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Students learning to read are inherently motivated by their own successes as they become more fluent. When their teachers acknowledge this success as well, it often gives them an extra push to work even harder. These little boosts can help them improve even more quickly.  Read more

“Why do you have a level 5.6…What happened to level 5.5?” This question comes into our customer service department fairly frequently, though there’s no official tally. I have actually wondered about this myself! Here is the history on Level 5.6, from one of our original writers:   Read more

Regardless of where kids are on their reading journey, there are countless ways to boost their literacy this spring. Here are some easy ideas for kids to try at home or for teachers to incorporate into the classroom. The free printables in this post will also make a great packet to send home over spring break! Read more

In the literacy education landscape, one-minute timings often find themselves at the center of discussion—and sometimes misconception.  

Critics argue that these timings only foster stress and promote speed reading. It’s true that one-minute timings, when introduced without proper framing, can indeed lead to stress or a misguided emphasis on speed. But that isn’t the whole truth. When used in an appropriate way, one-minute timings can be a highly useful tool.  Read more

This parent-teacher conference season, we hope you have the pleasure of sharing great news about your students’ growth in reading. Many parents will wonder how they can help foster this growth at home. We have developed several handouts and programs specifically for this purpose, and conferences are a great time to offer these free resources to parents. Read more

Teacher modeling has a huge impact on potential for mastery in almost any complex skill. In Read Naturally programs, Teacher Modeling shows up in our Read Along Step. The student reads along while listening to a recording of a story, usually three times. At least, that what they’re supposed to do. Aside from verbal instruction, what can we do to encourage subvocalization? Read more

February is Black History Month, a celebration of the achievements of Black Americans. It began as Negro History Week in 1926, when Carter G. Woodson, a Black historian, was instrumental in founding an organization that promoted the achievements of Black Americans. A week of celebrations, performances, and lectures grew into a monthlong opportunity to honor famous Black Americans and their contributions to American society.   Read more

Our February Star of the Month is Sofie, a 7th grader at Augusta Middle School in Augusta, Wisconsin. Sofie started Read Naturally this past September and has already made significant progress that's reflected in her benchmark assessment scores. Here is what her teacher, Ms. Planert, shared... Read more

Valentine’s Day, a holiday about love, seems to instead fill a large portion of the population with dread. If romance isn’t your thing, you feel doomed. If you’re unpartnered, you feel left out. If you’re a teacher, you’re bracing yourself for a day of mayhem and over-sugared students. And if you’re a parent of school-aged children, your living space is suddenly littered with dozens of valentines your children need to address. Does anyone actually love this holiday? Read more

Do you have students who seem more focused on rate than on overall reading improvement? As students build fluency, it’s natural for them to them to try to read faster. When they become too focused on speed, however, they often lose accuracy and expression. Read more