Subscribing to Sprout

What are my subscription options?

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Sprout now offers 3 ways to boost your child’s reading abilities:
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1. Our flagship, the Sprout Labs Program. This includes a customized action plan based on your child’s needs, a reading assessment with a reading expert, unlimited instruction through the Pip School app, unlimited access to an expert in reading, and hundreds of parent resources. At this time, an iPad is required for this program.

2. Tutoring + the Sprout Labs Program. This includes a customized reading program with a dedicated Reading Specialist, tutoring 1 day a week, unlimited use of the Sprout app, 2 reading assessments and access to over 100 parent resources.

3. An app-only experience on Pip School. This includes unlimited use of Sprout's research-based reading app, Pip School, weekly reports, and hundreds of resources on our parent site. At this time, an iPad is required to use the app.
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Please note that these offerings are subject to change. To view current offers and pricing in detail, click "Get Started" in the navigation bar.

What happens if I am not able to pay for the Sprout Labs Program and may need a scholarship for my family?

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We really hope a Sprout Labs Program can be made available to any family who needs it. Sprout Labs has partnered with the Emily C. Hall Tremaine Family Foundation to provide scholarships. Please contact us at scholarships@sproutlabs.com if you feel your family would be a good fit for the scholarship program. Spaces in our scholarship program are limited and are based on financial need.

How do I sign up for a subscription to the Sprout Labs Program?

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Signing up is easy. Click the Get Started button in the top navigation to find the offering that is best for your child. Or, give us a call at 781-498-6007 M-F 8am to 8pm EST to discuss your options and sign up over the phone.

How do I cancel my subscription?

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THROUGH OUR WEBSITE: To cancel, access your subscription account here.

APP STORES: If you purchased your subscription through an app store, you can access your subscriptions through your Apple App Store account or Google Play Store account. Choose the Pip School subscription and then click “Cancel Subscription.” You can also cancel your subscription directly from your Sprout Labs Program account by navigating to the app. Click on Settings > Account > Manage Subscription > Cancel Subscription.

Should you have any issues with canceling your subscription, contact us directly at support@sproutlabs.com

Dyslexia and Literacy Assessments

What are the characteristics or signs of dyslexia?

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Dyslexia impacts children in different ways. For preschool-aged children, signs can include:

Mispronouncing words or having trouble retaining the sequence of sounds in words, for example, saying “pasghetti” instead of “spaghetti”.
Challenges around naming or identifying common everyday objects.
Trouble following multistep directions.
For children in Kindergarten through 2nd grade, signs can include:

Rhyming difficulties.
Difficulty learning the alphabet and letter sounds.
Trouble sounding out words.
Struggling with reading, progressing more slowly than peers.
Confusing the order of letters or sounds in words.
Difficulty with spelling.

For more information on the signs and symptoms of dyslexia, please visit dyslexiaida.org or understood.org.

For children in Kindergarten through 2nd grade, signs can include:

Difficulty learning the alphabet and sounds each letter makes
Confusing the order of letters or sounds in words
Trouble sounding out words
Difficulty with spelling
Struggling with reading and writing, often catching on more slowly than peers
For more information on the signs and symptoms of dyslexia, please visit https://dyslexiaida.org or www.understood.org

Why is early identification of dyslexia or other reading struggles so important?

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Accurate and automatic word reading skills are vital for developing fluent reading, and those foundational skills begin to develop at a very early age – even before a child goes to school. Research says that early literacy skill deficits can appear and be measured as early as age four.

The goal of early screening and identification is to assess key literacy milestones that are shown to be most predictive of later reading success. This is critical to providing students with early targeted intervention. Early identification helps prevent reading struggles that can compound over time. Many intervention studies show that with appropriate and intensive reading intervention in grades Kindergarten through Grade 2, an overwhelming majority of those students are able to reach grade-level oral reading fluency.

In short, early reading intervention helps children get and stay on target for successful reading and comprehension.

