NC ESA+: Use Your Funds for PRIDE Reading Program

If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in North Carolina, you have an incredible opportunity to direct their learning journey. The state’s ESA+ Program gives you access to funds specifically for educational expenses, from specialized curriculum to tutoring. This puts you in control of finding the best tools to support your child’s unique needs. When it comes to reading instruction, you want a program that is proven, effective, and easy to implement. We are proud to announce that the PRIDE Reading Program is a NCSEAA ESA+ Curriculum Vendor. This official designation means you can directly apply your ESA+ funds to our comprehensive, Orton-Gillingham-based curriculum, providing your child with the targeted support they need to become a confident and capable reader.

Key Takeaways

Fund your child’s learning with the NC ESA+ Program: This state scholarship provides direct financial assistance to families of children with an IEP, allowing you to pay for specialized educational resources that meet their specific needs.
Invest in a program designed for success: The PRIDE Reading Program is an approved ESA+ vendor, making it a perfect match for your funds. Its Orton-Gillingham approach is specifically built to help students with dyslexia and other learning challenges.
The path to getting started is clear: You can begin by applying for the ESA+ program online with your child’s IEP. Once approved, you can use your funds to purchase the complete PRIDE curriculum or secure one-on-one tutoring.

What is the PRIDE Reading Program?

If you’re looking for a reading program that truly makes a difference for a struggling learner, you’ve found it. The PRIDE Reading Program is a comprehensive, step-by-step curriculum designed to help children who have difficulty with reading, including those with dyslexia. The best part? The PRIDE Reading Program is an officially approved provider for North Carolina’s Education Savings Account (ESA+) Program. This means you can use your state funds to purchase this incredible resource for your child.

Our program isn’t just about memorizing words; it’s about building a deep, lasting understanding of how language works. We provide scripted, easy-to-follow lessons that give you the confidence to teach your child effectively, whether you’re a homeschool parent or a classroom teacher. With our homeschool curriculum, you get all the tools and support you need to guide your child toward becoming a confident, capable reader. We take the guesswork out of teaching so you can focus on what matters most: your child’s success.

How PRIDE Builds Strong Readers

At the heart of our program is an approach called structured literacy. This method is grounded in decades of research known as the Science of Reading, which explains how our brains learn to read most effectively. Instead of asking children to guess at words, we teach them the foundational rules of the English language in a clear, sequential way.

Each lesson builds logically on the last, ensuring there are no gaps in your child’s learning. This systematic process helps students make sense of reading and spelling, transforming what was once a source of frustration into a skill they can master. By using a structured literacy framework, we provide a reliable roadmap for literacy that empowers every child to read with confidence.

Is PRIDE Right for Your Child?

If you’ve watched your child struggle to sound out words, get frustrated with reading assignments, or fall behind their peers, the PRIDE Reading Program is designed for them. It’s an excellent curriculum choice for any student who finds reading challenging, and it’s especially effective for children with learning differences like dyslexia, auditory processing disorder, or visual processing disorder.

Our program was created to meet these students where they are. The lessons are intentionally designed to be short, engaging, and multisensory to hold their attention and cater to different learning styles. If traditional reading instruction hasn’t worked for your child, it’s not their fault. They likely need a different approach—one that is explicit, systematic, and built for their unique brain. That’s exactly what PRIDE provides.

The Power of the Orton-Gillingham Method

The PRIDE Reading Program is built on the gold-standard Orton-Gillingham approach. This method has been trusted for decades because it works, particularly for students who struggle with reading. Orton-Gillingham is a multisensory teaching technique, which means it engages more than just a child’s eyes as they learn. Students see, say, hear, and touch to build strong connections in the brain between letters and their sounds.

This hands-on approach makes learning more concrete and memorable. For example, a child might trace a letter in sand while saying its sound aloud, solidifying the concept in multiple ways. This powerful, research-backed method is woven into every PRIDE lesson, providing the structured, repetitive, and cumulative instruction that helps all children—especially those with learning differences—finally achieve reading success.

What is the North Carolina ESA+ Program?

