Built for parents — K through third grade

You already know your reader best.
We help you know what to do next.

An 8-minute check-in shows exactly how your child is reading, and gives you a gentle 10-minute-a-day plan you do together. Warm, not clinical. Parent-led, not another drill app.

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It's 7pm. You're tired. You wonder — is she actually going to be okay? You are not alone. Every parent of a K–3 reader asks this. We built Readiness Coach so you don't have to wonder.

— the kind of night that starts every reading journey

How it feels

Three steps. About eight minutes.

No forms to fill, no jargon to decode. Just a gentle check-in and a clear next move.

Step 1

Meet your reader where they are

Your child plays through a short, gentle screener — letter sounds, blending, familiar words, a small read. Nothing scary. The app quietly maps their level.

Step 2

See what's happening, in plain English

Get a warm one-page summary. No clinical labels. Just: here's what they've got, here's what's next, here's why it matters.

Step 3

A 10-minute-a-day rhythm you can actually keep

We hand you a small plan for the week — a warm-up, a core moment, a little check-in. With the exact words to say. You are the teacher. We are the notes in your pocket.

What you actually do

Ten gentle minutes. Most days of the week.

Readiness Coach isn't an app your child plays alone. It's a small pocket guide for you — the parent who already reads the bedtime story. We make those minutes count more.

1
A 2-minute warm-up
A quick game or tap exercise that primes whatever skill we're building this week. You do it side-by-side.
2
A 6-minute core moment
A short read-aloud or practice, with a parent-script so you know exactly what to say, what to praise, what to let go.
3
A 2-minute check-in
One or two tiny questions. Did it click? Great — we move forward. Shaky? We loop back, gently, tomorrow.

If you miss a day, we pick right back up. We never shame. Life happens.

A note from the founder

I built this because I couldn't find it for my own family.

I am an educator, and like you, I am also a parent. For 20 years I watched third-graders sit for a reading test that decided whether they moved on with their class. I saw parents blindsided — told too late, in the wrong words, without a plan.

So I built the tool I wanted. The one that speaks to you the way I would — warmly, honestly, and without jargon. The one that respects your instinct and hands you the words to use with your own child.

You are the most important reading coach your child will ever have. This is here to make that easier. That's it. That's the whole thing.

Dr. Philip Hickman

Educator · parent · founder of Readiness Coach

What this is — and isn't

Clear on our lane.

We help. We don't diagnose.

Readiness Coach is a parent decision-support tool. If signs of dyslexia or a reading difference appear, we show you — gently — and help you request a proper evaluation from your school.

Your child's voice isn't penalized.

Our oral-reading scorer honors AAVE, Southern English, Hispanic-English, and other dialects as real, valid reading — not errors. Your family's voice is respected.

No ads. No data sold. Ever.

Your child's audio and skill data is encrypted and parent-controlled. You can delete everything with one tap. COPPA and FERPA aligned by design.

Your child reads with you.

We are the opposite of drill-and-kill. Research is clear — a parent reading with their child beats any software. We help you do it better, not more.

Honest pricing

Free to start. $14.99 a month when you're ready.

The Free tier gives you the readiness check and a weekly tip, forever. Parent unlocks the full weekly plan, the AI Parent Coach, the Reading Library, and the Tutor Report. Parents as teachers — for less than one tutoring session a year.

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Equity access ($0) available for Title I / SNAP / WIC / free-lunch families. Just ask.

Common questions

The answers parents ask for first.

Is this a diagnosis of my child?

No. Readiness Coach is a parent decision-support tool. We never say 'your child has dyslexia.' If signs are there, we show them — and help you request a proper school evaluation, with a letter you can send.

Will the AI be talking to my child?

No. The AI Parent Coach talks only to you. The child-facing Reading Buddy listens and encourages — it never asks personal questions and never collects data beyond the reading itself.

What happens to my child's data?

It's encrypted, parent-controlled, and never sold to anyone. Delete everything from Settings with one tap. COPPA and FERPA aligned.

What if my family speaks Spanish at home?

The app is fully bilingual (English and Spanish). The oral-reading scorer honors Hispanic-English dialect as valid reading. If your child is bilingual, we plan around both languages — not against them.

What if I miss a week?

You pick right back up. We never send shame emails. Life happens — sick days, travel, the hard weeks. The plan resumes the moment you do.

Can I cancel?

Anytime, in one click. No contract, no cancellation call, no hoops.

Parent guides