Advanced Program
Reading help that respects their age
Is your older child still struggling to read — and embarrassed by programs that look like they’re made for little kids?
The Advanced app was built just for them. It uses the same proven method as all Smart Steps programs — one sound at a time, mastered before moving on, then practiced to automatic — but everything about it is designed for an older student: harder words, faster-moving drills, and story serials written for their age. No cartoon babyishness. No one watching over their shoulder.
How it works
Each daily lesson takes 20 – 25 minutes. Your child reads real words and stories they can actually decode, records themselves reading, and builds fluency through the kind of focused practice that finally makes reading feel automatic. Built-in spelling practice locks each pattern in from both directions — reading and writing.
Kids who struggle with long words get extra support: the app can show big words one chunk at a time, the same way a teacher would cover part of the word with her hand — so your child learns to attack long words instead of freezing on them.
Who it's For
Roughly ages 8 and up — including middle schoolers — who know some reading but struggle with fluency, long words, or confidence. If your child is younger or barely reading at all, start with Beginner or Foundational instead; the subscription includes every level, so switching is instant.
A real teacher can listen — every day
- On our Daily Listening plans, your child's daily recordings go to a real teacher who listens, circles the exact words they missed, and the app walks your child through fixing them before the next lesson. For an older struggling reader, this is the game-changer: the little mistakes that have gone uncaught for years finally get caught.