Why should my child be assessed when they haven’t begun formal schooling (i.e. Pre-K, TK or K)?

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The specialist classes offered at EXPO are Humanities, Computer, Science, BK (Gym), and Music. Each specialist class is 50 minutes long. Although the schedule is adapted each year, generally your learner will attend each specialist class for a one or two week rotation. For example, for the first week of school, your child may have computer and then the 2nd week, they may have BK, and the third week, they may have music, etc.

What are the signs and increased risks of dyslexia?

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Dyslexia has multiple contributing factors. There is often a link to a core deficit or problem in phonological processing. Children may have trouble recognizing and working with the different parts of words, like syllables or rhyming sounds. Oral language deficits such as delayed speech, limited vocabulary, or poor language comprehension can also be associated with dyslexia. Research shows that when a parent or sibling has reading struggles consistent with dyslexia, their child has a 40%-60% chance of developing dyslexia. Family history is critical in determining risk.

What are the most important considerations when selecting an early literacy screening tool?

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Literacy screening is a process for identifying children at risk for later reading problems. Make sure that your child is being assessed for all components of reading, and at the time of appropriate development. Don’t wait for your child to fail before starting the assessment journey. Find a screening tool that will assess and identify at the time research tells us is the most critical for intervention; a screening tool that assesses the reading components that are aligned with the National Reading Panel; and a screening assessment that makes it fun for your child!

The EarlyBird screener is just that. It is a comprehensive early literacy screener that is aligned with the National Reading Panel and the Science of Reading. It is a game-based screener that can be administered as early as age four and does not require your child to read in order to be flagged for dyslexia. It gives you the information you need, both strengths and weaknesses, at a time when intervention is most critical. The EarlyBird Assessment has been created by leading researchers from Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Florida Center for Reading Research and validated at Boston Children’s Hospital giving you the information you need, grounded in science, to make the most informed decision for your child.

What are the most important considerations when selecting an intervention program for my child?

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Any intervention program should start with the very basic foundational skills that are needed for reading. That means going all the way back to repeating words in a sentence or sounds in a word for phonological awareness, or being able to tell the difference between objects based on their visual differences for comprehension. These skills are foundational for later reading success, and yet can sometimes be overlooked. Choosing a program that begins with phonological awareness will begin your child’s reading journey with appropriate development of letters and sounds, needed for decoding. Choosing a program that does not incorporate comprehension misses the opportunity to begin developing critical thinking skills. Research also shows that selecting intervention that incorporates multiple modalities (i.e. hearing, seeing, and moving) strengthens the connection to new information.Pip School starts with all of these early skills. By choosing

Pip School, you will ensure your child has a strong foundation upon which to then apply knowledge of letters and sounds, strengthening their capacity to sound out and read words, and begin to apply comprehension - all while using multimodal strategies. Strong foundational skills are the keys to later reading success. The earlier children master these skills, the better!

Technical support for Sprout Labs Program

What device do I need for the Sprout Labs Program?

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Sprout Labs Program uses an app called Pip School, which currently works on Apple iPads. It is not yet available on phones or computers. This includes iPads 6th Generation and beyond.

How do I reset my password?

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If you would like to choose a new password, go to Settings > Account > Profile > Change Password. If you forget your password, click “Forgot Password?” on the login screen for Pip School.

How do I report a bug?

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If you experience any issues using the Sprout Labs Program or the Pip School app, you can email us at support@sproutlabs.com. Please include a description of any issue you are facing, a screenshot if possible, the device you are on, and the operating system. (i.e. OS 16.1) You can also call us at 781-498-6007 between the hours of 9am-5pm ET.

Can my child use the Pip School app if they are not connected to the internet?

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No, at this time Pip School app requires an internet connected device. We recommend ensuring the device is connected to the internet for the best experience.

Why are the animals sleeping in the game?

