How to Use Your FES-UA for PRIDE Reading Program

For many families, the cost of a specialized curriculum can be a significant barrier to getting their child the help they need. In Florida, the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) removes that obstacle. This state-funded program provides an education savings account that you can use for approved educational expenses, putting the highest quality resources within your reach. It’s a system designed to empower you, the parent, to make the best choices for your child’s academic future. We are honored to be an approved choice for families like yours, as the PRIDE Reading Program is a Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities Florida Step Up For Students Curriculum Vendor. You can confidently use your scholarship to invest in our proven reading program.

Key Takeaways

Fund a custom education with the FES-UA scholarship: This Florida program gives you direct control over an education savings account, allowing you to pay for the specific curriculum and services your child needs to succeed.
Use your scholarship for a proven reading program: As an approved FES-UA provider, you can use your funds to purchase PRIDE’s complete Orton-Gillingham curriculum, decodable books, and tutoring, ensuring your child gets effective, research-based instruction.
Stay organized to make the most of your funds: Apply online through Step Up For Students, keep clear records of your purchases, and remember to renew your application each year to maintain your child’s funding and support.

What is the FES-UA Scholarship?

If you’re a parent in Florida, you have a fantastic resource available to help you create a personalized learning plan for your child. The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, or FES-UA, is a state program that gives you the financial freedom to choose the best educational tools and environments for your child’s specific needs. Think of it as a dedicated education savings account that you control. Instead of being limited to a one-size-fits-all approach, this scholarship empowers you to select and pay for the private schools, therapists, and curriculum that will truly help your child thrive.

This program is managed by organizations like Step Up For Students, which handles the application process and distributes the funds. The goal is simple: to put the power back in your hands. You know your child best, and the FES-UA provides the means to act on that knowledge. It allows you to build a customized educational path that can include specialized programs like our own PRIDE Reading Program, ensuring your child gets the targeted support they need for academic success and confidence. It’s a way to make sure that a diagnosis doesn’t define your child’s educational limits, but instead opens the door to new opportunities.

Key Benefits of the FES-UA

The biggest advantage of the FES-UA scholarship is the flexibility it offers. You are no longer limited to the resources available at your local public school. Instead, you can direct funds toward the specific tools and support systems that will make the most impact on your child’s learning journey. This means you can pay for private school tuition, hire a specialist for one-on-one therapy, or purchase a proven, research-based curriculum. This level of personalization ensures that your child’s unique challenges are met with tailored solutions, giving them the best possible chance to succeed academically and build confidence along the way.

Who Qualifies for the Scholarship?

To be eligible for the FES-UA scholarship, your child must be a Florida resident between the ages of 3 and 22 who has not yet graduated from high school. The key requirement is that your child must have a specific diagnosis from a licensed physician or psychologist. This includes a wide range of learning differences, such as autism spectrum disorder, speech or language impairments, and specific learning disabilities like dyslexia. The program is designed to support any student who would benefit from a more specialized educational setting than a traditional public school can typically provide.

Funding Amounts and What’s Covered

The FES-UA scholarship is awarded as an education savings account (ESA), with the average funding amount being around $10,000 per student for the school year. These funds are incredibly versatile and can be used for a wide array of educational expenses. You can use the money for private school tuition and fees, specialized therapies, tutoring services from a PRIDE Reading Specialist, and even technology. Importantly, the scholarship also covers curriculum materials, which means you can use your funds to purchase comprehensive, structured literacy programs like the PRIDE Reading Program to use in your homeschool or as a supplement to their schoolwork.

What Documents Will You Need?

When you’re ready to apply, it’s helpful to have your documents in order. The application process requires you to verify your child’s eligibility and your Florida residency. You will typically need to provide a copy of your child’s birth certificate to confirm their age and proof of your address, like a recent utility bill or lease agreement. Most importantly, you will need official documentation of your child’s diagnosis from a qualified physician or psychologist. Having these documents scanned and ready to upload will make the application process much smoother and help you get approved without any delays.

How to Apply for the FES-UA Scholarship

Applying for a scholarship can feel like a big undertaking, but breaking it down into manageable steps makes the process much clearer. The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) is managed by Step Up For Students, a state-approved nonprofit organization. This means your entire application journey will happen through their online portal. Think of it as your central hub for submitting information, tracking your progress, and eventually, managing your scholarship funds.

