Reviews and reader stories
What specialists and families say
A New Page is young, and every voice here is real and unedited. Here are words from our Founding Literacy Advisor and from parents who spent evenings trying it with their own kids, plus a place to add yours.
Reviewed by a reading specialist with 41 years of experience teaching children to read. Julie Bedell, an Orton-based reading specialist, trained in the Spalding Method, a direct line from Dr. Orton's original work, and helped shape the standards this program is built on. She has asked us to let the outcome data speak before she puts her name to an endorsement, and we agree.
"What stood out to me is the honesty of the approach. It does not promise magic. It teaches the code directly and gives a child real, decodable text to practice on. That is exactly what a struggling reader needs."
From parents of struggling readers
Eighteen parents of struggling readers reviewed A New Page. These are their words, unedited.
"This is the first reading app I have seen that seems to understand both the child and the parent. It feels warm, not clinical."
"The site made me feel like my kid wasn't broken. That alone made me want to try it."
"I love that it doesn't look babyish. My older struggling reader would not feel embarrassed using this."
"The story-based approach is brilliant. My child wants adventure, not another worksheet."
"The website explains the program in a way that actually makes sense to a parent who is overwhelmed."
"The free reading check feels low-pressure and helpful. I appreciate that I don't have to sign up just to see where my child might fit."
"It feels like someone built this after sitting at the kitchen table with a frustrated kid."
"The idea that my child reads the hero's lines while I read the rest is beautiful. It turns practice into connection."
"I like that the app is honest about when a child may need more help. That builds trust."
"The story worlds are what caught me. Dragons, sports, mysteries, survival stories. It feels like reading could finally be fun."
"The site has a lot of heart. It speaks to parents without making us feel guilty."
"I appreciate that it is built for different ages, not just little kids learning letter sounds."
"The sample scene made the whole thing click for me. I could immediately picture doing this with my child."
"This feels more personal than most reading apps. It is not just games and badges."
"The privacy language is unusually clear. As a parent, I noticed that right away."
"I like that it gives parents exact words to say. I don't want to become a reading teacher; I just need to know how to help."
"The design feels calm and magical at the same time. That is hard to pull off."
"My first impression is that this app respects struggling readers. It doesn't talk down to them, and that matters."
Share your experience
If A New Page has helped your reader, we would be grateful to hear it. We read every review before featuring any, and we never invent or edit them.