Tiny Steps parent FAQ: classes, fees and English learning

Start with the skill the child cannot yet do independently. Difficulty decoding unfamiliar words points toward phonics; accurate but effortful reading may need fluency; repeated sentence errors may need grammar and writing; short or hesitant answers may need sentence formation and speaking confidence. If the gap is unclear, begin with the free assessment before choosing a course.

Tiny Steps uses a free 35-minute 1:1 online demo assessment class before enrolment. The teacher checks the child’s current strengths and gaps in the relevant skills and recommends an appropriate learning path and starting point instead of placing every child only by age.

One free 35-minute 1:1 online demo assessment class per child before enrolment. The teacher checks the child’s current level and recommends the right learning path. The focus is the child’s actual learning need, so the teacher may check phonics, reading, grammar, sentence formation or speaking depending on the concern shared by the parent.

Yes. Tiny Steps classes are online, so families can join from Hyderabad, other parts of India and international locations when a suitable teacher slot is available. Time-zone and teacher availability should be checked before fixing a regular schedule.

Standard 1:1 classes are 35 minutes. Standard small-group classes are longer because more children need individual response time: current group formats run from 40 to 60 minutes depending on group size.

Tiny Steps offers standard 1:1 classes as well as small-group formats from 1:2 to 1:6. One-to-one classes allow close observation and personalised pacing; groups add peer interaction and turn-taking. The better format depends on the child’s goal, confidence and need for individual correction.

Tiny Steps conducts live online classes through Microsoft Teams. Families receive class access through the scheduled class flow, and enrolled parents can use the Tiny Steps parent portal to reach the class-joining option.

Tiny Steps recruitment criteria prioritise strong spoken and written English, clear pronunciation, confident communication and the ability to teach children in a structured way. Graduation is preferred, and relevant experience in English, phonics, grammar, communication or public speaking is valued. The academic fit for the child still matters after enrolment.

Yes. The class-samples page shows real teaching moments across Tiny Steps programmes. Samples help parents understand the teaching style, while the free 1:1 assessment remains the better way to judge the correct starting level for an individual child.

Mentor fit matters. If a parent is unhappy with the assigned teacher, Tiny Steps will first offer a replacement mentor where possible so learning can continue with minimal disruption. If a suitable reassignment cannot be arranged, the refund and unused-class policy explains the available next steps.

Younger children may need initial help with the device, materials or settling into the routine. Older children can often participate more independently. The teacher can advise after seeing the child’s attention, comfort and ability to follow online instructions during the assessment.

There is no responsible fixed completion timeline for every child. Progress depends on the starting level, attendance, practice, engagement and the skill being taught. Package size should not be treated as a guarantee that a child will master a course within that exact number of sessions; the teacher should use progress evidence to guide the next stage.

Standard 1:1: ₹400 per class • Small groups: ₹180–₹300 per child per class. Prices and package options can change, so the pricing page is the source of truth to check before enrolment. Premium teacher options, when offered, may use different pricing.

Current standard 1:1 monthly packages contain 12, 16, 24 classes. Standard small-group plans currently use 12 classes. The exact weekly pattern should be agreed around the child’s learning need, family schedule and teacher availability rather than assuming one frequency is right for every child.

Yes. Tiny Steps provides one free 35-minute 1:1 online demo assessment class per child before enrolment. It costs ₹0, requires no credit card and does not create an obligation to enrol. The purpose is to understand the child’s level before a parent makes a paid-class decision.

The current policy allows a family to request a full refund within the first 7 days of payment or before completing the first two paid classes, whichever comes first. For later monthly-plan withdrawal, the unused portion may be refunded after deducting classes already delivered. The written refund policy is the source of truth for conditions and processing.

Compare the starting assessment, teaching format, curriculum sequence, teacher feedback, home-practice expectation, progress evidence, class frequency and total price. A cheaper package is not automatically better if it does not match the child’s actual learning need, and a higher price is not proof of better teaching by itself.

Look for evidence of what the child can now read, write, explain or say with less help. Compare similar fresh tasks over time instead of relying only on attendance, chapters completed or familiar worksheets. Enrolled families can use parent updates and the portal alongside teacher feedback to follow progress.

Tiny Steps may provide class recordings as part of parent support. Where a recording folder has been assigned to the family, available recordings can be opened from the Classes area of the parent dashboard. Recordings depend on processing and upload, so they should not be expected to appear immediately when a class ends.

Tiny Steps may provide worksheets, practice resources and parent guidance as part of the learning service. The useful practice depends on what the child has actually been taught, so parents should follow the teacher’s current recommendation rather than adding large amounts of unrelated worksheet work. Whether a particular task needs teacher review depends on the lesson and activity.