The process is designed to verify your child’s eligibility and ensure the funds are directed toward their specific educational needs. By gathering your documents ahead of time and following the steps, you can move through the application efficiently. This scholarship can open the door to specialized educational tools, like our Orton-Gillingham structured literacy curriculum, giving your child the targeted support they need to thrive. Let’s walk through exactly what you need to do to get started.

Your Step-by-Step Application Guide

Getting your FES-UA application started is straightforward. The entire process is handled online, which makes it convenient to save your progress and come back to it as needed. To apply for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, families must first create an account on the Step Up For Students website. From there, you will submit the required paperwork to confirm your child’s eligibility. After you’ve submitted everything, you can easily check the status of your application through your account. Following these key steps will help you stay organized and ensure you complete everything required for approval.

Create Your Step Up Account

Your first official step is to set up a family account. This is more than just a login—it’s your command center for the entire scholarship process. Creating an account is essential for managing your application and accessing scholarship funds once they are approved. This portal is where you’ll receive important notifications and see if any additional action is needed from you. Take a few minutes to go to the Step Up For Students website and create your account. Be sure to save your login information in a safe place, as you will need it throughout the school year.

Submit Your Required Documents

Once your account is active, it’s time to provide the necessary documentation. Families will need to upload documents, including proof of the child’s age, residency in Florida, and a documented diagnosis from a qualified professional. It’s a good idea to gather these items before you begin uploading to make the process go faster. These documents are used to verify that your child meets the scholarship’s eligibility criteria. The diagnosis is particularly important, as it confirms your child has a unique ability that qualifies them for this specific scholarship program.

Track Your Application Status

You don’t have to wonder about where you are in the review process. Once your application is submitted, you can track its status through your Step Up account, ensuring you stay updated on any required actions or approvals. Checking your portal regularly is a great habit to get into. The system will show you if your application is pending, if it requires more information, or if it has been approved. Staying on top of these updates helps you respond quickly to any requests from the review team, which keeps your application moving forward without unnecessary delays.

What is the PRIDE Reading Program?

If you’re looking for a reading program that is clear, effective, and built on proven methods, you’ve found it. The PRIDE Reading Program is a comprehensive curriculum designed to guide learners of all ages toward literacy success. It’s not just another set of books; it’s a complete system designed with every type of learner in mind. We combine explicit instruction with engaging, hands-on activities to build a strong foundation in reading, writing, and comprehension. Whether you’re a parent teaching at home or an educator in a classroom, our program provides the tools and support you need to help your students thrive.

Our Orton-Gillingham Structured Literacy Approach

At the heart of our program is the Orton-Gillingham approach, a gold standard for reading instruction. This method is highly structured and sequential, which means we teach concepts in a logical order, starting with the simplest skills and building from there. Nothing is left to chance. This step-by-step process helps prevent gaps in learning and builds confidence in struggling readers. As a structured literacy curriculum, PRIDE explicitly teaches the foundational rules of our language, making reading and spelling feel less like a guessing game and more like a code your child can finally crack. It’s a systematic approach that brings clarity and predictability to learning.

Why We Use Multisensory Teaching Methods

Children learn best when they can engage their whole brain. That’s why the PRIDE Reading Program is multisensory, incorporating sight, sound, touch, and movement into every lesson. Instead of just looking at words on a page, your child will be tracing letters, using color-coded materials, and participating in activities that make learning active and memorable. This method is especially powerful for children with learning differences like dyslexia, as it creates multiple pathways in the brain for information to be stored and retrieved. It makes lessons more engaging and helps concepts stick, turning what could be a frustrating experience into a fun one.

Specialized Support for Every Type of Learner

We know that every child’s learning journey is unique. The PRIDE Reading Program was created to be flexible enough to meet the needs of diverse learners. Our curriculum is structured yet adaptable, allowing you to move at your child’s pace. It’s designed for students who find reading difficult, but its clear, systematic approach benefits everyone. Whether you are implementing our homeschool curriculum or using it across an entire school district, the program provides the framework for success. We ensure every child receives the targeted support they need to become a confident, capable reader.

A Curriculum Built on the Science of Reading

The term “Science of Reading” refers to a large body of research that explains how our brains learn to read. It’s not a trend or a specific program, but the evidence-based consensus on the most effective ways to teach literacy. The PRIDE Reading Program is built entirely on these principles. Our curriculum aligns with the Science of Reading by focusing on the five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. By using our program, you can be confident that you are teaching with methods that are backed by decades of scientific research.

What’s Included in the PRIDE Reading Program?