The North Carolina ESA+ Program is a scholarship created by the state’s General Assembly to support students with disabilities. Think of it as a dedicated savings account for your child’s education. The program’s main goal is to give families financial assistance to cover a variety of educational expenses, offering more flexibility and choice in how you meet your child’s unique learning needs. This means you can select the tools, resources, and programs that you know will work best for your child, rather than being limited to what’s available in a traditional school setting.

It empowers you, as a parent, to build a customized educational path that helps your child thrive. The funds are deposited into an online account, and you can use them to pay for approved expenses, including specialized curriculum, therapy services, and tutoring. This program is a fantastic resource for families looking to provide targeted support for their children, especially when it comes to foundational skills like reading. By giving you control over the funds, the state acknowledges that parents are in the best position to make crucial decisions about their child’s education, particularly for students who have learning differences like dyslexia.

How the ESA+ Program Can Help Your Family

The ESA+ program provides funds directly to North Carolina families to help pay for school-related costs for children with disabilities. This financial support can be a game-changer, opening doors to specialized resources that might otherwise be out of reach. For families focused on literacy, these funds can be used to pay for the PRIDE Reading Program‘s effective learning materials and one-on-one tutoring services. This means you can invest in a high-quality, structured literacy curriculum designed to build confident, capable readers without bearing the full financial weight yourself. It’s all about giving your child access to the best possible support for their educational journey.

Does Your Family Qualify?

So, how do you know if your family is eligible? The main requirement is that your child must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) from a North Carolina public school. An IEP is a plan created to ensure a child with an identified disability receives specialized instruction and related services. You can find the full eligibility details on the official NCSEAA website. If you have more than one child with an IEP, the great news is that each child can apply for their own ESA+ scholarship. This allows you to secure dedicated funding for each of your children’s specific educational needs, ensuring they all get the personalized support they deserve.

What You Can Purchase with ESA+ Funds

Once you’re approved, you have the flexibility to use the ESA+ funds for a variety of educational expenses. One of the most powerful ways to use this scholarship is to purchase a comprehensive homeschool curriculum. I’m happy to share that the PRIDE Reading Program is an approved provider for the Education Savings Account Program (ESA+). This means you can confidently use your funds to purchase our entire Orton-Gillingham-based program, including all the books and materials your child needs for success. It’s a direct way to invest your state-provided funds into a proven, research-based reading solution for your child.

Why Use ESA+ Funds for the PRIDE Reading Program?

When you have access to ESA+ funds, you want to invest them in a resource that will make a real, lasting difference for your child. Choosing the right educational tools is a big decision, and it’s important to find a program that not only meets your child’s needs but also aligns with the goals of the ESA+ program. This is where the PRIDE Reading Program comes in. As an officially approved provider for North Carolina’s ESA+ program, PRIDE offers a direct and effective way to use your funds to support your child’s literacy journey.

Using your ESA+ funds for PRIDE means you’re not just buying a curriculum; you’re investing in a structured, research-based approach designed to build confident, capable readers. The program is specifically created for students with learning differences, making it a perfect match for the families the ESA+ program aims to serve. Instead of spending your funds on materials that might not work, you can choose a proven system that takes the guesswork out of teaching reading and sets your child on a clear path to success.

The Benefits of Choosing PRIDE

One of the biggest benefits of choosing PRIDE is the peace of mind it offers. The PRIDE Reading Program is an officially approved vendor for the North Carolina ESA+ program, which simplifies the entire process for you. This approval means the program has been vetted and recognized as a valuable educational resource for students with disabilities. You can confidently use your funds knowing you’re selecting a high-quality, trusted curriculum.

Beyond the official approval, PRIDE is designed to support children with learning challenges like dyslexia and other processing disorders. The scripted, easy-to-follow lessons make it simple for parents and educators to deliver effective instruction without needing specialized training. This accessibility ensures that you can start helping your child right away.

Explore PRIDE’s Curriculum and Materials

When you use your ESA+ funds for PRIDE, you are investing in a curriculum built on proven, research-based methods. The program is grounded in The Science of Reading and uses the gold-standard Orton-Gillingham approach. This means every lesson is structured, sequential, and multisensory, engaging students through sight, sound, and touch to create strong neural pathways for reading.

