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Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule
Q: Can I pick a time that works best for my child?
A: Yes. Classes run from morning to evening, and we will work with you to place your child in a class that works for your schedule.
Q: I’d like to get some of my child’s friends together in a group. Is that possible?
A: Yes! We can work with you to create a cohort of similar level readers that meet online together.
Q: Is this a 12-month program? Does it follow a school calendar? Have holidays off?
A: Savvy Reading is a year-round program with the most common US holidays off and two holiday weeks off. The monthly pricing was set with these holidays in mind, so instead of lowering the monthly price for holidays, including in November and December, all months are slightly lower in price than they otherwise would be. Savvy follows a school calendar in the sense that the program recognizes the holidays listed below. However, we will meet your reader at the appropriate level rather than being confined to a specific grade level in a given year.
Here are the holidays Savvy Reading takes off: Labor Day, Thanksgiving week, Christmas week, New Year’s Day, MLK Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day.
Q: How long would you suggest a child needs to have this kind of coaching?
A: Providing a strong foundation in reading is no small task. We recommend 6-12 months as the minimum amount of time it will take for Savvy Reading to help most children 1) build a strong foundation of reading capabilities, 2) develop a lasting confidence in their reading skills, and 3) realize a love of reading that comes from positive, engaging experiences over time.
When you see progress, our recommendation is to continue with Savvy Reading as far as we have available curriculum for your reader’s level. The investment you make now in their reading abilities and confidence will compound over the years as they use those skills to become capable, self-driven learners.
Q: What if my child misses a session?
A: Savvy Reading’s curriculum is built with 3 sessions per unit as the core. It’s okay if your child cannot attend all 4 sessions every week. Repetition is built into each unit so readers have multiple exposures to new topics.
Curriculum, Content & Delivery
Q: My child is going into kindergarten, but is a strong reader. What ability level should I select?
A: Savvy readers are grouped by ability rather than by age or school grade level. If your child is ready to learn at a first grade reading level, select first grade.
Q: How do I choose a reading level for my child?
A: Savvy Reading groups are leveled by skills typically taught in a specific grade, but our readers are grouped by ability rather than age or school grade level. We have a placement assessment that you can work through with your child that helps us find the right level. Once that is completed, we look for confirmation from you that the level sounds right based on your experience with your child. Once your child is enrolled into a Savvy Reading group at the right level, we will provide additional support to be sure it is the right fit.
Q: Do you align with the Common Core State Standards that schools use?
A: Yes! Our curriculum and each of our lessons are designed by well qualified, experienced teachers to align with Common Core State Standards.
Q: How is Savvy Reading’s curriculum designed?
A: Curriculum for Savvy is designed by teachers with professional degrees, using the Common Core standards and the Orton Gillingham approach while incorporating the Science of Reading to create a scope and sequence at each level. Each level builds upon the next while including a spiral review of the skills needed for Savvy readers to become proficient and confident. The curriculum includes instruction in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency and reading comprehension. A core component of the Savvy curriculum is not only creating research based lessons and units, but also ensuring the sessions are engaging and fun for readers.
Q: Do you use a structured literacy approach?
A: Yes! While Savvy lessons are engaging and fun, the scope and sequence for each level is systematic and new material is taught explicitly. Phonological awareness and phonics instruction are key components, with a focus at the word level. Readers are taught the mechanics of decoding and practice this while reading the text. Fluency and reading comprehension are also included in each lesson.
Q: What platform do you use?
A: Coaching sessions are held via our web-based platform that includes video conferencing, slides and interactive elements.
Q: Do children get book lists? Or how do they read with coaches?
A: All reading material is presented in our online format as text that coaches and readers can access together.
Q: How would this help a child you suspect has dyslexia?
A: Not all children learn to read easily and automatically. Savvy Reading is a great program for struggling readers, readers who may have dyslexia, and readers who have decided that reading is not enjoyable. Savvy’s curriculum is built on explicit and systematic instruction and draws from the Orton Gillingham method. Focusing on the sounds and matching letters that make up words allows struggling readers to begin to feel successful in reading. Savvy is also designed to bring the fun and enjoyment back to the forefront of learning to read. Fostering a love of reading is so important as readers begin to understand how to decode words and start reading more fluently. Savvy does both!
Q: Do you think learning to read and write go hand in hand, or does reading come first?
A: We recognize that reading and writing are both important pieces to well-rounded literacy. The focus for Savvy Reading is on reading, and other than some simple activities such as writing letters or words as part of some reading lessons, our curriculum does not currently focus on teaching writing in addition to reading.
Q: Does Savvy Reading have a program for Spanish speakers learning to read in English?
A: We have not built our initial curriculum and lesson plans with English Language Learners (ELL) in mind.
Q: Do you have a sample class video or trial classes to try it out?
A: Our month-to-month subscriptions are effectively trial periods during which you can figure out if this is a good fit for your child.
