Meet grade-level demands
For students who need a clearer way to understand passages, explain answers, and handle the reading asked of them at school.
ADVANCED READING COURSE I · GRADES 3–8
A Smarter Way to Read
An eight-week live online course that teaches students a clear method for understanding stories, analyzing what they read, and supporting answers with evidence.
8 weeks One 60-minute lesson per week One-on-one or small group
COURSE CREATOR & INSTRUCTOR
David Marrufo, MAB.A. English, Highest Honors | UC BerkeleyM.A. Philosophy | San Francisco State University
20+YEARS TEACHING
COURSE AT A GLANCE
8 WeeksOne connected course
1 Hour Per WeekLive online lessons
One-on-One or Small GroupGroups of up to six students
Live online from the San Francisco Bay Area, with Pacific-time scheduling for families throughout the region and beyond.
Who ARC I Is For
A Stronger Reading Foundation for Different Goals
Build stronger habits
For students who want to deepen their reading, analysis, and use of evidence as texts become more demanding.
Both goals belong in the same course. I select instruction and passages for each student’s grade and needs; parents do not need to label their child as “behind” or “advanced” before contacting me.
Prerequisites
ARC I teaches comprehension and analysis. Students need enough phonics knowledge and reading fluency to read a passage and focus on its meaning. I discuss fit with you during the consultation; students do not need to be strong at comprehension already.
The Course Pathway
Start with ARC I. Build on It in ARC II.
Learn the core methods
Grades 3–8 students learn and practice ways to read, annotate, understand, analyze, and support answers.
Practice with new passages
A further round of ARC I offers new texts and appropriate challenges when more practice will help.
Apply them across genres
After ARC I, recommended students in Grades 5–8 apply the methods to scientific, argumentative, biographical, and paired passages.
I recommend each student’s next step based on their progress.
Explore ARC IIHow It Works
Learn a Method. Practice It. Explain the Thinking.
Learn a method
I teach a specific reading or analysis skill directly, so students know what to look for and why it matters.
Read with guidance
Students use that skill on a passage chosen for their grade and needs.
Explain the thinking
They answer questions and point to the evidence that supports their reasoning.
Get immediate feedback
I hear their explanation, address confusion, and help them refine the answer while the passage is in front of us.
Eight weeks · One live online 60-minute lesson per week · One-on-one or small group of up to six students
What Students Learn
A Reading Method Students Can Use Again and Again
Annotate with purpose
Follow the plot, keep track of important details, and return to the text when answering questions using an annotation system that works with every text.
Understand what the text says
Identify key facts and distinguish what the passage states from what a reader infers.
Find the best evidence
Support answers with the most relevant details from the passage.
Analyze characters and perspectives
Explain how characters think, act, and change, and how perspective shapes a story.
Compare ideas and texts
Recognize meaningful similarities and differences and explain why they matter.
Eight-Week Curriculum
Eight Weeks of Connected Reading Skills
Each week builds on the skills before it. Passages can vary by grade, and a further round of ARC I uses new texts.
- Week01
Story structure and best evidence
Learn to follow the events of a story and support answers with the strongest details.
- Week02
Story structure and best evidence, continued
Use the same approach with a new story and explain how evidence supports a conclusion.
- Week03
Facts of the text
Find what the text says directly and separate those facts from inferences.
- Week04
Characterization
Notice what characters say and do, then explain what those details reveal.
- Week05
Perspective
Consider how a character’s point of view affects what they see and how the story unfolds.
- Week06
Compare and contrast
Identify meaningful similarities and differences and support comparisons with details.
- Week07
Informational nonfiction
Apply the reading method to an informational passage and explain its key ideas.
- Week08
Biography
Read about a person’s life, track important events, and explain their significance.
About the Teacher
Twenty Years of Teaching Reading, Reasoning, and Analysis
David Marrufo, M.A.
I earned a B.A. in English with Highest Honors from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Philosophy from San Francisco State University.
In my teaching, I saw students asked to answer increasingly difficult reading questions without first being taught a systematic way to approach the text. I developed ARC I to teach those methods explicitly and give students repeated practice using them.
Live instruction lets me hear a student’s reasoning, see where an explanation breaks down, and give immediate coaching while we read together.
20+ Years
Teaching reading, English, comprehension, and tutoring
- UC Berkeley
B.A. in English
Highest Honors
- San Francisco State University
M.A. in Philosophy
Grades 3–8
Elementary and middle school reading specialization
LIVE ONLINE FROM THE BAY AREA
Structured Reading Instruction—Wherever Your Student Learns
Advanced Reading Course is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and taught live online, making its structured approach available to students throughout the region and other Pacific-time communities. Students receive direct instruction from David Marrufo, MA, without adding another commute to the family schedule.
Learn about ARC for Bay Area familiesEnrollment and Pricing
Choose the Format That Fits Your Child
Individual instruction
One-on-one ARC I
$797
Eight live one-hour lessons tailored to your child’s grade, reading needs, and goals.
- Guided passage work
- ARC I reading and annotation methods
- Discussion of answers and evidence
- Immediate, individualized feedback
Learn together
Small-group ARC I
$277
Eight live one-hour lessons in a group of up to six students.
- Guided passage work
- ARC I reading and annotation methods
- Discussion of answers and evidence
- Immediate feedback and guided practice
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions Parents Often Ask
Is ARC I only for students who are behind?
No. Students may join to catch up to grade-level reading demands or to strengthen their skills and stay ahead. Both are normal reasons to take ARC I.
Does my child need to be an advanced reader?
No. ARC I teaches comprehension and analysis. Instruction and passages are selected to suit the student’s grade and needs.
What phonics and fluency skills are needed?
A student needs enough phonics knowledge and fluency to read a passage and focus on its meaning. We discuss whether ARC I is a fit during the consultation.
Will ARC I help my child with writing?
Yes. Strong essay writing begins with strong reading. ARC I teaches students to analyze a text, identify its strongest evidence, and develop interpretations they can support. These are the analytical skills that help students move from reading a passage to developing a strong thesis and essay outline.
My approach emphasizes the thinking that gives an essay its substance. Grammar, sentence structure, and organization matter, but students also need to understand what they are reading and determine which evidence best supports their ideas.
ARC I focuses on building that foundation through reading and analysis. It is not a dedicated essay-writing workshop, but it develops skills students can carry into school writing assignments and future advanced coursework.
How are students placed in small groups?
I consider students’ grades, reading needs, and learning goals when forming a group of up to six students. We can discuss the available format during the consultation.
Can a student take ARC I again?
Yes. When I recommend more practice, a student can take another round of ARC I with new passages and appropriate challenges.
When does a student move to ARC II?
After completing ARC I, a student in Grades 5–8 may move to ARC II when I recommend that next step based on their progress.
How are lessons taught?
Lessons are live online, once a week for 60 minutes over eight weeks. Students receive direct instruction, guided practice, discussion, and immediate feedback.
What happens during the consultation?
We discuss your child’s grade, reading experience, and goals. I answer your questions and recommend an appropriate starting point; you do not need to choose a course level beforehand.
Book a Consultation
Find the Right Starting Point for Your Child
Share your child’s grade, reading experience, and goals. After we speak, I’ll recommend the appropriate next step. You do not need to select ARC I or ARC II before requesting a consultation.
Free15 minutesNo pressure
Consultation RequestAdvanced Reading Course