Frequently Asked Questions
We have compiled a list of the most common questions we receive and their detailed answers below. We also provide quick Q&As via the Help Chatbot located at the bottom of your screen. If your question is not answered with either of these resources, please send us a message. We’re here to help!
While we strive to keep the information provided in these FAQs and in the products sold in our Shop as accurate and up-to-date as possible, our complete Policies & Terms of Use represent the overriding terms that govern your use of all Rooted in Language products and services.
General
Are Rooted in Language products and classes secular or nonsecular?
All Rooted in Language products and classes are secular and do not promote one specific belief system; our employees, students, and community represent many backgrounds and world views.
Rooted in Language has no affiliation with the customers who use our products, including individuals, schools, and organizations. We are nonpolitical, and we do not necessarily share nor do we promote the views or philosophies of our customers.
Does Rooted in Language follow the Science of Reading?
Yes. Read all about our Research-Based methods and approach on the RIL Method page.
Where do I start if I’m new to Rooted in Language?
Our programs and support are tailored to who you are. Select your educator path to learn more.
To learn more about our methods and approach, visit our RIL Method page.
Where can I learn more about Dyslexia & Dysgraphia?
The search function on our site will yield several helpful resources. Here’s a good place to start:
- Video: The 3 Most Common Causes of Reading & Writing Struggle
- Free Download: Understanding Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Developmental Language Disorder
- Blog: What is Dyslexia and Dysgraphia? Neuroscience Explores the Answers…
What is Intentional Copywork, Dictation & Editing, and why is it important?
Intentional Copywork, Dictation & Editing provides students with the opportunity to develop and practice all their new literacy skills without the pressure of original thought, thus reducing the cognitive load. It is the process of skill consolidation in a controlled environment.
To learn more, watch our FAQ Video: What is the Role of Copywork & Dictation?
For a deeper understanding with detailed teaching strategies, we recommend Trees in the Forest: Growing Readers and Writers through Deep Comprehension.
What is a coaching session and how do I schedule one?
An Educator Coaching Session provides individualized guidance for homeschool educators and tutors who need support in problem solving their students’ gaps in learning, identifying steps for progress, and implementing effective teaching strategies. You can purchase a coaching session through our Shop. After purchase, click the Intake Form link in your order confirmation email and provide the requested information. Once we receive the Intake Form, one of our experts will reach out by email within 3-5 business days to schedule a mutually convenient time to meet.
Do your educator classes qualify for professional development hours — continuing education units (CEUs)?
Each governing body — school, district, or other professional organization — establishes their own rules and approval process for CEUs. Many educators who take our classes submit their hours as CEUs; however, Rooted in Language cannot guarantee that the governing body will approve our classes. It is your responsibility to investigate and pursue the requirements of your governing body to determine if our classes will be approved by them.
Do you provide a Certificate of Completion for your educator training classes?
Yes. After completing any Rooted in Language class, please contact us to request a Certificate of Completion. Rooted in Language will send you a downloadable PDF Certificate within 5 business days of your request.
Your Certificate can be submitted for CEUs; however, acceptance is subject to each governing body’s rules and approval.
How do I request a speaker for an event or other engagement?
Our schedule fills quickly. Please contact us if you’d like to host Rooted in Language for an in-person event, webinar, workshop, or other speaking engagement.
Community
Where can I find a community for support in using your products and teaching methods?
We have a very welcoming Facebook group, the Rooted Community, with home educators and private tutors who are on the literacy journey using RiL methods and products with their students. It’s a very supportive space, and we hope you’ll join.
For schools implementing our Pinwheels, Wand, and Grammar School Licenses, we have a private Rooted Schools Community, which allows classroom teachers, school tutors and interventionists, and school administrators to ask questions, share ideas, and receive support from our team as well as other schools using these programs.
How can I share a testimonial or my student’s Way to Grow moment?
Tag @rootedinlanguage in Social Media posts.
Join and share in the Rooted Community Facebook group.
Send us a testimonial or student Way to Grow moment by email. We’d love to share it!
Printing
What is the best way to print my RiL materials?
There are many printing options available to you. Our customers generally say that the most economical long-term option is printing at home with an Epson Ecotank printer or an HP OfficeJet printer with Instant Ink subscription.
If printing at home, we recommend using Adobe PDF Reader (free to download) to ensure proper printing of all graphics in our PDFs. Select "print as image" in the Advanced settings.
If printing at home is not an option, consider these alternatives:
- Your local library may allow free or low cost printing.
- We offer print-on-demand for some Pinwheels student materials. The complete Pinwheels program should first be purchased for the full program materials, including the Educator Guides and instructional videos.
