Really Great Reading
Product by Really Great Reading
Facts checked: Not yet checked
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating). This label applies to learning-science judgments throughout this overview.
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating)
While The Learning Standard has not yet fully evaluated Really Great Reading, its explicit alignment with the Science of Reading and systematic phonics instruction suggests strong potential for building foundational literacy. It relies heavily on teacher-led instruction rather than independent student practice, meaning effectiveness depends entirely on classroom implementation.
Pros
- Aligns with cognitive science by emphasizing explicit, systematic phonics instruction to build foundational reading skills.
- Targets specific decoding deficits through diagnostic assessments rather than relying on flawed balanced literacy cueing systems.
- Integrates oral language development alongside foundational reading skills to support long-term reading comprehension.
Cons
- Relies heavily on teacher facilitation rather than offering an independent, adaptive student learning experience.
- Lacks transparent pricing, making it difficult for individual educators or parents to evaluate accessibility.
- Requires significant professional development for educators to implement the program effectively.
What Do We Know About Really Great Reading?
Really Great Reading is an effective classroom-based intervention program for teaching foundational literacy, provided your child's teacher has the training to implement it correctly. This is not a standalone app your child can play independently at home to learn how to read. Instead, it is a comprehensive curriculum that schools use to deliver explicit, systematic phonics instruction. Grounded firmly in the Science of Reading, the program targets the exact mechanics of decoding words rather than teaching children to guess based on pictures or context. If your child struggles with reading, an educator using this system will guide them through structured routines that isolate specific sound-spelling connections. Because the platform relies on teacher-centered instruction enhanced by digital tools, parents will not see a dashboard of automated adaptive exercises. Effectiveness relies entirely on the quality of direct instruction in the classroom. The Learning Standard has not yet formally evaluated the software components of Really Great Reading, but the underlying pedagogical framework aligns tightly with established cognitive science regarding how the brain learns to read.
How Does Really Great Reading Work?
Really Great Reading uses explicit, systematic, and multisensory phonics instruction delivered through a teacher-led digital interface. Rather than relying on gamified, independent student practice, the platform provides educators with structured lesson plans and digital manipulatives to project to the class. Teachers introduce specific grapheme-phoneme correspondences in a highly sequenced order, ensuring mastery of basic decoding before introducing complex spelling patterns. Students participate in guided practice routines, manipulating digital or physical letter tiles to build and segment words. This active participation forces retrieval practice, requiring students to pull the correct phonetic sounds from memory. The platform also includes diagnostic decoding surveys, allowing teachers to pinpoint exact gaps in a student's phonetic knowledge and group them accordingly for targeted intervention.
Strengths and tradeoffs of Really Great Reading
The biggest strength of Really Great Reading is its rigid adherence to explicit, systematic phonics, while its biggest weakness is its complete reliance on teacher facilitation over independent student practice. Strengths: By avoiding the flawed cueing systems found in balanced literacy, the program ensures students focus their cognitive load purely on decoding letters into sounds. It effectively utilizes worked examples during teacher modeling, followed immediately by guided student practice. The inclusion of multisensory word-building activities strengthens memory consolidation by connecting visual, auditory, and kinesthetic pathways. Weaknesses: Because it is designed primarily as a classroom instructional tool, it offers minimal opportunities for independent, spaced retrieval practice through adaptive software. Students cannot simply log in and complete targeted exercises tailored to their specific ability level without teacher intervention. Furthermore, the steep learning curve for educators means that schools must invest heavily in professional development, and improper implementation will completely undermine the program's strong learning science foundations.
Who Might Benefit From Really Great Reading?
Best for school districts and classroom educators seeking a structured, evidence-based reading intervention program to replace outdated balanced literacy curricula. It is highly effective for students in early elementary grades developing foundational skills, as well as older students in grades 6-12 who have significant decoding gaps and require intensive remediation. Because it demands direct instruction, it is not suitable for parents looking for an independent educational app to supplement their child's reading practice at home.