When you choose the PRIDE Reading Program, you’re getting a complete, all-in-one toolkit designed to guide your child toward reading success. We’ve carefully assembled everything you need, so you can open the box and start teaching with confidence from day one. The program is built on a structured literacy framework, which means every component works together in a logical, sequential way to build skills step-by-step. There’s no need to hunt for supplemental materials or wonder what to do next—it’s all right here for you.

We know that every learner is unique, which is why our program is designed to be both comprehensive and adaptable. Whether you’re a parent teaching at the kitchen table or an educator managing a classroom, you’ll find the materials intuitive and the lessons easy to implement. From the core curriculum that guides your instruction to the books that build confidence, every piece is created to support you and your student. Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll find inside.

Your Core Curriculum Materials

At the heart of the program are your core teaching materials. The PRIDE Reading Program offers a structured yet flexible curriculum that caters to the needs of diverse learners. This means you get a clear, easy-to-follow path for instruction, but with the freedom to adapt lessons to your child’s specific pace and learning style. You’ll receive a Teacher’s Guide with scripted, open-and-go lessons that walk you through every step of our Orton-Gillingham approach. You’ll also get a Student Workbook filled with activities that directly correspond to each lesson, ensuring the concepts stick. This structure removes the guesswork, making it a perfect fit for both homeschool and school district settings.

Our Collection of Decodable Books

This is where the magic really happens. The program includes a variety of decodable books that are designed to support the reading development of students, allowing them to practice their skills in a meaningful context. Unlike many early readers, our decodable books only use the letter sounds and phonetic patterns your child has already learned in the lessons. This intentional design allows your student to experience real reading success from the very beginning, building the confidence they need to tackle more complex texts later on. It’s an incredible feeling to watch a child read their first book from cover to cover, and our books make that possible.

Tools for Practice and Assessment

How do you know if your child is truly mastering the material? We’ve built the answer right into the program. PRIDE provides tools for practice and assessment that help track student progress and ensure mastery of reading skills. Throughout the lessons and practice books, you’ll find built-in checks for understanding, review activities, and simple assessments. These tools give you a clear picture of your student’s strengths and identify any areas where they might need a little more support. This ongoing feedback loop is essential for making sure your instruction is effective and that your child is building a solid foundation for lifelong reading.

Support Resources for Parents and Teachers

You are never alone on this journey. The program is designed to support parents and teachers with comprehensive resources, including scripted lessons and training components to help them effectively teach reading. Our Teacher’s Guides are so clear and detailed that you don’t need any prior teaching experience to use them successfully. We tell you exactly what to say and do for each part of the lesson. And if you ever feel stuck or need personalized advice, you can get help from our team of certified PRIDE Reading Specialists. We’re here to provide the backup you need to feel confident and empowered as a reading instructor.

Engaging, Interactive Learning Materials

Learning to read should be an adventure, not a chore. That’s why the PRIDE Reading Program features engaging, interactive learning materials that make the reading process enjoyable and effective for students. We use a multisensory approach, which means kids learn by seeing, hearing, and doing. Lessons might involve tracing letters on a textured surface, using sound cards, or moving tiles to build words. These hands-on activities are especially powerful for children with learning differences like dyslexia, as they help anchor concepts in the brain in multiple ways. By making learning active and fun, we help foster a genuine love for reading.

How to Use FES-UA Funds for the PRIDE Reading Program

Figuring out scholarships can feel like a job in itself, but the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) is designed to give you direct control over your child’s education. As an approved provider, we’ve made it simple to use your FES-UA funds to purchase the exact PRIDE Reading Program materials your child needs to succeed. This means you can directly apply your scholarship to our research-based curriculum and give your child the gift of literacy.

We’ve helped countless families through this process, and we’re here to walk you through it, too. Below, you’ll find a clear guide on which materials are covered, how to make a purchase, and how to manage your funds effectively.

Which PRIDE Materials Are Approved?

The great news is that your FES-UA funds can be used for a wide range of our offerings. Because the scholarship is designed for flexibility, you can select the tools that best fit your child’s specific learning path. This includes our comprehensive homeschool curriculum, which provides the complete Orton-Gillingham framework in an easy-to-follow format.

You can also use your funds to purchase supplemental materials like our engaging decodable books and targeted practice workbooks. If your child needs more personalized support, the FES-UA scholarship can also cover one-on-one online instruction with our certified PRIDE Reading Specialists. Our goal is to ensure you can build a complete, customized literacy plan using your scholarship funds.