Q: Do you accept special education children?
A: We are not yet set up to fully support and help special education students. We hope to offer this in the future.
Coaches
Q: Is it possible to become a coach?
A: Yes. Please see our “Become a Coach” page to learn more.
Q: What experience or qualifications do coaches have?
A: All of our coaches have teaching experience and teaching certificates/credentials.
Q: What kind of course training do coaches go through for Savvy certification?
A: We provide coaches with the curriculum and content for all coaching sessions. Coaches are trained on Savvy’s values, curriculum and content, safety and session management, rules and procedures, and our online platform.
Q: Are there coach bios?
A: Once your child is enrolled in a class, you will receive information about your child’s new coach, including education and a summary of relevant experience.
Readers
Q: Is Savvy Reading only for struggling readers or can it be a fun learning to read option for anyone learning to read?
A: Savvy is for anyone learning to read, whether they’re struggling, at level, or ahead of their grade level. No matter the situation, we work to build skills, confidence, and a lasting love of reading, which everyone should have!
Q: My child turns 4 next month. Too young?
A: Generally, we recommend you wait until your child is at least 4 or 5 to enroll, in large part to ensure an adequate ability to focus and engage with a cohort of similarly aged children.
Q: Can I enroll a child who doesn’t know their letters or any sounds?
A: Yes. Our Pre-K/Kindergarten levels cover all of the basics.
Q: Is this for a preschooler 4 or 5 years old who knows phonics and can sound out words slowly?
A: This could be a perfect fit for kindergarten level. With young children, you will need to gauge whether this online format with other children (possibly a year or two older than them) will be a good fit.
Q: I have a child in a higher grade (e.g., 4th, 5th grade) who is well below their grade level, reading closer to a first, second or third grade level. Will you have classes for my child?
A: Individual coaching sessions (instead of group) may be the right fit for an older reader at this point in time. We have coaches who can cater the content and coaching to help older readers gain the skills and confidence they need.
Q: Do you assess children somehow so they’re at the same learning level as their group?
A: When you enroll, there is a Placement Assessment that you can work through with your child on our website that helps us determine the appropriate grade level for your child. Coaches will be continually monitoring and assessing readers to ensure they are at an appropriate level with a group that makes sense.
Q: What grade levels do you teach?
A: Pre-k to 5th grade level. Our earlier levels focus heavily on phonological awareness, phonics, word recognition, and sight words, with fluency and comprehension built into each lesson. As the levels progress, readers learn more complex phonics patterns and automaticity. In levels 3, 4 and 5, the emphasis is on fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and word work (e.g., syllabication, prefixes, suffixes, tricky phonics patterns with multi syllable words).
Parents
Q: How involved do parents need to be? Can kids do this independently?
A: Savvy is intended to be a standalone program where children are fully engaged by a coach during a fast and fun 25 minute session. Most parents will not need to be involved. Of course we hope you read with your child consistently on your own, but Savvy’s curriculum is standalone.
Membership & Financial Questions
Q: Can we upgrade or change membership levels, (i.e., start monthly and move to annual subscription)?
A: Yes. You can always move from a month-to-month to an annual plan at any time. The pricing will change starting the next full month. You can also change from an individual to group plan, or group to individual plan of the same time period. For example, you can switch from an individual annual plan to an individual group plan at any time.
Q: Is there an option to pay for the entire year up front?
A: Yes. Please contact finance@savvyreading.com to pay for your annual subscription up front.
Q: Is the my current promotional discount applicable to my whole family?
A: Yes. If you sign up in any of the early adopter groups prior to January of 2021, we are happy to keep you at the promotional discount pricing for all of the readers in your immediate family. We’ll even let you change plans and get the associated promotional pricing for the different plans (i.e., group vs. individual or month-to-month vs. annual).
Q: Can I cancel if my child doesn’t like it?
A: The month-to-month plan can be cancelled anytime. The annual plan, which is discounted due to the annual contract, can be cancelled as well, but there will be a cancellation fee based on how long you have remaining in the contract.
Q: Can I get an annual subscription and switch kids halfway through?
A: Yes. The annual plan is a contract between Savvy and you – the parent/custodian. You can decide when and if to switch readers under one plan. Please contact support@savvyreading.com to coordinate if/when you decide to make a switch.
Q: Is there a Sliding Scale or Scholarship Program?
A: It would be amazing to have a scholarship fund to support readers whose families can’t afford Savvy’s regular price. We are looking into how to make this happen. If you would like to sponsor a scholarship, please contact support@savvyreading.com.
Q: Do you have resources for people if this is out of budget?
A: We are working to qualify for state funds that will pay for homeschool programs.
Q: Is there a discounted trial price?
A: We offer month-to-month subscriptions as trial periods, during which you can figure out if this is a good fit for your child.
Q: I’m in Canada. Is this available for folks north of the border?
A: Absolutely. We welcome international readers!
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