Reviews

Review Details

• Review fromSharon C

  Date: 08/04/2025

  5 stars
  This is by far the best reading program Ive put my daughters in. They are 9 and 5, and have had 3 classes and both have showed a tremendous amount of improvement! Weve hired tutoring but this is even better!!! Thank you!

• Review fromTarika S

  Date: 08/03/2025

  1 star
  I enrolled my son in the Institute of Reading Development at ****************************** and regret it deeply. The program cost nearly $400 and promised individualized reading instruction but what we got was far from that.The teacher stands in front of the class reading aloud, then has the entire group read out loud together, all at once. Theres no way to tell whos reading correctly, whos struggling, or who isnt reading at all. Theres no assessment, no one-on-one support, no phonics instruction, and absolutely no structure that supports students who actually need help learning how to ******* son is neurodivergent and cannot read full sentences yet. He needs targeted support, not a group chant of words. This program is clearly not designed for struggling readers or kids with learning differences. I could have read to him at home for free and gotten the same (or better) results.If your child already reads fluently, maybe this program works for you. But if your child truly needs to learn how to read especially with any developmental delays this is a waste of money and time. Ive am requesting a full refund.

• Review fromChristina F

  Date: 08/01/2025

  1 star
  The Reading institute promised phonics and reading instruction with gauranteed results. I went to the first in person class and it was just a teacher reading to the kids and them following along no instruction in any phonic or how to read. It was just in a plan adult classroom, 4-5 years were expected to sit like older students facing forward little to no interaction other then raising their hand and raising their hands. Also very hard to sit through for 4 year old. I contacted customer service and the put me in a different level and on virtual ****** saying this would provide the phonics instruction. Again it was just a teacher reading to the kids. I request a refund the following Monday (class was on Saturday), they just try to convince you to stay in the classes. They guarantee that your child will be a better reader and then wont give you a refund because the the refund period lapsed they dont make this clear at all. Apparently the garuantee is just that they will continue to give your kid classes even though they dont work for them and they dont do whats promised. Ive been doing a reading curriculum at home, a home schooling friend recommended 100x better, actually teaches phonics, sight words, and how to read not just follow along while a teacher reads to you. Knowing they dont give refunds, I am sharing this with my childs school who gave us the flyer and I will post on the school message boards for both my childrens schools, I will share this everywhere I can. I will repost whenever the flyers go out in the future to prevent others from getting scammed.

• Review fromMayada H

  Date: 06/04/2025

  1 star
  I enrolled my son in. When I signed up, I was told that by the end of the 5 classes, he would be able to read a full sentence. However, during the first class, he was only taught the letter M and how to sound it outsomething he already knows, as he can already sound out all letters and read three-letter words.This level of instruction is far below his current ability and does not align with what was promised. I expressed my concerns and requested a refund, but instead of addressing the issue, I was urged to continue. I declined, and was then told someone would get back to me within two days. No one has followed up since. And then a person called me after I send many email told me they not gonna refund my money forcing me either to stay in the program or no money back

• Review fromIvy K

  Date: 05/07/2025

  1 star
  I was smooth talked into the program and all that. After signing up, i called and told them to cancel it because I have family emergency and can't be in the program, ie 2 months before the program even starts. Someone calls me back from the program trying to force me into the program my offering an "appreciation"code. How can it be an appreciation code when I'm not getting my money back and it comes with conditions. Please becareful with this company

