Pre-K–5th Grade
12 printed books.One a week.Theirs to keep.
The Skilled Readers Library: original stories written by IRD's curriculum team and illustrated in-house — matched to your child's grade, one book for each week of the quarter.
National Leaders in Reading Instruction Since 1970
Fall Quarter begins September 12th · Pre-order today to be included in our print run
The Books
Meet the Skilled Readers Library.
The Fall Collection: twelve original titles for your reader, one for each week of the quarter. Pre-K & K are full-color picture books, 1st–2nd are illustrated easy readers written for kids to read themselves, and 3rd–5th are illustrated chapter books. Tap any cover for a closer look.
Every title is an IRD original, written to help kids succeed with the reading skills they need in each grade.
Pre-K & K
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th & 5th
$87 for the full quarter · renews every 12 weeks · cancel anytime
The Joy of a Book in Hand
Twelve books printed for your child — theirs to read, re-read, and keep.
Getting lost in a story is where a love of reading begins — and the habit of reading for pleasure is what carries children through school and far beyond.
- The box at the door. The fall shipment arrives at your home. Opening that box is the start of the quarter — the start of the reading journey.
- The next book, always waiting. Twelve titles across the quarter keeps a to-be-read stack going — and the anticipation of the next story keeps young readers moving.
- Favorites, read again. The books your child owns don't disappear when the week ends. Re-reading a beloved story is how children make a book their own.
The Craft
Not a stack from a warehouse. A library built for one grade.
Buying books off the shelf means guessing. The Skilled Readers Library is specifically written and curated — original books, built as a sequence for each grade, by the team that has taught children to read for over 50 years.
Original, IRD-authored stories
Written by IRD's curriculum team and illustrated in-house — warm, funny stories written for our Programs, not licensed or repackaged.
Leveled to your child's grade
Each collection is written to professional reading levels, and the difficulty climbs gently from the first book to the twelfth.
Refined over 50+ years
Behind each story sits a sequenced curriculum spiral, built on the science of reading and refined across five decades of teaching.
Every book is one small step up. The collection is sequenced by the science of reading, climbing with your child across the quarter — the same progression schools follow, in stories kids actually want to read.
How It Works
Three steps, twelve books.
Get the Library
Choose the level that fits your child — $87 covers the full quarter, twelve books. Enroll any time; enrollment is always open.
Your box ships right away
Each set is printed in limited batches and arrives within about two weeks — twelve books in one box.
A book a week, every Saturday
The Fall Quarter begins September 12 — your printed books arrive before then. Renews every 12 weeks; cancel anytime.
Since 1970
Five decades of teaching children to read.
National leaders in reading instruction since 1970 — the same curriculum team designs the sequence, writes the stories, and illustrates every book.
Get the Library
Give them a quarter full of stories.
One box, twelve adventures — the kind of books kids ask for at bedtime. Twelve original IRD books written for your child’s grade, one for each week of the quarter, and every one of them theirs to keep.
Not sure which level? Most parents choose their child’s current grade — and every collection starts gently and climbs across the twelve weeks.
Billed by the quarter and renews automatically every 12 weeks — cancel any time before your next quarter. Your printed box arrives within about two weeks of your order; the Fall Quarter begins September 12. IRD prints in limited batches, so a collection can sell out between runs — enroll while the current one is in stock. Ordering for more than one reader? Choose a set for each child at checkout.
Enroll with confidence
Cancel anytime — no commitment, no fees. Stop any time before your next quarter bills, and the books are your child's to keep. Love it or we'll make it right: anything arrives damaged, defective, or wrong, we replace it free. And because each collection is printed to order for your child, shipped sets are final sale.
"My son had major breakthroughs. His overall confidence has grown so much. He went from avoiding books to asking to read before bed."Rochelle L. · IRD parent
"We searched for a program that could help our daughter, and nothing worked until this. This program is absolutely amazing. I will recommend this to everyone."Matthew R. · IRD parent
"This program has been a lifesaver for my child's confidence. She can read more fluently and has started to comprehend what she's reading so much better."Wendy K. · IRD parent
Questions
Questions, answered.
When do the books arrive?
If you start after 9/12, books typically arrive within two weeks of your order.
What exactly is in the box?
Twelve printed books for your child's grade — one for each week of the quarter. Pre-K & K are full-color picture books, 1st–2nd are illustrated easy readers written for kids to read themselves, and 3rd–5th are illustrated chapter books.
What is the Skilled Readers Library?
The Skilled Readers Library is a set of twelve original children's books published by the Institute of Reading Development for each level from Pre-K through 5th grade — a new collection each quarter. Every title is written by IRD's curriculum team, illustrated in-house, leveled to professional reading standards, and sequenced so difficulty climbs gently across the twelve weeks of the quarter. The books are printed in limited batches, written for IRD's readers rather than licensed or repackaged from another series. $87 per quarter — 20% off the same 12 books at retail.
What is the difference between the Library and the System?
The Skilled Readers Library is the books alone — twelve original printed titles per quarter, $87. The Skilled Readers System adds the online lessons that teach every book — guided reading, direct skills instruction from phonics to long-word decoding, fluency practice, and a weekly skills check — for $174 per quarter, save 10% versus $195 for the books and online lessons bought separately. See everything inside the System.
Is this physical or digital?
The Skilled Readers Library is physical — printed books, shipped to your door. The Skilled Readers System ($174 per quarter) adds the online lessons plus eBook editions of every title, clearly labeled as eBooks. Either way, your quarter begins when the printed box arrives — want to start this week? Add eBook head-start weeks at checkout, prorated at your quarterly rate.
Can I start any time?
Yes — enrollment is always open. Enroll today and your printed books arrive within about two weeks. The one limit is stock: IRD prints in limited batches, so a collection can sell out between runs.
What happens after the quarter?
Your $87 covers a 12-week quarter — twelve books, and they're your child's to keep. At the end of the quarter, the next collection ships automatically and the next quarter begins, billed again. Cancel any time before it renews — no commitment, no fees.
How do I know the level is right?
Pick the level that fits your child. Most parents choose their child's current grade, but you know your reader best — you're welcome to size up or down, and each collection is designed for that level. Every collection starts gently and climbs across the twelve weeks, so a reader who begins comfortable will end it stretched — that's by design.
Can I order for more than one child?
Yes. Each reader gets their own set for their own grade — just add a set per child at checkout.
What is the guarantee and return policy?
Cancel anytime — no commitment, no fees; stop any time before your next quarter bills, and the books are your child's to keep. If anything arrives damaged, defective, or wrong, we replace it free — your set, made right. Because each collection is printed to order for your child, shipped sets are final sale.
Who is the Institute of Reading Development?
The Institute of Reading Development has been a national leader in reading instruction since 1970 and has taught live online classes since 2013. IRD's curriculum team — the same educators who teach its programs — writes and illustrates the books in every collection, and the press has covered IRD's work in TIME, Reuters, CBS News, USA Today, and the Associated Press.
Do you offer live classes or tutoring?
Yes. Small Group Reading Programs and 1:1 Private Tutoring add live weekly instruction with an IRD teacher — bringing each week's book to life in class while teaching the critical skills kids need in their grade. See Small Group Reading Programs or 1:1 Private Tutoring.
A quarter from now, your child has read twelve books — and a few of them twice.
Get the Library →Printed in limited batches — start while the current collection is in stock.