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If an animal is sleeping, this means that the child is not able to try that activity yet during that session. The game does not allow a child to move ahead to new activities until they have mastered the current ones, and it does not allow children to play more than a certain number of activities a day. (This is equivalent to around 20-30 minutes each session.) Remember, it is important that Pip School’s activities are done at least 4 days a week, and the child is given rest (and sleep!) in between the activities.

Do I need a login?

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Yes. In order to sign up for an account, you will need to provide an email address and password. Sign up with the email address where you would like to receive parent reports. After purchasing your subscription, you will automatically get your login credentials emailed to you. If you don’t see this email, please check your spam folder. If you still don’t see it, please reach out at support@sproutlabs.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!

What are the minimum technical requirements?

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iOS iPads only: iOS 16.1, 6th Gen iPad, iPad Air 3, iPad mini 4, iPad Pro (all)

There is an issue with my microphone. How do I fix it?

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Make sure that your device allows the app to use their microphone. You will need to go into the settings of your device to do that. If there is still an issue, we recommend exiting the app completely and trying again.

Where is the best environment for my child to use the apps that are a part of the Sprout Labs Program?

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Ideally, your child is able to use the Pip School app in a quiet environment where they can concentrate. Many young children or children with reading struggles find the exercises in Pip School, especially phonological awareness exercises, to be difficult. A quiet place without distractions is a great place for your child to practice good study skills and grow their confidence in the building blocks of reading!

What happens if we don’t have a tablet at home for my child to use?

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The best experience of the Pip School app for your child is on an iPad. We understand that many families don’t have devices at home for their children’s use. If you don’t already have an iPad, there are many options to buy pre-used tablets at a much more affordable cost. Marketplaces like Amazon often have refurbished tablets at very low rates. Please see our minimum technical requirements for more details about which tablets work for our program.

Curriculum questions for the Pip School App?

What is the goal of the Pip School game?

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The goal of the Pip School game is to ensure children are given the opportunity to develop the skills that are foundational to early literacy. These begin with instruction in phonological awareness and language comprehension.

When do you recommend my child take the EarlyBird Assessment during their Pip School journey?

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The EarlyBird Assessment is included with your Sprout Labs Signature Program subscription 3 times per year. Your child should take their initial assessment as soon as possible after you sign up. This ensures you have your first family conference and understand the comprehensive profile of your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

Why does the Pip School use colored tiles?

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Pip School uses colored tiles to represent words and sounds, depending on the activity. These tiles act as place holders for sounds in words or words in sentences. By not showing the child the letters or the words, helps build connections to phonological processing without relying on the visual representation of the print or written words.

Can Pip School help prevent reading struggles from dyslexia?

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Yes, Pip School can help build the foundational skills for phonological and phonemic processing that are foundational to early reading and have been associated with reading struggles for those with dyslexia. Pip School will also lay the foundation of language and sound processing. Your child can then add identifying letters and letter sounds to their toolbox to begin reading words.

Is the Pip School designed to replace our tutor?

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Pip School is not designed to replace a tutor, only to make sure that your child is getting access to building connections to some of the phonological processing skills that are needed to read and write.

Is Pip School an appropriate option if my child is dyslexic?

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Pip School is critical if your child has been identified as dyslexic and is not receiving instruction or skill building in areas of phonological or phonemic awareness.

When can I speak with a Reading Specialist about my child’s progress?

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It’s important you sign up to receive the EarlyBird Assessment as soon as you join the Sprout Labs Program. Once registered, please sign up for initial assessment. After that, we recommend meeting with your Reading Specialist every 5 weeks to discuss your child’s progress.

Who is the Pip School game for?

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Pip School is helpful for all children who are learning to read, because it focuses on the building blocks of reading, phonological awareness and language comprehension. Building phonological awareness is especially important for children who may be showing signs of dyslexia.

How often should my child play the games in Pip School?

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We recommend that children play Pip School games 4 or more times per week in order to build important skills and practice skills recently learned.

What kinds of activities are in the Pip School game?

