What We Do: Learning That Goes Beyond
From foundational reading support to real-world enrichment, this is where students gain confidence, access opportunity, and begin to thrive through programs that go beyond the basics.
Getting Started
Three Steps to Unlock a Brighter Future...
Step 1:
Choose Your Learning Path
Start with the option that works best for your student’s needs—in-person tutoring or 100% virtual instruction. Both are one-on-one, personalized, and designed for success.
Online or In-Person
Step 2:
Begin the Gold
Star Journey
Our signature Gold Star Standard to Reading Proficiency™ includes a personalized assessment, daily one-on-one tutoring, and a proven, phonics-based curriculum. Most students experience grade-level growth in as little as six weeks.
Assessment + One-on-One Tutoring + Phonics-Based Curriculum
Step 3:
Thrive Beyond
the Basics
As reading skills grow, so does confidence. Students unlock academic achievement, creativity through enrichment, and meaningful opportunities through community connections. This is more than tutoring—it’s transformation.
Achieve More Than Words
Online
Learning
Virtual Tutoring Program
A one-on-one reading program delivered entirely online. Each participant is paired with a trained tutor who provides personalized guidance through a proven literacy curriculum. All you need is a computer and internet access.
Regular $75.00 per session. Summer Special: $45 per session
Pre/Post Reading Assessments: Regular $75.00 , Now FREE
In Person
Learning
On-Site Tutoring Solutions
Beyond Basics partners with K–12 schools, juvenile programs, workforce development, and college and career readiness initiatives to deliver high-impact literacy tutoring where it’s needed most. Our certified tutors provide one-on-one instruction directly within your classrooms and communities. Academic Enrichment Programs Included*
If you’re an educator, program director, or community leader — let’s work together to close the literacy gap.
The Gold Star Standard
to Reading Proficiency™
Beyond Basics helps students achieve grade-level improvement in as little as six weeks by combining these core components:
Individualized Assessment
Each student begins with a comprehensive reading evaluation using the nationally recognized Woodcock Mastery Diagnostic Assessment III. The results generate a personalized literacy “prescription” that shapes their one-on-one tutoring plan.
One-on-One Live Tutoring
Students receive daily, personalized instruction from certified, Tattum-trained tutors who are equipped with the tools and techniques to address each learner’s specific needs and pace.
Phonics-Based Curriculum
Our method integrates all five components of literacy endorsed by the National Council on Teacher Quality: Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Personalized Literacy Programs
Beyond Basics offers four structured programs tailored to each student’s reading level. Through our Gold Standard to Reading Proficiency™, students build foundational skills, improve fluency, and deepen comprehension.
Readiness Program
For students 2 or more grade levels behind
Read to Rise Program
For students at least one grade level behind
Scholars Program
For Students less than one grade level behind
Scholars Plus Program
For college and career readiness
Academic Enrichment
Hands-On Programs that Enhance Reading through Art, Writing, and Self-Expression
At Beyond Basics, enrichment is woven into the learning experience to inspire curiosity, creativity, and deeper understanding. In the Publishing Center, students write original stories and receive one-on-one support to edit and publish their work in a hardcover book—an empowering moment of authorship that boosts confidence and pride. In Art with the Masters, students explore history, culture, and geography through hands-on art projects inspired by great artists from around the world. The International Art and Writing Program connects students globally, inviting them to express ideas through themed artwork and essays shared with peers across continents. These enrichment programs elevate literacy into self-expression and help students see the world—and themselves—through new eyes.
eXPANDING hORIZONS
Connecting Students with Real-World Experiences, Resources, and Role Models
Through our Expanding Horizons initiative, Beyond Basics gives students more than academic support—we connect them to the world around them. Caring for Kids ensures students have access to essentials like school supplies, books, and even winter coats, removing barriers to learning. With Mentoring Matters, students meet inspiring professionals and community leaders who expand their vision of what’s possible. Our Field Trips expose students to new environments, ideas, and experiences—like their participation in events surrounding the NFL Draft, where students helped represent Beyond Basics as a featured nonprofit and shared their voices on a national stage. These meaningful experiences build confidence, fuel curiosity, and remind students that they belong—in every room, and every opportunity.
Making a Difference
A Call to Do What’s Right
Pamela Good, President and Cofounder of Beyond Basics, shares a candid conversation on why literacy isn’t just an education issue—it’s a matter of equity, potential, and justice. In this powerful interview, she explains how one-on-one tutoring and phonics-based instruction are transforming lives in schools across Michigan—and why this model belongs in every school, not just a few. Her message is clear: we have the solution. What we need now is the will to act.