- Our Partners page includes customer recommended printing companies and their RiL discount codes.
Complete Print & Setup guidance is provided with Pinwheels.
Why aren’t the graphics and images in my PDFs printing correctly?
For the best printing outcome, we recommend using Adobe Acrobat Reader on a computer (free to download). Mac Preview and some other PDF file readers do not print some graphics properly.
Using Adobe Acrobat Reader, select Print → Advanced → Print as Image
Also, select the print setting “fit” or “shrink oversized pages.”
If you are printing from a phone or tablet, the settings for each small device and printer vary and must be considered to ensure the best quality. The default PDF reader on your small device may not read our PDFs properly. Again, we recommend using Adobe Acrobat Reader on a computer (free to download).
Products & Purchases
How do I download the product I purchased?
Digital products are delivered via email to the email address you provided at checkout. Click “access downloads” and save the product to your device. We recommend adding help@rootedinlanguage.com to your contacts or safe senders list to ensure your order emails are directed to your primary inbox.
If your order includes the purchase of Pinwheels, Foundations, or School Licenses, these products are delivered via Thinkific, an online learning platform. Check your inbox (including promotions/spam) for an email from "noreply@notify.thinkific.com" which contains your access link and instructions. We recommend adding this email address to your contacts or safe senders list to ensure our Thinkific-related emails are directed to your primary inbox.
How do I access my RiL Thinkific resources?
Use this RiL Thinkific link to access your RiL purchases that are hosted on the online learning platform, including: Pinwheels; Foundations for Teaching Reading, Writing & Spelling Educator Course; Roots Entwined; and our School Licenses.
What is your return and refund policy?
Our products are not refundable due to their digital delivery and/or print-on-demand fulfillment. For more information, view our Return Policy.
We recommend customers begin with our Placement Quiz, and then review full descriptions, scopes, sample images/videos, FAQs for the recommended products prior to purchasing.
Complete unit samples of our curricula are also available in our Shop to download, preview & try before purchasing.
What if I mistakenly purchased the same thing twice?
If you inadvertently made a duplicate purchase, please contact us immediately, providing the relevant email address used when placing the orders along with your order numbers. We will research the issue and get back to you promptly.
Can I share my Rooted in Language purchased products and classes with other educators, including parents, private tutors, classroom teachers, and school tutors or interventionists?
No. With the exception of our School Licenses, each educator must purchase their own copy of our products and classes. For more information, view our Policies & Terms of Use.
If other educators are interested in our materials, we ask that you honor our copyright by sending any interested parties to our Shop to purchase their own copy. Doing so enables us to continue offering high quality products at reasonable prices. We value our relationships with our customers and thank you for respecting our work!
Using Funds from a Charter, School, District, or Grant
How can I add Rooted in Language to my charter’s approved vendor list?
If Rooted in Language is not already an approved vendor with your charter, school, district, or grant provider, please contact us so we can complete their vendor application.
How can I use funds from my charter, school, or district to purchase Rooted in Language products?
If your charter, school, or district uses a purchase order system, they can contact us to obtain our purchase order procedures. The purchase order must include the home educator’s email address for delivery of the digital product.
If your charter, school, or district places orders directly through our website, they can purchase on your behalf through our Shop. To comply with our copyright, digital products cannot be forwarded. The charter, school, or district must follow the checkout procedures below (also available to download) to order on a family's behalf:
1) AT CHECKOUT: Enter the parent's email address for sole access to and delivery of the product. Add the parent's first and last name in the checkout NOTE section. This ensures that any online access to purchased programs is set up in the parent's name and they have sole access, in accordance with our licensing terms. The school name can be added as c/o in the second address line.
2) PAYMENT: Select PayPal and enter the school purchaser's email address while processing payment through PayPal. Doing so delivers a PayPal receipt to the school purchaser's email address. The receipt will include our merchant name as well as the products purchased.
Important Note about Licensing
With the exception of our School Licenses, our products are licensed for the purchaser's use only. In the case of a charter, school, or district purchasing on behalf of an enrolled family, our products are consumable and the property of your enrolled family, the home educator. A home educator is defined as a parent or legal guardian who is teaching their own children and the children for whom they have legal guardianship.
Our products may not be shared in lending libraries nor reproduced for multiple home educators enrolled with your charter, school, or district. A separate purchase must be made on behalf of each home educator who is using the product.
See a summary of licensing information in the Shop for each product. Refer to our Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
Thank you for protecting our intellectual property with your compliance.
Who owns the products and classes purchased with funds from my charter, school, or district?