Your funds can cover the complete homeschool curriculum, which includes everything you need to teach your child to read, write, and spell. You can also purchase supplemental materials like engaging decodable books and practice workbooks to reinforce learning. Every component is designed to work together seamlessly, providing a comprehensive literacy education that builds skills systematically.

A Perfect Match for Your Child’s Education

If your child has been struggling to learn to read with traditional methods, the PRIDE Reading Program can be a game-changer. It’s an excellent curriculum option for students who need a different approach to succeed. Because the program is explicitly designed for children with learning differences, it addresses the root causes of their reading difficulties rather than just skimming the surface. This targeted instruction is what makes it such a perfect match for your child’s unique educational needs.

By investing your ESA+ funds in PRIDE, you are giving your child the gift of a program that adapts to their pace and learning style. The one-on-one instruction helps build a strong, positive relationship with learning and can restore the confidence that is often lost when a child struggles in school.

How PRIDE Teaches Reading

When you’re looking for a reading program, you want to know how it works and why it’s effective. The PRIDE Reading Program is built on a foundation of proven methods designed to help every child succeed, especially those who learn differently. It’s not about memorization or guesswork; it’s about giving kids the specific tools they need to decode words and read with confidence. The program is designed to be straightforward for parents and teachers to teach, taking the pressure off you and putting the focus back on your child’s learning. Let’s look at the core components that make PRIDE so successful.

Putting the Science of Reading to Work

The PRIDE Reading Program is built on a teaching approach called structured literacy, which is the practical application of the Science of Reading. This isn’t a passing trend—it’s a large body of research from cognitive scientists and reading experts that explains how our brains learn to read. This research shows that effective reading instruction must be explicit, systematic, and sequential. PRIDE’s curriculum follows this evidence-based model, ensuring that children are taught the fundamental skills of reading in a logical order. This approach is especially critical for children with dyslexia, as it directly addresses the way their brains process language.

Engaging Every Learner with Multisensory Techniques

One of the most powerful parts of the PRIDE program is its use of the Orton-Gillingham method, which uses multisensory techniques to make learning stick. Instead of just looking at letters on a page, your child will learn by seeing, hearing, saying, and doing. For example, they might trace letters in sand while saying the sound aloud or use colored blocks to build words. This hands-on approach creates strong neural pathways in the brain, helping children connect sounds to symbols in a concrete way. It makes learning more of an interactive experience and less of a passive exercise, which keeps kids engaged and helps solidify concepts that might otherwise be abstract or confusing.

What’s Included in the Curriculum?

PRIDE provides everything you need to start teaching right out of the box, whether you’re a parent or a classroom teacher. The homeschool curriculum comes with detailed, scripted lesson plans that guide you through every step, so you don’t need any special training to teach effectively. The program includes an online teaching guide, a student practice book, and sound cards. As your child progresses, you can add materials like our engaging decodable books, which allow them to practice their new skills by reading stories with words they can actually sound out. This comprehensive and user-friendly design ensures you can deliver high-quality, structured literacy instruction with confidence.

Get Started with PRIDE Using ESA+ Funds

Ready to bring the PRIDE Reading Program into your home? The North Carolina ESA+ Program makes it possible, and we’re here to walk you through it. As an approved provider, PRIDE makes it simple to use your funds for our curriculum and services. The application process is straightforward, and with a little preparation, you’ll be on your way to giving your child the reading support they deserve. Let’s get started.

Your Step-by-Step Application Guide

The first step is to apply for the ESA+ Program. The application window for the school year typically opens on February 1, so it’s a good idea to mark your calendar. The state has a simple, four-step process for applying for an Education Student Accounts (ESA+) Program online. You’ll create an account on the state’s MyPortal, start a new application, and fill out the required information about your family and your student. The key is to get started early and give yourself plenty of time to gather your information without feeling rushed. Think of it as the first exciting step toward a new chapter in your child’s learning journey. Setting aside an hour to complete the application can make all the difference.

Gather Your Documents

To make your application as smooth as possible, it helps to have your documents ready to go. Before you begin, you’ll want to find a document that confirms your child’s eligibility, such as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a professional evaluation. Make sure the document clearly shows your student’s full name and date of birth. It should also list your student’s primary area of need, which is essential for the application. Having these papers scanned and saved on your computer beforehand will save you a lot of time and make the online submission process a breeze. This small bit of prep work ensures you can move through the application confidently and without any last-minute scrambling to find the right paperwork.

