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We’ve reached the time of year when many parents are filling up their summer calendars, making plans to keep their children’s minds and bodies busy. We at Read Naturally believe reading is the most important activity children should be engaged in this summer. Quiet time to read might not earn a spot on the family calendar, but it should be highly prioritized nonetheless. Read more

Summer will be here before we know it! While we all welcome summer, we do not welcome the Summer Slide. For this reason, many teachers have expressed interest in setting up students to continue working in Read Live at home over the summer. Read more

On airplanes, they tell you to secure your own oxygen mask before assisting others. You’re only able to help another person if you have enough air for yourself. This advice can be applied metaphorically to any situation in life—and it’s the kind of advice that is especially difficult for teachers to follow. Teachers are the ultimate helpers. Without hesitation, they’ll set aside their own needs to help a student or colleague in need. So how do they avoid running out of oxygen? For many teachers, the answer is S-U-M-M-E-R. Read more

How do you think your students are doing on their summer reading lists so far? It’s fun to imagine them leaned up against a shady tree with a good classic, isn’t it? (A teacher can dream!) Wouldn’t you love that kind of lazy day? Who’s to say you can’t have one—or several? Summer reading is important for teachers too. And usually, after a busy school year, it’s quite a treat. Read more

If your students’ parents are anything like me, they’re currently trying to figure out how to avoid a summer full of that dreaded declaration: “I’m bored!” Some parents intend to sign their children up for ALL THE THINGS in order to eliminate the possibility of boredom altogether. Is this a good idea? Read more

For Read Live students who have been making progress each day for the entire school year, a three-month summer break isn’t ideal. Best-case scenario: They’ll read a lot on their own and continue to make progress. Worst-case scenario: They won’t read at all, and they’ll lose some valuable gains. The worst-case scenario is, unfortunately, more common. But of course, it’s not going to happen to your students! That’s because your students can continue to use Read Live over the summer—for free. Read more

Back when Read Naturally founder Candyce Ihnot would present at full-day seminars, she would often start by telling a story about her youngest child, Tommy. One day, Tommy came home from elementary school and angrily declared, “I hate school.” Tommy was the son of two schoolteachers—his declaration was basically blasphemous! When Candyce asked him to explain why he hated school, his lip started to quiver. He told his mom about independent reading time. “She doesn’t even know,” he said of his teacher, “I can’t read.” Read more

It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not! Any Read Live student can continue working in the program from home if you set his/her parent up as a program helper. We encourage you to let parents know this is an option. Read more

You've worked hard all year to accelerate your students’ progress. Thanks to your dedication, many of your students are now reading better than ever. How can you ensure this crucial progress is not lost over the summer? While you can’t personally be there to ensure your students don’t experience the “summer slide,” you can help them avoid it. It’s as simple as sending home a flyer. Read more

Does “summer reading” sound to your students like a chore? You know reading can be just as exciting as any other summer activity, but your students may need a little convincing. These last couple weeks of school, take some time to brainstorm and share all the fun possibilities for summer reading. The web is full of information on this topic. Here are a few of our favorite resources: Read more