Plain-language terms for families and programs

These terms are between you and The Skillful Reader (theskillfulreader.com). They cover your use of the website, the reading practice app, and any subscription you buy. By creating an account you agree to these terms and to our privacy notice. If you do not agree, please do not create an account.

Accounts are for adults only. A parent or legal guardian creates the account, gives consent, and then adds their own children as reader profiles. Teachers, tutors, and program leaders may hold an account for children whose parent or guardian has authorized them to act. Children never create accounts and never sign in themselves.

The Skillful Reader provides a reading diagnostic, leveled Hi-Lo stories with audio, and short daily practice sessions for struggling readers in grades 3-8. It is an educational support tool. It is not a medical, psychological, or diagnostic service, and it does not replace a teacher, tutor, or specialist. Progress depends on many things, so we do not promise a particular score or grade level by a particular date.

• Paid plans are billed monthly or annually through our payment provider, Stripe. Prices are shown on the pricing page before you buy.
• You can cancel at any time from your account. Cancellation stops the next renewal; access continues until the end of the period you already paid for.
• If something went wrong with a charge, email us within 30 days and we will make it right, including a refund where appropriate.
• Pilot access granted with an access code is free and has no billing. When a pilot ends, families can continue on a paid plan or close the account.
• We may change prices with at least 30 days notice by email. A change never applies to a period you have already paid for.

You agree not to:

• Share your login or an access code publicly or with people outside your family or program
• Copy, republish, or resell our stories, audio, or practice content
• Try to access another family's data, or probe or disrupt the service
• Upload anything unlawful or harmful through the contact forms

We may suspend or close an account that breaks these rules, and we will tell you why if we do.

The stories, audio, diagnostic, and software belong to The Skillful Reader. Your child's reading records belong to your family. You can export, correct, or delete them as described in the privacy notice, and deleting them does not affect anything you were told before that point.

We work to keep the service available and improving, but we may pause, update, or retire features. For a paid plan, if we retire the service entirely we will refund the unused part of your current period. We may update these terms; for paid accounts we will email you before a change takes effect, and continuing to use the service after that point means you accept the new terms.

The service is provided as is. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect losses such as lost income or lost school opportunity. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim, or the value of the free service where nothing was paid. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, USA, without regard to conflict of law rules. Families elsewhere keep any mandatory rights their local consumer law gives them.

Questions about these terms? Email ron@theskillfulreader.com . We reply within one school day.