Refer to our complete Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
With the exception of our School Licenses, our products are licensed for the purchaser's use only. In the case of a charter, school, or district purchasing on behalf of an enrolled family, our products are consumable and the property of your enrolled family, the home educator. A home educator is defined as a parent or legal guardian who is teaching their own children and the children for whom they have legal guardianship.
Purchased subscriptions or educator classes are also the property of your enrolled family, the home educator, not the charter, school, or district.
Our products may not be shared in lending libraries nor reproduced for multiple home educators enrolled with your charter, school, or district. A separate purchase must be made on behalf of each home educator who is using the product.
Orders placed in our Shop by a charter, school, or district on behalf of an enrolled family must be placed using the enrolled family's email address to ensure the home educator is the sole recipient of access to and delivery of the digital products. Refer to the previous FAQ question or the following download for proper ordering procedures in our Shop: How can I use my charter/school funds to purchase Rooted in Language products?
A summary of licensing information is provided for each product and class in the Shop.
Thank you for protecting our intellectual property through your compliance with our policies & terms of use.
Policies & Terms of Use
Can I teach with your products and curricula in a co-op, tutoring, or classroom setting?
Refer to our complete Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
Please visit our Shop to view the product you wish to purchase for a summary of licensing details and product FAQs.
For co-ops:
- Use of any Rooted in Language licensed product in a co-op environment may require special licensing. We strongly recommend each student’s family purchase the program for weekly assignments to complete at home. Contact us for licensing options before purchasing. A co-op is defined as a learning environment where several homeschool families join together for academic pursuits, and parents work cooperatively in teaching different subjects.
- A School License to use Pinwheels, Wand, and Grammar Bugs is required for tutors or interventionists working in a co-op.
For private tutors:
- Use of any Rooted in Language product requires the purchase of a private tutor license, which allows the purchaser to make copies for their own use, as well as copies of student materials only for their own children, children for whom they have legal guardianship, and their own one-on-one, private tutoring students. Access to the program and copies of educator materials may not be shared with other parents, tutors, or educators outside of the purchaser’s immediate family. A private tutor is defined as an adult educator, including intervention providers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and literacy specialists, who provides one-on-one reading and writing intervention to students within a private practice setting.
- A School License to use Pinwheels, Wand, and Grammar Bugs is required for (1) private tutors working with students in small groups in a private practice setting, (2) tutors or interventionists working in a co-op, and (3) tutors or interventionists working in a school.
For classroom teachers, schools, school tutors and interventionists:
- Use of the Pinwheels curriculum, Wand program, and Grammar Bugs program each require the purchase of a School License for each school location. A school is defined as a single, physical location with one or more administrators and employed or volunteer educators whose primary duty is to instruct students in groups at that location. A classroom teacher is defined as a school employee or volunteer whose primary duty is to instruct students in groups at that school. A school tutor or interventionist is defined as a school employee or volunteer whose primary duty is to provide literacy support for students at that school.
- All other Rooted in Language products and classes are licensed for a single educator only.
- Professional development group pricing: If your school has three or more classroom teachers, tutors, or interventionists who would benefit from the professional development provided by a Rooted in Language educator class, contact us for group pricing. Refer to the first bullet point in this section for definitions of school, classroom teacher, and school tutor or interventionist.
Thank you for protecting our intellectual property through compliance with our policies & terms of use.
What is your Copyright & Licensing Policy?
Please refer to the licensing information provided in your purchased product as well as our complete Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
What is your Privacy Policy?
Click here for our Privacy Policy.
Definitions
Home Educator
A home educator is defined as a parent or legal guardian who is teaching their own children and the children for whom they have legal guardianship.
Refer to our complete Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
Private Tutor
A private tutor is defined as an adult educator, including intervention providers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and literacy specialists, who provides one-on-one reading and writing intervention to students within a private practice setting.
Refer to our complete Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
Co-op
A co-op is defined as a learning environment where several homeschool families join together for academic pursuits, and parents work cooperatively in teaching different subjects.
Refer to our complete Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
School
A school is defined as a single, physical location with one or more administrators and employed or volunteer educators whose primary duty is to instruct students in groups at that location.
Refer to our complete Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
Classroom Teacher
A classroom teacher is defined as a school employee or volunteer whose primary duty is to instruct students in groups at that school.
A school is defined as a single, physical location with one or more administrators and employed or volunteer educators whose primary duty is to instruct students in groups at that location.
Refer to our complete Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
School Tutor or Interventionist
A school tutor or interventionist is defined as a school employee or volunteer whose primary duty is to provide literacy support for students at that school.
A school is defined as a single, physical location with one or more administrators and employed or volunteer educators whose primary duty is to instruct students in groups at that location.
Refer to our complete Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
