1st Grade Reading Program in New York
Help your child build on their early reading foundation with a program designed to strengthen skills, confidence, and independence. At Reading In PreSchool, our personalized, engaging lessons help children continue developing the reading, writing, and comprehension skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.
Our 1st grade reading program focuses on steady progression, helping your child move forward in a way that feels achievable while preparing them for more advanced reading.
1st Grade Reading Program Curriculum
We use The Alexander Reading Method, a structured, phonics-based approach that helps children strengthen and expand their reading abilities. In our 1st grade reading program, children continue developing blending, decoding, spelling, and writing skills through lessons designed around their pace and learning style.
Each child begins with an initial assessment to identify their current reading level. From there, lessons are personalized to support continued progress, reinforce understanding, and build confidence as reading becomes more complex.
In-Person New York Classes
In-person lessons are offered year-round in New York City, Scarsdale, Rye, Rye Brook, and Greenwich, CT. During the summer, families can also take in-person classes in the Hamptons.
Classes take place in your home and are play-based to keep learning enjoyable, while still building a strong academic foundation. With consistent support and one-on-one attention, children develop the skills needed to stay 6 to 12 months ahead, making the transition into more demanding grades feel smooth and manageable.
WHAT YOUR CHILD WILL LEARN
During the 1st grade program, your child advances through more developed reading stages while continuing to strengthen core skills. Children work on:
Advancing through higher reading levels with guided support
Strengthening blending and decoding skills for longer words
Building spelling and writing skills through structured practice
Improving reading fluency and comprehension
Gaining confidence with more complex sentences and stories
As they progress, children begin preparing for chapter books in second grade, developing the independence and confidence needed to read on their own.
Each lesson meets your child where they are, helping them continue building strong skills while feeling supported and capable.
Meet the New York Team
Each Preschool Reading teacher holds a valid teaching license and has classroom experience. All teachers are trained in The Alexander Reading Method.
98% Success Rate: Trusted by Families Raising Confident Readers
Our goal at Reading In PreSchool is simple: help your child feel ready, supported, and ahead—so they can continue to grow with confidence for years to come.
Since 2013, families have turned to Reading In PreSchool to help their children build strong reading foundations early. With a 98% success rate, our program has helped thousands of children become capable readers before entering more advanced grades.
Parents often notice not just stronger reading skills, but a shift in confidence. Children begin to approach learning with excitement, participate more in school, and feel proud of what they can do on their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
In-person lessons are offered year-round in New York City, Scarsdale, Rye, Rye Brook, and Greenwich, CT. During the summer, families also have the option to have in-person classes in the Hamptons. Lessons take place in the comfort of your home.
We require a minimum of two sessions per week, per student. Lessons can be scheduled for 30-minutes or longer.
Yes. Progress reports are sent every month, except for the months of December, March, and June, when children have many breaks.
Our teachers have their Master's in General and/or Special Education and are trained in The Alexander Reading Method. Additionally, they are people with the following qualities:
- A love of working with and teaching young children
- The ability to keep children engaged and having fun
- Empathy
- Patience
- Bubbly, with young energy
- The ability to show results
- Organized
- Great communication skills
- Respectful in our clients’ homes
- Teachers who love learning and exploring new techniques that will meet the individual child's needs
Every single child is different. If your child has no processing delays or learning issues, and if there are no significant breaks from sessions throughout the year, the following is our general time frame to plan for. It is based on consistent, twice-per-week classes and some light homework a few times a week.
- Age 2.5: 3 years
- Ages 3 to 4: 2-3 years
- Ages 4.5-5.5: 2 years
- Ages 5.5 - 6.5: 1-2 years
- Older ages: 6 months to a year
In our experience, we have seen that children who take a break from classes for a month or more usually lose 2 months of information for every month they miss. This results in the course extending beyond the time frames listed above.
Yes. At Reading In PreSchool, we use explicit instruction to guide beginning readers step by step as they move toward fluent reading.
Yes. Our approach is supported by foundational research to strengthen letter-sound relationships and help children reach their grade level.
Many schools in the U.S. delay structured reading instruction and rely on memorization early on, which can leave gaps once expectations increase in first and second grade. Without early phonics and individualized support, children often feel rushed to catch up, which adds pressure instead of building confidence.
Starting earlier, when children are naturally ready to learn, helps them build strong reading skills before those demands begin.
Our 1st grade reading program strengthens foundational reading skills. As children grow more confident in reading and writing, they are better prepared to keep up with expectations across subjects throughout the school year and beyond.
Yes.The Alexander Reading Method is an evidence-based program that focuses on phonics, repetition, and structured progression. It helps children build literacy skills in a way that aligns with how they naturally learn (through play-based learning), while also addressing gaps often seen in the U.S. education system.
Reading aloud is incorporated into lessons to help children improve fluency, comprehension, and confidence. With guidance that complements what classroom teachers are working on, children become more comfortable reading aloud and begin to develop stronger independent reading habits.