• Review fromNicole C

  Date: 04/18/2025

  1 star
  They start by smooth talking you into how great the program will be, waiting to disclose the cost until the very end (over $300) and never mentioning the cancellation policy unless you ask. I asked about the cancellation policy twice on the call. First was told that I would need to cancel within 10 days. At the end of the call, I asked again to clarify 10 days from what date. She said from the start of the session. I ended up needing to cancel our registration. First, it takes awhile for anyone to call you back re: cancellation. Make notes of every attempt. When I finally got a hold of someone, she said that I needed to cancel within 10 days of signing up. I told her that was not what I was told; she said shed review the recording to see what I was told about the cancellation. Two days later she called to say that I was told to cancel within 10 days (only mentioning the first time I was told about it on the call). I mentioned that she was misrepresenting the call recording and skipping over the end of the call when she said I could cancel 10 days from the start of the class. She said shed NEVER misguide a parent (she 100% was). I asked to listen to the full 20 minute recording with her. She said she couldnt do that. She could only listen to the first 10 minutes with me. I asked for her supervisors name, got that and said that Id be contacting my credit card company to process a refund, and report the company to BBB while I waited for the supervisor to call me back. She said shed follow up with her supervisor. Two minutes later I got a call back saying theyd refund because they were being kind - not because they were misrepresenting the call recording. Take away: dont waste your time or energy with this company. They misguide families and are money hungry with an unclear cancellation policy. Unethical practices.

• Review fromKelly B

  Date: 04/10/2025

  1 star
  I have a review from a potential employee perspective. I applied to work at one of their summer programs; I am a 13 year classroom, certified teacher. About, 3-4 days after applying, I was contacted via email to take the next steps in the process. The next steps was a video "interview" that consisted of 3 questions. The questions pertained to ME as a reader, and the third question simply asked how their mission statement designated with me. About 2 weeks after I submitted the videos, I followed up with an email in response to the email I had received. No response. I sent another follow up email about a week later; no response. I understand if they didn't want to hire me; I understand if they found others that were more qualified. But it is bad business to simply not respond to an email. My email was professional and polite; I simply asked them to let me know if I was not a good candidate so that I could continue my search for summer work. Common decency was all I was seeking. Just bad business.

• Review fromAlisha H

  Date: 07/02/2024

  1 star
  I wished I had read these beforehand. Hopefully my plight as well as the many others will discourage others in the future from signing up with this program. They definitely pull in the heartstrings of the parent and talk about how awesome this program is and get you hooked. I was a little skeptical because they did tell me that I could not be in the classroom with my child and had to wait outside, but was able to get "permission" after speaking to a different agent to attend a couple of classes to feel comfortable but then told I could not be in there after that. They said it would be too distracting to the kids. I'm sorry, but my child is young and in this day and age you CANNOT be too careful. Sadly, I signed up anyway bc I am desperate to get my child help with reading and they made lots of promises (mistakes in my part). Well, I had a family situation come up and my child could not attend his first class. I called that day and even let the instructor know by email but bc it was a weekend I had to wait for a supervisor to call me that Monday which never happened. I called again that week and got a call back, finally, from a supervisor who was rude and refused my refund. I told them I could send the books back as they were unused and then she said what seems to other's experiences here that you can't get a refund beyond 10 days after signing up and told it it said so in my confirmation email. Well, I went back to the email and did not see any of that directly in the email. You had to click on some small, fine print link at the bottom of the email and go scrolling through a ton of legal jargo towards the bottom of their terms to even see that. I was offered a credit for a later class but I just want my money back. Not to mention the lady was rude and asked me what my family situation was and so was not comfortable sharing that. I will make sure my child's school does not hand out their flyers and tell everyone I know to stay away.

• Review fromSheena V

  Date: 07/01/2024

  1 star
  So I had applied for my six-year-old son to be entered in this reading program. It cost me $350. The program was supposed to start June 14 through July 15 and I had an extreme immediate death in the family, my sons grandfather my father, and it was all the way in *********** where we had to go and I called the company and I spoke to MANAGEMENT . Ive read to just because the family was going through a financial hardship and an immediate death in the family and they denied my refund. They told me it was after 30 days for this company to be family oriented and things like that they never took into consideration, how would My Son be able to focus when he was very close to his grandfather?

• Review fromIesha t

  Date: 06/24/2024

  1 star
  Run!!!!!! When first signed up never got a confirmation for enrollment. Spent the last month just trying to get them to send info to my email about the class. Still nothing and then they dont want to refund. I understand everything aint perfect but when you drop the ball take ownership. Horrible customer service!!! Almost $400 gone and my son hasnt attended the program!!!!