Data Transparency
Does Not Meet Data Transparency Standard
Really Great Reading reaches Level 1 of 3 (Basic protections), below our data transparency standard. Reaching Level 2 needs the policy to document a data retention timeline, named service providers and self-service deletion.
20 of 35 checks passed
Evaluated October 2026
Really Great Reading Privacy Policy 11 10 22 4875-6787-2574, v3 →Level 1 · Basic protections
Does not sell data or target ads at students, limits sharing, and lets parents see and delete their child's data.
Level 2 · Parent control (meets the standard)
Families can get their data out, know who processes it, and know how long it is kept.
Not documented: a data retention timeline, named service providers, self-service deletion
Level 3 · Direct data access
Families or schools can pull their own data through an API, in a stated format.
Not documented: an API for retrieving their own data, a named export format
View all 35 checks
Parent Access8/8
Does the policy mention parents specifically?
“The privacy of our Customers, and their employees, students, and students’ parents or guardians’ (collectively, “Users”) is a serious matter for us and we are committed to protecting any Personal Information.”
Can parents view their child's data?
“For any requests to access, review, delete, correct or prevent further collection of a student’s Personal Information, parents should contact the school and follow the school's procedures for such requests.”
Can parents modify their child's data?
“Parents can also request that their child’s Personal Information be deleted or corrected or not be collected.”
Can parents delete their child's account?
“Parents can also request that their child’s Personal Information be deleted or corrected or not be collected.”
Is there a dedicated Children's Privacy section?
“## 3. Our Compliance With COPPA and FERPA”
Does it reference COPPA compliance?
“Our privacy practices comply with both COPPA and FERPA, as well as other state and federal law.”
Does it reference FERPA compliance?
“Our privacy practices comply with both COPPA and FERPA, as well as other state and federal law.”
Is parental consent required for child accounts?
“COPPA permits a school, acting in the role of “parent,” to provide required consents regarding Personal Information of students who are under the age of 13. Where a school is the subscriber to our Products, we rely on this form of COPPA consent.”
Data Portability2/5
Can users access their personal data?
“The right to access – You have the right to request RGR for copies of your personal data.”
Can users download/export their data?
“The right to data portability – You have the right to request that RGR transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.”
Is there a self-service data access tool?
The policy describes access requests through the school or by phone or email, but does not describe a tool users operate themselves to access their data.
Is a specific data format mentioned for export?
The policy does not name any format for exported data.
Is there an API for data access?
The policy does not mention an API for data access.
Data Minimization2/6
Is data collection itemized?
“which may include the student's first and last name, student ID numbers, learning level, and performance data.”
Can the app be used without a real name?
The policy says it collects students' first and last names from teachers or administrators.
Can the app be used without an email?
The policy does not state that student email addresses are never collected.
Does it state collection is limited to what is necessary?
“We limit our collection of Personal Information to no more than is reasonably necessary for the User at issue to experience our Products.”
Is IP address anonymized or truncated?
The policy says it collects IP addresses and does not mention anonymizing or truncating them.
Is location tracking explicitly excluded?
The policy says it collects general location based on IP address and does not exclude location tracking.
Third-Party Protection5/7
Does it explicitly state no selling of data?
“not use, sell, rent, transfer, distribute, modify, data mine, or otherwise disclose or make available Personal Information for our own purposes or for the benefit of anyone other than the Customer”
Are third-party providers named?
The policy does not name its service providers and says it will give Customers a list only on written request.
Are providers contractually restricted?
“We require Our Service Providers to agree in writing to terms that are no less restrictive regarding Personal Information that we share with them than the terms contained in this Policy.”
No-targeted-advertising commitment?
“Further, we do not use, or permit Our Service Providers to use, Personal Information collected through our Products for the purpose of targeted advertising.”
Is AI/ML data sharing addressed?
The policy does not address AI or machine learning.
Child-specific sharing restriction?
“refraining from re-disclosing or using this Personal Information except for purposes of providing our Products to the school.”
Cookies/tracking limited or opt-out?
“We do not allow Our Service Providers to collect Personal Information through persistent identifiers on our Products for any purpose other than the internal operations, support and maintenance of our Products.”