The Purchasing Process, Step-by-Step

Once your FES-UA scholarship is active, using it to purchase PRIDE materials is straightforward. The first step is to identify which level of the PRIDE Reading Program is the right fit for your child. If you’re unsure, you can always reach out to our team for guidance.

After you’ve selected your materials, you will typically make the purchase through the scholarship’s online portal, like the EMA platform from Step Up For Students. You can add PRIDE items to your cart and check out using your scholarship funds directly. For services like tutoring, you’ll submit an invoice from us for reimbursement or direct payment. We provide all the necessary documentation to make this process smooth, ensuring you can get your materials quickly and start teaching.

How to Pay with Your Scholarship Funds

Think of your FES-UA scholarship as an education savings account (ESA). It functions like a dedicated bank account that you control, allowing you to direct payments to approved providers for specific educational expenses. When you’re ready to buy from PRIDE, you’ll log into your account with your scholarship funding organization, such as Step Up For Students.

From there, you can authorize a direct payment to the PRIDE Reading Program for your chosen curriculum, books, or tutoring services. The funds are transferred directly from your ESA to us, so you often don’t have to pay out-of-pocket. This system gives you the freedom to choose the best resources for your child without financial barriers.

Tips for Planning Your Budget

To make the most of your FES-UA funds, it helps to plan your spending for the entire school year. Start by assessing your child’s primary needs. Will you need a full curriculum kit, or are you looking for supplemental practice materials to support their current learning? Consider whether your child might benefit from intensive support, like our Accelerated Summer Program, and factor that into your budget.

Map out the essentials first, then see what funds remain for enrichment materials like extra decodable book sets. Planning ahead ensures you can cover the core instructional needs for the full year and use your funds strategically to maximize your child’s reading growth.

How to Keep Good Records

Maintaining clear records is essential when using any scholarship, and the FES-UA is no exception. Be sure to save all invoices, payment confirmations, and communications related to your PRIDE Reading Program purchases. Most scholarship management portals keep a digital record of your transactions, but it’s always a good idea to have your own copies for reference.

These records are important for accountability and for tracking your spending against your total scholarship amount. They also create a helpful history of the resources you’ve used, which can inform your planning for the following school year. Good record-keeping ensures you stay in compliance with scholarship rules and makes the annual renewal process much smoother.

Comparing FES-UA Approved Reading Programs

With your FES-UA scholarship, you have a fantastic list of approved reading programs to choose from. This is great news, but it can also feel a little overwhelming. How do you know which one is the right fit for your child? The best program is always the one that meets your learner’s unique needs and fits with your teaching style. While many of these programs are built on the principles of structured literacy, they each have a different focus and approach.

To help you make a confident choice, let’s look at some of the most popular FES-UA approved programs. We’ll compare their core methods, who they’re designed for, and what makes each one stand out. This breakdown is designed to give you a clear picture of your options so you can select a curriculum that will truly help your child thrive. Remember, every program on this list has been vetted for quality, so you’re starting from a strong position no matter what.

PRIDE Reading Program

The PRIDE Reading Program offers a structured yet flexible curriculum that is easy for parents and teachers to implement without extensive training. It’s a comprehensive Orton-Gillingham program designed for all students, including those with dyslexia or other learning differences. Our approach is multisensory, meaning your child will learn through sight, sound, touch, and movement, which keeps lessons engaging and effective. While it’s perfect for students who struggle with reading, its foundational approach benefits any learner. The scripted, step-by-step lessons make it simple to teach reading correctly and confidently right from the start.

Wilson Reading System

The Wilson Reading System is a highly structured literacy program designed for students in grades 2-12 who have a diagnosed language-based learning disability. It places a strong emphasis on phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency, providing an intensive intervention for older students who are struggling significantly. The program is very thorough and is often implemented by teachers who have completed specific Wilson training. It’s a powerful tool for students who need a deep, systematic approach to close foundational reading gaps.

Barton Reading and Spelling System

The Barton Reading and Spelling System is another Orton-Gillingham-based program specifically designed for students with dyslexia. It is known for its very explicit, step-by-step approach that is easy for parents, tutors, or teachers to follow. The lessons are scripted, which helps ensure the method is delivered with fidelity. Barton is a great option for families and educators who are looking for a highly structured system that moves sequentially through reading and spelling concepts, providing intensive support for learners who have struggled with other methods.

