About Us

Our Story

Essential Skills began in the classroom, not a boardroom. In the late 1990s, veteran special education teacher Ryan Brown and his son Adam created Super Phonics to give Ryan’s students a more engaging and effective way to master foundational reading skills. Like many teachers, Ryan found himself reteaching the same basic concepts year after year. He realized that computers could take on this repetitive instruction more efficiently and in a way that kept students motivated. The result was a program that improved learning while freeing teachers from the constant teach, review, and test cycle, giving them more time for higher-level instruction.

Word spread quickly as other teachers saw the impact in their classrooms. Soon after, Sight Words was developed and Essential Skills was born. From the very beginning, our goal has been to build teacher-designed programs that engage students and give educators back valuable time.

What We Stand For

For more than 25 years, Essential Skills has stayed true to its roots as a family-founded, educator-driven company. Our programs are created in partnership with teachers, designed to save time while delivering focused instruction without unnecessary distractions. Schools and districts rely on us for resources that are simple to use, affordable, and proven to work.

Affordability has always been part of who we are. We believe every school deserves access to effective learning tools, not just those with big budgets. That’s why our programs are priced to give schools more for less, without ever compromising on quality, depth, or results.