Questions Parents Ask Before They Book.
Everything families ask about online reading and elementary math tutoring at ClearPath Learning Academy: the tracks, the Star assessment, Step Up scholarships, and how sessions actually run.
Tutoring 7 questions
What subjects and grades do you tutor?
Reading and writing, one-on-one, grades K–12, fully online. There are three tracks: Foundational Phonics Instruction (grades K–5), Reading & Writing Workshop (grades 3–12), and Novel Study (grades 3–12). We also offer Elementary Math for grades K–5. Reading sessions are taught one-on-one by a Florida-certified reading specialist with a Master’s degree in Reading, and every reading track uses structured literacy and Science of Reading-aligned instruction.
Do I choose the track, or do you?
Either. If you know you want phonics, or the workshop, or a novel study, choose it and that is what your child gets. If you are not sure, every package starts with a Renaissance Star reading assessment, taken at home in about twenty minutes, and the results show whether the work is decoding, comprehension, writing, or a mix. We recommend a track from that, and you decide. If the assessment is not done before session one, we complete it together in session one.
The track can change as your child grows. A student who starts in phonics can move to the workshop when decoding is solid.
Will my child have the same tutor every session?
Yes. Your child works with the same tutor for every session, start to finish. There is no rotation and no substitute pool. That continuity is a big part of why the instruction works.
How long are sessions, and how often?
Tutoring sessions are 50 minutes, live on Zoom. Phonics and workshop packages usually run twice a week, because younger and struggling readers hold onto skills better with two touches a week. Novel Study runs once a week. Consultations are 30 minutes or 1 hour.
What is the Science of Reading, and why does it matter?
The Science of Reading is the body of research from cognitive science, linguistics and education on how the brain learns to read. Structured literacy is the teaching approach built on it: explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. ClearPath uses it in every track, at every level.
What do I get each week?
A short written progress note in your inbox every week: what changed, what is still hard, what you can do at home, and what is next. One note per week no matter how many sessions that week held.
Do you offer group classes?
Not yet. Small group reading and writing classes for grades 3–12 are planned. If you want to hear when they open, join the waitlist.
Elementary Math 4 questions
Do you offer math tutoring?
Yes, for grades K–5. Elementary math is taught one-on-one over Zoom by a Florida-certified elementary teacher. It uses the same 4, 8 and 16 session packages and prices as reading, and Step Up is accepted.
Can we split a package between reading and math?
No. Each package is one subject. If your child needs both, book a reading package and a math package. They can run in the same weeks, for example 8 sessions of reading and 4 of math.
What happens before the first math session?
Your child takes a Renaissance Star Math assessment at home, about twenty minutes on any device, using a login we send you. It shows which skills are solid and which are missing, so the first session starts right at the gap. If it is not done in time, we complete it together in session one.
Do you tutor math above 5th grade?
Not at this time. Math tutoring is for grades K–5. Reading and writing are available through 12th grade.
Packages & Scheduling 7 questions
What is included in a tutoring package?
A Renaissance Star assessment before session one (Star Reading or Star Math), one-on-one 50-minute Zoom sessions, the same tutor every session, and a written progress note every week. Each package is one subject, reading or math.
- 4 Session Package: $350. A smaller first step.
- 8 Session Package: $650. Phonics, workshop, math, or the first half of a Novel Study.
- 16 Session Package: $1,200. Usually a full Novel Study. Save $100.
Should I start with 4 sessions or 8?
Eight is the package the tracks are built around, and it is what most families book. Four is there for families who want to see how it goes before committing, and it works the same way: assessment first, placement, same tutor. A single session is also available for a first look. If you finish and continue, you just book the next package.
How is the rest of a package scheduled?
You book the first session on the calendar. We then set the remaining sessions with you at a standing day and time, so you are not booking each one individually.
Is there a deadline to use all my sessions?
Yes. Packages are built to run on a steady weekly schedule, and each one has a completion window: a 4 session package within eight weeks of the first session, an 8 session package within twelve weeks, and a 16 session package within twenty four weeks. Sessions still unused after that window are forfeited.
At a normal pace you will finish well inside the window. It exists so a package does not stretch out so far that each session stops building on the one before it, which is where progress stalls.
What happens if a holiday falls on our day?
Holiday sessions are skipped, not moved to a different day. The package extends by one session at the next regular time, so nothing is lost.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellations and reschedules need at least 24 hours notice. With that much notice, the session is rescheduled at no cost and does not count against your package.
With less than 24 hours notice, as long as you tell us before the session start time, the session is added to the end of your package at your usual day and time. Each package can absorb a limited number of these, which we call your added session allowance:
- 4 Session Package: one added session
- 8 Session Package: one added session
- 16 Session Package: two added sessions
The allowance belongs to the package, so it does not reset partway through and it does not carry over into your next one. If you have more than one child enrolled, each child’s package has its own.