All About Reading

All About Reading is a comprehensive, multisensory program that teaches reading through an explicit phonics-based approach. It is especially popular in the homeschool community because of its engaging and hands-on nature. The program is designed to make reading fun for children by incorporating interactive activities and beautifully illustrated stories into the lessons. It’s a gentle yet thorough program that builds skills incrementally, making it a strong choice for young learners or students who benefit from a more playful and encouraging learning environment.

Reading Horizons

Reading Horizons offers a phonics-based reading program that focuses on teaching students a clear method to decode words. It is suitable for students of all ages, from young learners to adults, and is particularly effective for those who are struggling to read. The program uses a unique marking system to help students identify phonetic patterns and rules within words, giving them a concrete strategy for tackling unfamiliar text. This direct and systematic approach to decoding can be very helpful for students who need a clear, repeatable process for sounding out words.

Sonday System

The Sonday System is an Orton-Gillingham-based program that provides a structured, multisensory approach to reading intervention. It is specifically designed for students with dyslexia and other significant reading difficulties. The program is often used in one-on-one or small group settings and is known for its easy-to-use lesson plans that require minimal teacher preparation. It breaks down reading concepts into manageable steps, making it accessible for students who are easily overwhelmed, and provides a clear path for building literacy skills from the ground up.

Lexia Core5

Lexia Core5 is a technology-based reading program that provides personalized and adaptive learning paths for students in pre-K through 5th grade. As students work through the online activities, the program adjusts the difficulty in real-time to match their skill level. It focuses on six critical areas of reading instruction, from phonological awareness to comprehension. Because it’s a computer-based program, it offers a different learning experience than the more hands-on, multisensory curricula. It’s a great tool for supplementing instruction and providing independent practice.

Get Started with PRIDE and FES-UA

Once your FES-UA scholarship is approved, you’re ready to give your child the gift of literacy with the PRIDE Reading Program. We’ve designed our program to be straightforward and effective, so you can feel confident as you begin this journey. Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to getting started and making the most of your resources.

Start with an Initial Assessment

First things first, let’s figure out exactly where your child is starting from. A quick and simple placement assessment is the best way to pinpoint your child’s specific strengths and areas for growth. The PRIDE Reading Program offers a structured yet flexible curriculum that caters to the needs of diverse learners, and this initial step ensures you begin at the perfect level. By understanding your child’s unique learning profile, you can tailor the program to their pace, making the experience positive and productive from day one. This isn’t about testing for a grade; it’s about creating a personalized path to success.

Select the Right Materials for Your Child

With your assessment complete, you can now confidently choose the right materials. Your FES-UA funds can be used for our comprehensive curriculum kits, which include everything you need to teach your child effectively. PRIDE has partnered with organizations that offer scholarships to give your child access to the literacy education that best meets their needs. Whether you’re starting with foundational alphabet skills or moving into more complex reading, our homeschool curriculum is designed to build skills sequentially. You’ll find our program kits are clearly labeled by level, making it easy to match them to your child’s assessment results and purchase them with your scholarship funds.

Follow Our Clear Implementation Guides

You don’t need a teaching degree to use our program successfully. We’ve made sure our teaching guides are as clear and user-friendly as possible. The program focuses on helping the parent or teacher, making it excellent for new homeschoolers or parents who are teaching a child to read for the first time. Each lesson is scripted, so you know exactly what to say and do. These step-by-step instructions remove the guesswork and allow you to focus on connecting with your child. Our Orton-Gillingham approach is powerful, and our guides make it simple for you to implement it with fidelity right at home.

Monitor Progress with Our Tools

Watching your child’s confidence grow is one of the most rewarding parts of this process. With the PRIDE Reading Program, you will see improved reading, spelling, and comprehension and increased self-confidence. Our program has built-in checks for understanding and assessments at the end of each unit, so you can easily track your child’s progress. These tools help you see what’s clicking and where a little more practice might be needed. This continuous feedback loop ensures your child is truly mastering each concept before moving on, building a solid foundation for lifelong literacy and a genuine love for reading.

Access Our Full Suite of Support Resources

Remember, you are not alone on this journey. We are here to support you every step of the way. As one parent shared, “We are very pleased with Pride and highly recommend the program to any family that needs assistance. I feel so fortunate to have Pride as a resource.” If you ever have questions or need guidance, you can connect with our team of PRIDE Reading Specialists for expert advice. We also offer a wealth of online resources and a community of fellow parents to connect with. Your success is our success, and we are committed to providing the support you and your child need to thrive.