Receive Your PRIDE Materials

Once your application is approved and you have access to your ESA+ funds, you can use them to purchase the tools your child needs for success. The PRIDE Reading Program is an officially approved vendor, which means you can directly use your funds for our materials. This includes our complete, easy-to-use homeschool curriculum, which is designed with the Orton-Gillingham method. You can also use your funds for one-on-one online tutoring with our certified PRIDE Reading Specialists. This allows you to create a comprehensive, tailored literacy plan that gives your child the exact support they need to become a confident, happy reader. It’s a direct and effective way to invest in their future.

Set Your Child Up for Reading Success

Once you have your materials, you can create a learning environment that helps your child thrive. The PRIDE Reading Program is designed to be flexible, giving you the tools to support your child’s unique journey toward becoming a confident reader.

Customize the Program for Your Child

Every child learns differently, and the PRIDE Reading Program is built with that in mind. It’s not just another reading program; it’s a specialized approach for students who face challenges with reading, including those with dyslexia. Because it’s grounded in the proven Orton-Gillingham method, the curriculum is structured yet adaptable. You can move at your child’s pace, spending more time on concepts that are tricky and celebrating every small win along the way. This flexibility ensures that the learning experience is tailored specifically to your child’s needs, building a strong and positive foundation for literacy.

How to Track Progress and Make Adjustments

One of the best parts of the PRIDE Reading Program is that you don’t need any special training to teach it effectively. The lessons are scripted and incredibly detailed, which makes it simple for you to guide your child and track their progress. You’ll be able to see exactly what’s clicking and where a little extra practice might be needed. This clear structure empowers you to make adjustments on the fly, ensuring the lessons remain effective and engaging. If you ever feel you need extra guidance, our PRIDE Reading Specialists are available to provide expert support and help you fine-tune your approach.

Common Questions About Using ESA+ Funds

Many families wonder exactly how they can use their ESA+ funds. The great news is that these funds are designed for flexibility. You can use your North Carolina ESA+ award to purchase the PRIDE Reading Program’s complete homeschool curriculum, individual learning materials, and even tutoring services. It’s a common misconception that ESAs are only for private school tuition. In reality, you can use the funds for a variety of educational resources that best serve your child. This gives you the freedom to build a customized educational plan that puts your child’s success first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be a trained teacher to use the PRIDE curriculum? Absolutely not. The program was created with parents in mind. Every lesson is scripted, telling you exactly what to say and do at each step. This design removes the guesswork and pressure, allowing you to focus your energy on supporting your child and celebrating their progress.

My child struggles with reading but doesn’t have a dyslexia diagnosis. Is this program still a good fit? Yes, this program is an excellent choice for any child who finds reading difficult, regardless of an official diagnosis. PRIDE is built on a structured, systematic approach that benefits all struggling learners because it teaches the rules of language explicitly. If traditional methods haven’t worked for your child, they likely need the kind of direct instruction PRIDE provides.

What makes the Orton-Gillingham approach so effective for struggling readers? The Orton-Gillingham method works so well because it makes learning language a hands-on experience. Instead of just looking at letters on a page, children use their senses of sight, sound, and touch to build strong connections in the brain. This multisensory technique helps make abstract concepts like letter sounds feel more concrete and memorable, which is often the key for a child who learns differently.

Besides the main curriculum, what else can I purchase with my ESA+ funds from PRIDE? Your ESA+ funds give you the flexibility to build a complete support system for your child. You can use them to purchase the entire PRIDE homeschool curriculum, as well as supplemental materials like our decodable books and practice workbooks. You can also invest in personalized, one-on-one online tutoring with our certified PRIDE Reading Specialists.

How quickly can I expect to see my child’s reading improve? Every child learns at their own pace, so there isn’t a magic timeline for success. The program is designed for steady, consistent progress rather than a quick fix. You will likely notice small but significant wins first—like a boost in confidence or a willingness to try—which build upon each other to create lasting reading skills over time. The focus is on mastery, not speed.