Institute of Reading Development Reviews

600  Excellent
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.7

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Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Entering first grade and kindergarten reviews

Entering first grade review: How you and your child like this program depends on your goals. If your child has an interest in reading or wants to learn to read, this program will teach you and your child how to read using a model and repeat philosophy. You will read 1 line/1page/etc, then the child repeats the line and page. You then read the book for the whole entire week in hopes that your child gets to know the book well enough that they can start reading it independently.

There are online homework assignments as well that follow up on phonics skills, such as letter sounds, sight words, and sounding out new words.

For one of my kids it was not the right fit as he needs more help with sounding out words than working off memory. However, he still did improve some in reading skills. I really think it depends on the needs and willingness of the child as well.

Enter Kindergarten review: My 4 year old found the lessons long but enjoyed being able to participate. He is advanced for his age so the phonics portions were a little easy for him (reviewing letters, sounds they make, and words beginning with that sound). This course is more reading books to the child than the child learning to read. There is one book that they do read with sentences like "I can dig." and some sight words.

Date of experience: September 01, 2020


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great teacher that worked with my…

Great teacher that worked with my daughter for the summer into grade 2 lesson! Would highly recommend this program.

Date of experience: August 14, 2021

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

Thank you for the recommendation, Natasha! We hope to see your daughter in our fall program. - Tracy, Customer Care Specialist


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The weekly lessons were both…

The weekly lessons were both instructive and informative. The teacher was wonderful and seemed to really care about each student.

Date of experience: August 21, 2022

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

Our teachers truly do care about each student. Thank you, Candice. We hope to see your family in class again! - Tracy, Customer Care Specialist


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great program, highly recommend

This was a great program. I was very impressed with the instructor, with the book, and with the weekday assignments. My son learned quite a lot in the five weeks and really enjoyed his time in the program.

Date of experience: August 16, 2020


Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Very disappointed ..

Very disappointed ... especially when you try hard to help your child and customer service is not sympathetic with how you feel . I will never again have my kid in this program. First time was fine but God have mercy if you have a complain... They don't care. Yes they call you to let you know that you received an email letting you know that they will be off and the class is cancelled. OK no problem. When that class which did't take place will take place? Oh, yeah I was reminded that last week children had to read 2 books... and they talked about it. Pretty much they covered they bases. Shame on you! You were quick to take the money but not the responsibilities.

Date of experience: February 16, 2021

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

We were very sorry about your recent experience concerning your son’s class schedule and when content would be covered. We’ve taken some steps to make sure that communication with parents is handled more carefully by our team moving forward. Thank you for making us aware of your concerns, and for choosing to continue with the rest of your son’s program. – Eugenie Borton, Customer Service Manager


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I’m very happy that I found out about…

I’m very happy that I found out about your program. My son loves the classes, the books and the teachers! Teachers are awesome! He just finished third semester and we signed him up for summer session. And he jumped in reading from a level D to J in a very short time, you guys do a great job!!

Date of experience: April 05, 2021

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

Wow, we are glad you found out about our program, too, and very happy to hear about your son's reading level improvement! Thank you for your positive review, Marta. We look forward to seeing your son in our summer session. - Tracy, Customer Service Specialist


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great reading program

The teacher was very professional and skillful in teaching the online reading program. My daughter enjoyed very much the class and the exercises online. Thank you.

Date of experience: September 24, 2020

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

We’re very proud of our teachers and glad that your daughter had a great experience. Thanks for the positive review, Tin. - Kate, Customer Care Specialist


Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Communication is lacking - an understatement

The communication, or lack thereof, from this center is absolutely horrid. I find it incredible that they save face by responding to every review on these types of websites, however, when they are reached out to via email or through their online communication system, regarding a question or any other inquiry, you hear nothing but crickets.

Date of experience: June 24, 2022

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

We are sorry about our previous communication delays, KL. This is not the kind of experience we want families to have in our programs and, fortunately, it is not typical. We apologize for how this delay negatively impacted your time in the program.


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The teaching is a bit fast

The teaching is a bit fast. Also consider one on one lesson between the teacher and each student. Also increase the duration to about 8 weeks

Date of experience: September 01, 2020


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My grandson really enjoys the online…

My grandson really enjoys the online reading program. The teachers are very good at holding the attention of the children and they make it interesting therefore the children are learning.

Date of experience: October 26, 2021

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

We are pleased your grandson enjoys the online reading program, Belinda! We hope to see him in future classes. - Tracy, Customer Care Specialist


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent program

Excellent program! Helped my future fourth grader stay on track during the pandemic and summer months.

Date of experience: August 09, 2020

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

Thank you for the great review, Jessica. We hope to see your 4th grader in future classes. - Tracy, Customer Care Specialist


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My daughter reading speed has improved

My daughter reading speed has improved. Her writing has also improved tremendously. Her reading comprehension has also improved. Thank you!

Date of experience: September 07, 2020

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

We are very happy that your daughter has seen these great results. Thank you for leaving a review. - Kate, Customer Care Specialist


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My daughter's reading level

My daughter knew how to read before I enrolled her in the program; but her reading fluency has gotten better.

Date of experience: July 29, 2021

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

That is wonderful to hear, Comfort! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. - Tracy, Customer Care Specialist


Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Simply amazing!

Where to begin?! I enrolled my son in the 8 week virtual class for 4 year olds and begining kindergarten. I was anxious about it as my son has a very difficult time adjusting to remote learning. Oh my, did I get such a surprise! The teacher is very knowledgeable and skilled in his craft. They also have a way of really engaging with each student, recognizing each of them for their participation, and keeping them motivated throughout the class. It's a perfect balance of fun and activities conducive to learning. As for the online lessons, they are presented as fun and games for the students while educating them. I think it's a big deal when a program like this can keep a child of this age focused and excited to learn. I had the privilege of watching my son simply blossom, not only as a reader, but as a student overall. Now for customer service. It amazed me that a program of this size was so immediately attentive. In addition to that, there was such understanding and genuine care. I even received a follow up phone call the next day just to see that all was well. They gave my son a great learning experience, but it doesn't stop there. As a parent I was given support and ways to better help my son advance his skills. We are certainly going to enroll again and (if it's not obvious already) I highly recommend this program to anyone. It's been a tough road during the pandemic and I had reservations about spending that much knowing my son isn't great with virtual learning. I can honestly say it was worth every penny and then some. A heartfelt thank you to the teacher and everyone that made this program possible.

Date of experience: March 21, 2021

Reply from Institute of Reading Development

We are delighted at how much your son enjoyed participating in our online program! Our teachers are truly talented at getting kids of all ages more excited about reading and making online classes fun. Thank you for sharing the details of your all-around positive experience with us. We hope to see your family back for more programs in the future. - Kate, Customer Care Specialist