No responsible programme can guarantee the same result or timeline for every learner. Progress depends on factors such as the child’s starting level, attendance, practice, engagement and parental support. Tiny Steps should be judged by the quality of teaching, the clarity of the learning path and observable progress over time rather than a fixed-speed promise.

Use the same skill currently being taught, keep practice short and stop before frustration rises. Ask the child to do the task independently first, then give only the minimum prompt needed. Consistency and accurate practice are more useful than adding many new rules or worksheets ahead of the child’s current lesson sequence.

Availability changes, so parents should check current teacher slots before planning around a specific weekend, weekday or international time zone. Use the contact or demo-booking flow to share the preferred timing and the team can confirm what is currently possible.

Parents should give at least 24 hours’ notice when they need to cancel or reschedule a class. With that notice, Tiny Steps will make reasonable efforts to offer a replacement class or alternate slot, subject to teacher availability and scheduling constraints.

A class missed without prior notice may be treated as forfeited because the teacher’s time was reserved for the child. The current policy does not provide a refund for no-show sessions or classes missed without the required notice. Repeated late cancellations may also reduce scheduling flexibility.

Regular classes are scheduled at mutually agreed times based on teacher availability and the family’s selected slot. If the family later needs a different regular timing, contact the team so an alternate slot can be checked. A specific replacement time cannot be guaranteed until availability is confirmed.

Enrolled parents can log in to the Tiny Steps parent portal and use the Join Class option for the scheduled session. Tiny Steps uses Microsoft Teams for live classes, so the portal class action opens the relevant online meeting flow without parents needing a new manually shared link for every session.

Start with a small set of letter sounds, then practise oral blending, printed-word blending and one short decodable line. Keep the routine short and repeat the same taught pattern before adding more content. The goal is accurate transfer, not racing through the alphabet.

Knowing isolated sounds does not automatically teach a child to join those sounds into a word. Practise a short sequence such as /c/ /a/ /t/ orally first, then use printed CVC words. If the child guesses, slow the task down and check oral blending before adding harder spelling patterns.

Phonics teaches children to use sound-spelling relationships to decode words. Some high-frequency words contain parts that are unusual or not yet taught, so those parts need extra attention. The goal is to decode what can be decoded instead of asking the child to memorise every whole word as a visual shape.

No. Older children can still benefit from explicit phonics when a decoding gap remains. The starting point should be based on the child’s current sound knowledge, blending, word reading, spelling and fluency rather than assuming age alone tells you what they can read.

Not always. If decoding is accurate enough, the next need may be fluency, vocabulary, oral language, background knowledge or comprehension. Check whether the child can explain what happened, answer simple questions and retell the text without relying on the exact wording.

Look for clear placement, a systematic teaching sequence, active child participation, explicit blending and decoding, immediate correction, level-appropriate reading, spelling transfer and progress evidence using unfamiliar examples. A class should show what the child can do, not only which lesson number has been completed.

Teach one concept briefly, then use it in speaking, sentence building, editing and fresh writing. A child understands grammar more deeply when they can produce and correct their own sentences rather than only identify answers on a worksheet.

Knowing a rule and applying it while generating ideas are different demands. Use short write-edit-rewrite cycles and focus on one repeated error pattern at a time so the rule transfers into independent writing instead of remaining only worksheet knowledge.

Introduce tense language when the child can understand and produce simple sentences about now, before and later. The exact age matters less than language readiness. Start with clear everyday contrasts before moving into more complex tense forms.

Let the child say one complete idea, write it independently, then check capitals, punctuation, word order, tense and clarity. Gradually move from one sentence to connected sentences and paragraphs. This reduces the load of thinking about ideas and writing rules at the same time.

Use familiar, low-pressure prompts, allow thinking time, model only when needed and praise the attempt before correcting one small detail. Build from one complete sentence to connected ideas and unfamiliar settings gradually rather than forcing long speeches too early.

No. Let the child finish the idea first. Then choose one useful correction and ask for a smooth retry. Constant interruption can make it harder for the child to organise and express the message and may reduce willingness to speak.

Use a sentence starter and one follow-up question. Build from “dog” to “I like dogs” to “I like dogs because they are playful.” Reduce the prompt as the child becomes more independent so longer answers become the child’s own language rather than a memorised script.

Separate clarity, volume and pace instead of correcting everything at once. Practise one short sentence in a comfortable conversation voice, then add a deliberate pause between ideas. If speech clarity is persistently difficult or affects everyday communication, seek individual guidance from an appropriately qualified professional.