Privacy FAQs

We hope this question and answer format will assist you in rapidly finding specific privacy and security information. Additional information is located on the Privacy and Security page.

1. What information does Headsprout collect from me and how does it use it?

In order for a child to participate in the Headsprout Early Reading and Headsprout Reading Comprehension programs (the "Reading Programs"), we permit only parents or a legal guardian of that child to register at Headsprout. During the on-line registration process, we will collect your name, mailing address, email address, phone number and credit card information, including billing address. In order to register your child or children for the Reading Programs, you will be asked to provide your child's first and last name, gender, date of birth and the relationship of the child to you. We call this information "Registration Information."

How Headsprout Uses Registration Information:

• Mailing Address: We may mail storybooks and ancillary program products to you, and to your child in care of you, to the mailing address that you provide.
• Email Address: Your email address will serve as your login username. We will use the email address to send a confirmation email at registration, as well as information and updates to the Reading Programs. We will also send email notifications to you each time your child completes an episode in the Reading Programs and email your child's progress reports to you. We may use the email address as an additional means of communicating with you about the Reading Programs and Headsprout. In addition, if you click on the "opt-in" button during registration (to "opt-in" to receive third-party information), we may use the email address to notify you periodically about third-party information, or third-party promotional and other opportunities.
• Credit Card Information: We will use your credit card information to bill you for each child that you register for the Reading Programs. The prices for the Reading Programs are posted on the Registration Page. If you subsequently register additional children, you may choose to charge the existing credit card or enter another credit card.
• Phone Number: We will use the phone number as an additional means of communicating with you if necessary.
• Child's Name: We will use a child's name to personalize updates about your child's progress in the program. In addition, we may mail program-related material to your child, care of you and at the mailing address that you provide.
• Relationship to Child: We will use this information for demographic profile purposes and to personalize your child's progress reports.
• Child's Date of Birth: We will use a child's age to group Performance Data of children of similar age so we can assess performance by age, and improve the reading program.
• Child's Gender: We will use a child's gender to personalize the Headsprout Reading programs by using the appropriate pronoun for each child.
• Secondary Uses: Headsprout may use Registration Information and other information in the form of aggregate, anonymous statistical information for demographic profiling and targeted advertising.

Other Information that Headsprout Collects:

• Customer's Order and Lesson History: We will maintain a record containing the details of your order and purchase, as well as when lessons are started, stopped, re-started and completed, for client services and operational purposes.

2. What information does Headsprout collect directly from my child?

Headsprout collects information directly from your child, via the Internet, in the form of the clicks that your child will make when completing an episode of the Reading Programs. We refer to these clicks, and data on when you child starts and stops a lesson, as "Performance Data." We will use Performance Data to (1) measure your child's performance in each episode of the Headsprout Early Reading (the "Reading Programs") and to adapt the Reading Programs to his or her learning needs, (2) analyze your child's Performance Data, and provide you with periodic progress reports about your child's performance in the Reading Program, and (3) improve the Reading Program.

In the event that we ever modify the Reading Program, or any other Headsprout products and services, such that the continued use of the Reading Programs and other Headsprout products and services require the collection of information that is not Performance Data directly from your child, Headsprout will seek your authorization prior to collecting such additional information from your child.

Headsprout may aggregate your child's Performance Data with the Performance Data of other children participating in the Reading Programs for marketing and other business related purposes. Such aggregate information will be anonymous and will not identify your child.

3. Can I opt-out of providing any of the information requested?

Headsprout collects information that is required to ensure the program operates consistently and accurately, or that specifically enhances the effectiveness of the Reading Program. Therefore, all the information we request is mandatory, with the exception of certain marketing information, such as where you heard about Headsprout.

4. Can I review and modify information you collect from me?

You will have the opportunity to review and modify your Registration Information each time you log onto the Headsprout Web Site using your password.

5. How does Headsprout protect my information from loss, misuse or alteration?

Headsprout has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse or alteration of information under our control. Headsprout uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to encrypt information that you transmit to us over the Internet. Once we receive your transmission, we will store all information on secure servers behind a firewall. As a further security measure, all credit card information will be encrypted. In addition, only the Headsprout management team and the lead engineers can access the information stored on these servers and in these databases. The Headsprout management team and engineers will continuously review and update the integrity of the Web Site and the security of your personal information.

6. Will Headsprout sell my information to third parties?

Headsprout does not currently sell, trade or assign the information that it collects to third parties, such as mailing houses, market research firms, or advertisers. We, however, may aggregate the information that we collect from users of the Web Site to prepare (1) demographic profiles and (2) performance profiles regarding the progress of children who use the Reading Program. Headsprout may share aggregated information with advertisers, marketing professionals, or potential investors. This aggregated information will be compiled and reported in the form of anonymous group statistics only.

In addition, as Headsprout continues to develop its business, it might sell some or all of its assets. In such transactions, customer information is generally one of the transferred business assets. An acquiring company would be required to protect all information that Headsprout collects from users of the Headsprout Web Site and Reading Programs in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy, as amended from time to time.

7. With whom might Headsprout share my information?

Except as provided in this Privacy Policy, Headsprout will not disclose the information that it obtains from you to third parties without your express written permission, or where we believe, in good faith, that the law requires us to disclose the information.

8. Will Headsprout send me unsolicited third-party promotional emails?

No, Headsprout will not send you unsolicited third-party promotional emails. You have the choice to Opt-In to receive third-party email offers and promotions when you register for the program. If you click on the "Opt-In" button, we may occasionally send email messages about third-party offers or promotions that we believe may be of special interest to you. Only Headsprout, or its partners working under confidentiality agreements, may send these direct emails to you. If you do not wish to receive these email announcements, do not choose the "Opt-In" button when registering for your Headsprout account. If you do "Opt-in," you can at any time later "Opt-Out" by changing the option in the Account Management Section to indicate you no longer want to receive such email offers and promotions.

9. Does Headsprout use cookies?

As a standard practice, Headsprout assigns a number to each user of the Web Site to anonymously monitor site traffic patterns, site usage information and complete your web transactions in a secure manner. This random number is stored in a "cookie." A cookie is a small amount of data sent to your browser from our web server and stored on your computer's hard drive, then sent back to the server by your browser each time you access the Web Site. Only Headsprout can access this cookie information and we never store sensitive information such as usernames or passwords in cookies. Cookies enable us to temporarily store information about what pages you visit on the Headsprout Web Site ("Tracking Information"). We use this Tracking Information to manage and administer our Web Site. We also use cookies to store your user ID permanently. Headsprout does not, and cannot, use cookies to retrieve personal information from your computer.

The cookie also allows Headsprout to never log you off the site; each time you return, you never have to log in again. However, if you are using a shared computer such as one at a school, lab or library, be sure to log off after each session. This ensures that no one can then use the same computer to access your account.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about your privacy or security measures at Headsprout, please contact us.