Once a package has used its allowance, a further cancellation with less than 24 hours notice is counted as delivered. The same applies if no notice is given before the start time, or if the student does not attend. Your child’s time slot is held every week and is not offered to another family, so with no notice at all that time cannot be used.
A single session can be rescheduled once with 24 hours notice. There is no package to extend, so a late cancellation or a no show is forfeited. Any session can be moved once, and a session that has already been moved and is then missed is forfeited.
If something comes up on my end, illness or a genuine emergency, you get a full reschedule at no penalty and it does not touch your allowance. Full details are in the Terms and Conditions.
Can we continue after a package ends?
Yes. Book another package and we pick up where we left off, same tutor, same plan. Many families run back-to-back packages through a school year.
Dyslexia & Assessments 5 questions
Do you work with students who have dyslexia?
Yes. Structured literacy instruction is the approach recommended for students with dyslexia, and the Foundational Phonics track is built on it: explicit, systematic phonics, decoding and fluency work. Twice a week is the usual pace for these students. A prior diagnosis is welcome but not required; the Star assessment and a phonics screening in session one show us where to start either way.
What is the dyslexia screening?
A live Zoom screening with a Florida-certified reading specialist that looks for patterns consistent with dyslexia risk. It includes a written summary of findings and a live results review with you, both included in the $125. A screener shows whether your child is at risk and what to look at next. It is not a dyslexia diagnosis; a diagnosis comes from a psychologist or other qualified evaluator, and the screening summary can be shared with them.
What is the Renaissance Star assessment?
A short adaptive assessment used in schools nationwide. Reading packages start with Star Reading and math packages start with Star Math. Your child takes it at home in about twenty minutes and the score comes back immediately. Star Reading gives a reading level, a national percentile and, for younger students, a literacy stage. Star Math shows which math skills are solid and which need work. We use it to place your child in a track and to set the starting point. You get the official Renaissance report and a plain-language summary from ClearPath. It is not re-run at the end of a package; growth inside a package is tracked from the work itself, and a new Star is worth taking after at least three months.
What is the writing assessment?
A timed, on-demand essay with a real score. In a 60-minute live Zoom session your student writes to a grade-level prompt aligned to Florida’s B.E.S.T. writing standards, while a reading specialist watches how they plan, draft and revise. The essay is scored on purpose and structure, development, and language. You receive a written report with the score, what it means in plain language, and specific next steps. $150, Step Up accepted. A laptop or desktop with a keyboard is required.
Families use it before a tutoring package to set a starting point, or as a scored work sample for a portfolio.
Do you do annual testing or portfolio evaluations for homeschool?
Yes, through our sister site. Florida home education annual evaluations, norm-referenced testing and portfolio reviews are at ClearPath Homeschool Testing. Tutoring lives here.
Step Up Scholarships 4 questions
Do you accept Step Up For Students scholarships?
Yes. ClearPath Learning Academy is a Step Up For Students approved provider. FES-UA, FES-EO, FTC and PEP funds can be used for every tutoring package, assessment and consultation through the EMA Marketplace.
How do I use my scholarship for tutoring?
Reserve first, then book. Log in to the EMA Marketplace, search for ClearPath, reserve the 4, 8 or 16 session package, then book your time with the Step Up button. Bookings without a matching reservation are cancelled, so do the reservation first. Step-by-step guide →
Does my particular scholarship cover tutoring?
Tutoring is an approved expense category across the Step Up programs, but each program has its own rules and your Marketplace balance is the final word. Check your program’s handbook on the Step Up For Students site or ask Step Up directly, and reserve only what your balance allows.
I am not sure which Step Up program I have. Can you help?
Yes. A 30-minute consultation ($85, Step Up accepted) covers which program you have, what it can be used for, and how to navigate the Marketplace. You leave with a written plan.
Logistics 4 questions
How do I book?
Step Up families reserve in the EMA Marketplace, then book on the Step Up page. Private pay families book and pay by card on the Private Pay page. Not sure what to book? Send an inquiry and we will reply with a recommendation.
What technology does my child need?
A laptop or desktop with a keyboard and mouse works best, along with a working camera and microphone and a stable connection. A lot of what we do involves writing and moving things around on the screen, and that is slow going with a fingertip. An iPad is fine if that is what you have, as long as a keyboard and mouse are paired with it.
Please have everything charged before we start, so we are not losing minutes to a charger hunt. Zoom is free and setup instructions come after booking. A quiet, well-lit spot helps more than anything else.
Do you serve families outside Florida?
Yes. Everything happens on Zoom, so students anywhere can enroll. Step Up scholarships are a Florida program, but private pay is open to any family, in any state or country.
Do parents sit in on sessions?
For younger students, a parent nearby for the first session helps with setup and settles nerves. After that, students do best working one-on-one with their tutor without an audience. You will hear how it went in the weekly note, and you are always welcome to email.
Still Have a Question?
Tell us about your child and what you are wondering. Every inquiry gets a personal reply.