The teacher was amazing! Mrs. Rhodes loves to teach and you can tell with her enthusiasm in class. She made sure all kids participated. My daughter feels a lot more confident and is eager to continue learning to read books. I will definitely sign her up next summer or fall.

This program was a great experience. This was my first time doing this and I was throughly impressed with the program. My son really enjoyed it too. He shows a lot more confidence when he's reading. The instructor was great with the kids and what I really liked is how she kept the kids engaged throughout the entire session. I highly recommend this program if your child is struggling in his or her reading. You will not be disappointed.

I have put three of my children through the six week summer reading program ranging in grades from kindergarten through fourth grade. The classes are held at local colleges. All three of my children have benefited immensely from the program. My first struggled with reading, but he enjoyed his teachers and the class materials so much that he found he was learning to read "painlessly." He is now 13 and a solid reader for his age level. My second was able to read well, but she was unmotivated. After the program, she was picking up books by herself. Now she is 10 and is an avid reader reading well above her grade level. Most recently, my third went through the summer program. I appreciated the fact that rather than keeping him in the entering first grader program, they promoted him to the entering second grader program because the first grade work was too easy for him. I was also interested to see that despite his vastly different personality (gregarious, outgoing, energetic), he was interested and challenged enough to sit still through the learning modules and participate. Now he is picking up books to read on his own and brings harder books to me for me to read to him. The program is completed online (which was extremely convenient), 5 lessons per week (so one per night), with one in-person weekend class with an instructor. In kindergarten, you are encouraged to stay with the child. In first grade, you are encouraged to stay for the first part of class. In second grade and beyond you leave your child with the instructor, but parents can stay if they want. You are given 5-6 new books for your child to read and they keep them, so it is a nice start to a library. My kids have enjoyed the books and like to re-read them. I have to admit that every year I flinch at the cost a bit and I have seldom enrolled more than one child at a time (but they do give family discounts). However, every year I am glad that I enrolled them when I see their abilities and interest in reading blossom. All of my children are confident readers and that has been a huge factor in their school success.

Fabulous reading programs for children! This is our second year doing it and we are completely satisfied. The teacher was wonderful and the material excellent. Highly recommend.

Excellent!! Ms. Hunt was so nice & Olivia was disappointed when she didn’t have to go anymore. The books were awesome!! She loves to read now! Thank you!!

The Institute of Reading Development is a great resource. Their classes and materials are high quality, the instruction is research-based and effective, and everyone on staff is devoted to fostering a love of reading.