Deletion & Retention2/5
Can users delete their account?
“In addition, if requested by a Customer, we will delete from our Products the Personal Information of the Customer’s Users as the Customer directs.”
Self-service deletion mechanism?
The policy describes deletion only by request and offers no self-service deletion feature.
Specific data retention timeline?
The policy keeps data for as long as reasonably necessary and gives no specific time limit.
Auto-deletion of inactive accounts?
The policy does not mention automatically deleting inactive accounts.
Post-deletion handling described?
“Deleting this information will prevent the User from engaging in some or all features of our Products. Where required by applicable law, we will delete such information and provide a certification of such deletion.”
Advertising1/4
Advertising model explicitly disclosed?
The policy bans targeted advertising but does not say whether the product shows ads.
Free from third-party advertisements?
The policy does not state that the product is free of third-party ads.
Children excluded from ad targeting?
“Further, we do not use, or permit Our Service Providers to use, Personal Information collected through our Products for the purpose of targeted advertising.”
Ad-free option available?
The policy does not say the product is ad-free or offer an ad-free option.
What This Means
The policy review did not meet our data transparency standard. The checks above show the documented findings and unknowns. A missing statement does not establish how the app handles data in practice.
About this evaluation: Based on automated analysis of Really Great Reading Privacy Policy 11 10 22 4875-6787-2574, v3 against 35 policy-disclosure questions, including questions adapted from the Common Sense Privacy Program's published evaluation questions. TLS is not affiliated with Common Sense Media, and this is not a Common Sense rating. Quoted text is copied from the policy; unquoted notes are our summary. Results describe what the policy documents, not the company's actual practices. Privacy policies can change: this review reflects the version we analyzed and does not determine legal compliance.
Sources and review method
TLS combines product information and editorial analysis to explain how Really Great Reading works, its tradeoffs, and the questions to ask before choosing it. Product features, an instructional rationale and evidence of learning outcomes are different kinds of information.
Formal Learning Standard assessment: not yet completed. Data Transparency findings are reported separately and do not establish learning effectiveness. Read our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions About Really Great Reading
Is Really Great Reading free?
No, Really Great Reading is a paid curriculum designed for schools and districts. You must contact the vendor directly for specific pricing tiers based on student and educator licenses.
Is Really Great Reading good for elementary students?
Yes, it is highly effective for elementary students when implemented by a trained teacher. The program focuses heavily on foundational phonics and decoding skills critical for early literacy success.
What does Really Great Reading teach?
Really Great Reading teaches foundational literacy, explicitly focusing on phonics, phonemic awareness, decoding, oral language skills, and reading comprehension. It is designed to teach students the mechanics of reading rather than guessing words based on context.
How does Really Great Reading compare to Lexia Core5?
Lexia Core5 provides an independent, adaptive learning environment where students progress through digital exercises at their own pace. Really Great Reading is primarily a teacher-facilitated curriculum that uses technology to support direct instruction.
Has The Learning Standard evaluated Really Great Reading?
TLS has not yet completed a Learning Standard evaluation of how well Really Great Reading teaches. Its privacy policy has been reviewed for Data Transparency and reaches Level 1, Basic protections.
Is Really Great Reading COPPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references COPPA. A policy reference alone does not establish COPPA compliance. Policy review note: The policy says it complies with COPPA.
Is Really Great Reading FERPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references FERPA. A policy reference alone does not establish FERPA compliance. Policy review note: The policy says it complies with FERPA.
Does Really Great Reading have a children's privacy policy?
The reviewed policy includes a dedicated children's privacy section. Policy review note: The policy has a section with its own heading about COPPA compliance.
Does Really Great Reading sell student data?
The reviewed policy states that the app does not sell data. This is a policy statement; actual data practices were not verified. Policy review note: The vendor commits not to sell Personal Information, though the full sentence allows exceptions with the Customer's prior written consent or as permitted by the policy.
Can you delete your data from Really Great Reading?
The reviewed privacy policy describes account deletion. We have not tested the deletion process. Policy review note: Users' data is deleted when requested through the school.
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