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The Pip School activities are based on principles of multimodal learning, where students are listening, saying, and moving objects on the screen. The activities are all research-based while still being fun and engaging for children. Pip School is built based on the scope, sequence and principles of Orton Gillingham instructional methods.

How do I know if my child is progressing?

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Your child will have the opportunity to practice a few items when first introduced to a skill. Once they understand the task, they will need to get the next six consecutive items correct to show they have mastered that skill. The steps to subsequent skills are small and incremental. Reaching the next skill will indicate the student has progressed through the previous skill and moving through the program.

How is the Pip School different from other intervention programs?

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Many programs do not go back far enough in a child’s development to teach some of the earliest skills of literacy. We know these skills occur before a child is learning to read, and start when a child begins to learn language. Pip School starts with some very basics of repeating words in simple sentences and builds from there.

Can my child use the Pip School app in addition to tutoring?

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Yes, your child can absolutely add Pip School to any additional instruction they are receiving. Our goal is to make sure that every child has access to these foundational skills that are critical to reading development.

Where are the Parent Resources?

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We provide you with a variety of resources and a login to the parent and caregiver resources site called https://parents.sproutlabs.com. These resources include decodable books, videos, articles, advice, and tips to help support your child’s literacy growth. We also offer support videos through our YouTube channel. The videos most helpful in the beginning of your Sprout Labs program are the following:

Onboarding video
What is a Reading Specialist?
Phonological Awareness Activity Guidance

How the EarlyBird Assessment Works

How does the EarlyBird Assessment work?

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1. Upon signing up, you’ll set a time to meet with a specially trained reading specialist who will help you set up the game for your child.

2. Your child will play the interactive game via remote administration from the reading specialist. The results will be available to you within a week.

3. You will schedule a family conference with the reading specialist to review the scores and share personalized action items and resources.

4. A final report will be emailed to you for future reference.

5. We will have additional content and resources on the site, so continue to check back in with us!

What will the assessment experience be like for my child?

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Your child will take a journey through the city on a fun adventure with their new toucan friend, “Pip”. It won’t feel like a test at all! Along the way, they will meet other animal friends who will introduce a new skill to be tested. Because the screener is adaptive to your child’s ability, it will quickly and precisely determine your child’s individual strengths and weaknesses. Each individual subtest is adaptive to your child’s level of ability, taking only a few minutes to play. Your child’s grade and time of year will determine which skills and the number of subtests in the assessment.

What will I learn about my child’s reading ability?

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You will see how your child’s scores compare to other children across the country. We will share results to help you navigate a pathway for the next steps while helping you understand your child’s reading profile according to the components of reading most important at your child’s grade level. Of these components, EarlyBird groups skills together based on Sound/Symbol Correspondence, Phonemic/Phonological Awareness, Oral Language Comprehension, and Naming Speed.

What should I expect after reading the report?

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The report is prepared specifically for your family by our reading specialists. You will walk away with an in depth understanding of which of the foundational literacy skills your child knows and where they need additional work. Customized to your family, your child, your resources and your time available, your report will contain engaging activities to build on your child’s strengths or help with weaknesses, along with recommendations on resources that will be most useful.

My child was recently evaluated and I’d like to opt out of the EarlyBird assessment, is that possible?

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Yes, parents have the option to opt out of the EarlyBird assessment if they wish. Our team of Reading Specialists are available to meet with you and your child to do an informal assessment and to assist with getting started on Pip School.

How is the EarlyBird screener different?

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The EarlyBird Assessment is developed by leading experts at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Florida Center for Reading Research, and used by thousands of children in school districts across the country. It is comprehensive and assesses the critical skills found to be predictive of later reading success. Unlike traditional assessments, our screener is a child-friendly interactive game! Please note, this screener is not intended to be used as a diagnosis.

FAQs for Sprout Labs Programs, Tutoring & App

Subscribing to Sprout

Dyslexia and Literacy Assessments

Technical support for Sprout Labs Program

Curriculum questions for the Pip School App?

How the EarlyBird Assessment Works

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