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Choose your path to better reading outcomes
Secret Stories® is rooted in cognitive neuroscience and meets ESSA Level 1 “Strong Evidence” criteria, the highest standard of research-based validation. Built on how brains learn best, it delivers real, measurable gains in reading outcomes.
Efficacy Research
Scientifically Proven. ESSA 1 Certified
Secret Stories® has been independently validated and meets the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Level 1 evidence standard—reserved for programs backed by highest-standard research design and replicated impact.
Across 27 studies and 800+ students completed by an independent third-party research firm, LXD Research, classrooms using Secret Stories® demonstrated:
Effect Size of 1.62 – Nearly 10x other ESSA reading tools
Average Reading Gains of 1.5–2+ Grade Levels
Accelerated Literacy Growth Across Pre-K - 5 Classrooms
This places Secret Stories® as the highest evidence-based phonics instruction resource.
View ESSA Research Summary
Solutions by learning focus
Special Education
Tools built to help students with diverse learning needs unlock the reading code with clarity and confidence.
Early Literacy
Fast-track phonics mastery for preschool and early-grade learners using brain-based tools they love.
Adult Learners
Literacy isn’t just for kids. Our tools help adult learners master decoding, spelling, and writing—without shame or struggle.
Homeschool
Simple, story-based phonics tools designed for at-home success—for personalized at-home education.
English Learner
Make English decoding accessible with visuals, logic, and patterns that make sense—even for non-native speakers.
Science of Reading
Research-aligned tools with the science of reading—emphasizes evidence-based approaches to literacy.
27 Studies 800+ Students
Texas Study
Faster Mastery with Mnemonics
In just 3 months, kindergartners who learned phonics with Secret Stories® mastered their letters and sounds 5x faster than those using standard instruction alone.
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Indiana Study
Triple the Speed of Learning Sounds
Students exposed to the Better Alphabet® Song reached phonics mastery nearly 3x faster than peers without it, most within just two weeks of school.
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Arkansas First Grade Study
Outperforming the Odds
Despite starting behind, first graders using Secret Stories® surpassed all 3 control classes, with 90% reading at or above grade level by year’s end.
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Tennessee First Grade Study
Only Class to Beat the Benchmark
Students learning with Secret Stories® not only surpassed grade-level standards, they were the only class in their school to do so.
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Maryland First Grade Study
From Struggling to Surpassing
By year’s end, 89% of students reached grade level, despite 91% starting at kindergarten level. One-third read at a second-grade level or higher.
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Virginia First Grade Study
Historic Growth in Spelling & Reading
Students improved an average of 252% in reading levels. Over 60% were reading at or above 3rd grade level while still in 1st grade.
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Empowering the people who shape literacy every day
Parents & Homeschoolers
Make phonics simple and fun to teach—without frustration or rigid programs.
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Educators
Use Secret Stories® as a plug-in supplement to accelerate reading, spelling, and writing in any classroom.
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Teachers
Built for structured teaching in home-based environments with everything you need to succeed.
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District Administrators
Implement high-impact literacy support at scale with ESSA Tier I tools proven to increase test scores.
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School Administrators
Support your educators with solutions that are easy to integrate, scalable, and backed by neuroscience.
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Backdoor Learning
Engages visual, auditory, emotional, and kinesthetic pathways to strengthen long-term memory and pattern recognition.
Dual-Track Model
Combines structured literacy with learner-driven curiosity, giving kids the “just-in-time” tools they need to decode unfamiliar words.
Nonconscious Processing
Stories and songs embed phonics patterns without cognitive overload, ideal for young learners, ELL students, and students with processing challenges.
Muscle Memory & Movement
Accelerates retention through targeted physical engagement, aligned with how the brain builds neural pathways.
Phonics That Works With the Brain, Not Against It
Secret Stories® uses the science of how children naturally learn to accelerate skill acquisition. Instead of memorizing abstract rules, students learn the “why” behind letter behavior through meaningful, story-based mnemonics that align with how the brain encodes and retrieves information.
