In-Home Clinical Reading Assessments · Now Booking
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In-Home Clinical Reading Assessments · Now Booking -----
Your child's reading struggle has a root cause. We find it.
In-home Clinical Reading Assessments across Greater Portland and Central Maine.
The Reading Center brings in-home Clinical Reading Assessments to families across Greater Portland and Central Maine. Our first ten families are seen at a founding rate of $295; after that, assessments are $395. About three hours, one-to-one, at your child’s pace, in your own home. Some assessments run a little longer when a child’s profile calls for an additional measure.
You'll receive a clear picture of how your child reads, where instruction should begin, and a written report you can take to your child's school.
A comprehensive clinical reading evaluation · A written report in one week · A conversation with your family · Advocacy tools for your school
What the Assessment Gives You.
Every assessment gives you four things you can use right away. A clear, plain-language picture of how your child reads. A written report within one week, in three parts, with a warm summary for your family and clinical detail a school team can review. A conversation where we go through it together. And a set of advocacy tools for bringing the results to your child's school.
Many families take that report to their district to advocate for reading support, whether inside the classroom, through an IEP or 504, or through outside services. Our role is to give you clear, independent data and the language to use it. Which provider or program delivers support is your district's decision, and we help you prepare to ask for what your child needs.
We don't guess. We find the root cause.
The assessment uses three core measures, with additional measures added when your child's profile calls for them, paired with clinical observation. What you get is a specific profile and a specific place to start rather than an impression.
Clarity you can act on, instead of guesswork.
Be among our first families.
Our first 10 families get a little extra, because they’re the ones helping shape our early work. Each is seen at a founding rate of $295 rather than the standard $395, and each is offered a follow-up assessment at no cost, one year after their original assessment, to see what’s changed and what to focus on next.
There’s no obligation to book, and once you’re booked, your rate is locked in.
First Families · 10 families · Greater Portland & Central Maine
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a reading center in Maine?
The Reading Center serves families across Greater Portland and Central Maine with in-home Clinical Reading Assessments. Use the Schedule button on this page to book.
Where is The Reading Center located?
We come to you. Assessments take place in your home, at your kitchen or dining table. If home isn't workable, we'll arrange a quiet, private room at a library or community space near you, and we confirm the location by email after you book. There’s no travel for your family and less stress for your child. Our service area is Greater Portland and Central Maine.
When are assessments available?
Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, and weekday evenings on Tuesday and Thursday from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Open times are always current on the booking page.
Who will be coming into my home?
The same person every time — a Maine-certified educator with a master's in education and more than twenty years in Maine schools, fingerprinted and criminal-background-checked through the Maine Department of Education. Not a rotating staff, and not a technician. You'll be home throughout, and if you'd rather meet at a library or community room instead, that's completely fine.
What will the visit be like for my child?
Relaxed. We sit at your table, work at your child’s pace, and take breaks whenever they need one. There’s no grade and nothing to study for. Some parts are timed and some aren’t, and we’ll explain each one before it starts.
What age groups does The Reading Center serve?
The Reading Center assesses students ages 6 through 23 — roughly first grade through high school, and young adults. The measures we use are built for that range. It’s never too late for reading intervention, and older students often progress quickly because they bring more language experience to the process.
What is a Clinical Reading Assessment?
A Clinical Reading Assessment is a systematic, evidence-based evaluation that identifies the specific root cause of a child's reading difficulty, including the decoding, fluency, and comprehension patterns underneath it. It uses three core measures, with additional measures administered when your child's profile calls for them, paired with clinical observation, and identifies where instruction should begin for your child's specific gaps.
Does every child get the same tests?
No, and that's deliberate. Every assessment begins with the same three core measures, which establish where your child's reading stands and how far. From there, we add measures when the profile calls for them. When that happens the visit runs somewhat longer, and we'll tell you at the time rather than just continuing.
How is The Reading Center different from tutoring?
The assessment identifies the root cause and shows you where to start, whether that’s at home, at school, or with any provider you choose.
How is this different from the reading support my child gets at school?
School reading support is essential, and it works under real constraints: large groups, limited time per student, and a curriculum built for a wide range of needs. A Clinical Reading Assessment is one-to-one and goes deeper than a school screener is designed to reach. The results also belong to you, in writing, so you can bring them into any conversation about your child's support. The two work well together, and many of our families work closely with their child's teachers.
We think our child might have dyslexia. Can you help?
We don’t diagnose dyslexia. That takes a different kind of evaluation. What we do is assess how your child reads: sounds, words, fluency and comprehension. We tell you where it’s breaking down and what kind of instruction fits. Many families bring that report into the dyslexia conversation with their school or a diagnostician.
How do I know if my child needs an assessment?
Common signs: reading below grade level despite classroom intervention, avoiding reading at home, homework that takes far longer than it should, reading aloud accurately without retaining it, spelling that stays hard no matter how much they study, or a family history of reading difficulty. If any of those sound familiar and school services haven't been enough, an assessment is a good next step. If you’re not sure, reach out and we’ll talk it through. If we don’t think your child needs one, we’ll tell you.
My child can read words but doesn't understand what they read.
Yes — this is one of the most common patterns we see, and it has specific clinical explanations. A child who decodes accurately but struggles with comprehension may have gaps in vocabulary, language processing, background knowledge, or the ability to form mental images of what they're reading. The assessment identifies which of those is limiting comprehension for your child, and names what to work on first.
What’s included in the assessment?
The Clinical Reading Assessment includes four things: a comprehensive clinical reading evaluation, a written report within one week, a conversation where we review the findings with your family in plain language, and a set of advocacy tools for bringing the results to your child’s school. You’ll know exactly where your child stands, what to focus on first, and what to ask for.
Do I have to commit to anything after the assessment?
No. The assessment stands on its own. You receive a written report and a set of advocacy tools in plain language, yours to share with your child's school team or any other provider. It guides instruction and informs those conversations. It is not a medical diagnosis, and it is not a special education evaluation conducted by your district.
What is the First Families group?
The first 10 families to work with The Reading Center. Each is seen at the founding rate of $295 rather than the standard $395, and each is offered a follow-up assessment at no cost one year after their original assessment, so you can see what’s changed and adjust what to focus on next. There’s no commitment.
Do you offer instruction as well?
The Reading Center is a clinical assessment practice. Instruction is offered to a limited number of families by availability, and it’s never a requirement. Most families use the assessment to direct the support their child is already receiving.
Do you coordinate with my child's school?
The report is yours to share, and most families do share it with their school team. We don't attend school meetings; the report and the advocacy tools are built so you can walk into those meetings prepared, and Maine has parent advocates who sit in when a family wants someone with them.
Do you serve students outside of Greater Portland?
Our service area is Greater Portland and Central Maine. If you’re just outside it, reach out and we'll tell you honestly whether we can reach you.
Still have a question? Call (207) 614-7447, email thereadingcenter@mrmtss.com, or message us on Facebook. We’ll get back to you, and there’s never any pressure to book.