How to Manage Your FES-UA Educational Plan

Once your FES-UA application is approved, the next step is to manage your educational plan effectively. Think of it as your roadmap for the school year. Staying organized helps you make the most of every dollar and ensures your child gets the consistent support they need to thrive. A little planning goes a long way in making the scholarship work for your family and sets your child up for long-term academic success. Here’s how you can stay on top of your plan.

Track Your Child’s Academic Progress

The FES-UA scholarship empowers you to personalize your child’s education by directing funds toward the right resources. When you invest in a program like PRIDE, it’s important to monitor how it’s working. Keep a simple log of your child’s progress, noting milestones and areas where they still need support. Our homeschool curriculum has built-in checks and assessments that make this easy. Tracking progress isn’t just for paperwork; it helps you celebrate wins, adjust your teaching strategies, and see the real-world impact of your investment. It confirms you’re on the right path and helps you plan your next steps with confidence.

Document Your Expenses Correctly

Your FES-UA funding is managed through an Education Savings Account (ESA), which works like a dedicated bank account for educational expenses. It’s crucial to keep detailed records of every purchase you make. Hold on to all your receipts and invoices for approved materials, like your PRIDE Reading Program curriculum and our fun decodable books. You can use a simple spreadsheet or a dedicated folder to keep everything organized. This documentation is your proof that funds were used according to the scholarship rules. Staying organized from the start makes reimbursement requests and annual reviews much smoother.

Renew Your Scholarship Annually

The FES-UA scholarship is a fantastic resource, but it doesn’t automatically renew. You’ll need to reapply each year to continue receiving funds. The application window for the next school year typically opens well in advance, so it’s a good idea to mark your calendar and watch for announcements from Step Up For Students. Gather your required documents ahead of time so you’re ready to go when the application period begins. Renewing on time ensures there are no gaps in your child’s funding or their educational services. It’s a simple but critical step in your long-term planning.

Stay in Compliance with FES-UA Rules

To keep your scholarship in good standing, you must follow the program’s rules. This means using the funds only for approved, education-related expenses for your eligible child. The goal of the FES-UA is to help your child improve their academic skills, and using a curriculum built on the Science of Reading is a great way to meet that requirement. Always double-check the official FES-UA handbook or website if you’re unsure whether an expense is covered. Staying compliant protects your access to this valuable funding and ensures you can continue providing your child with the best possible educational tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

My child doesn’t have a dyslexia diagnosis. Can we still qualify for the FES-UA scholarship? Yes, absolutely. The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities covers a wide range of diagnoses beyond dyslexia. Eligibility is based on having a documented condition from a licensed physician or psychologist, which can include speech or language impairments, autism spectrum disorder, and other specific learning disabilities that affect your child’s ability to thrive in a traditional school setting.

I’m not a trained teacher. Will I be able to use the PRIDE Reading Program effectively? This is a concern I hear a lot, and the answer is a confident yes. We designed the PRIDE Reading Program specifically for parents and educators who don’t have a background in reading instruction. The lessons are scripted and laid out in a simple, step-by-step format. We tell you exactly what to say and do, which removes the guesswork and allows you to teach our powerful Orton-Gillingham method with confidence right from your kitchen table.

How do I know which level of the PRIDE Reading Program to purchase with my FES-UA funds? Finding the perfect starting point is the key to success. Before you purchase anything, we recommend using the simple placement assessment on our website. This quick check will help you pinpoint your child’s exact needs, ensuring you select the curriculum level that will challenge them without causing frustration. This step helps you use your scholarship funds wisely and sets your child up for a positive experience from the very first lesson.

Do I have to pay for the PRIDE curriculum out-of-pocket and wait for the scholarship to reimburse me? For most families, no. The FES-UA scholarship functions as an Education Savings Account (ESA), which is managed through a portal like Step Up For Students. This allows you to authorize direct payments to approved providers like us. You can select the PRIDE materials you need and pay for them directly with your scholarship funds, meaning you often don’t have to spend any of your own money upfront.

Can I use the FES-UA scholarship for more than just the curriculum? Yes, the scholarship is designed to be flexible so you can build a complete support system for your child. In addition to our core curriculum kits, you can use your FES-UA funds for other valuable resources like our engaging decodable book sets to build your child’s home library. You can also use the funds for one-on-one online instruction with our certified PRIDE Reading Specialists for more personalized support.