The end of the school year is a time for reflection and celebration. And that's why it's time for our annual State of the Blog address! Each year, we highlight the Top 10 RN Bookmark posts from August through May to help you catch up on any gems you might have missed and to compile a collection of the most valuable content, as chosen by our readers. We so appreciate your engagement with our blog and your dedication to supporting struggling and developing readers.

And now, drumroll, please, as we reveal the year’s standout posts:

10. Starting our list at number ten, Resources to Avoid the Summer Slide, offers a wealth of tools and tips to keep students engaged in reading over the break. Don’t let the hard-earned gains slip away over the summer!

9. Coming in at number nine, we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week with Free Resources for Our Wonderful Teachers, which includes phonics games, vocabulary exercises, handy cue cards, and more!  

8. 5 Meaningful Ways for Students to Honor Their Teachers came in eighth place. Also in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, this post suggests heartfelt gestures like thank-you letters and video tributes to help students express their appreciation for their educators.

7. Finding the right phonics program is essential for effective reading instruction. That’s why our seventh-place post, Finding the Right Phonics Program: 11 Key Features to Consider, is a must-read. It covers everything from explicit instruction to progress monitoring tools. This comprehensive guide helps educators make informed decisions.

6. At number six, One Minute Reader Live Is a FREE and Effective Summer Reading Solution offers a way for students to continue improving their fluency and comprehension skills independently over the summer. This post provides all the necessary information to make the most of your Read Live licenses during the break.

5. 15 Ways to Boost Literacy This Spring! (Free Printables Included) earned the fifth-place spot. This post is packed with engaging activities and printables, from bookmarks to word games, making it a fantastic resource for both teachers and parents.

4. Have you ever wondered why students struggle to spell words like "Valentine"? Teaching the schwa sound can be tricky, but our fourth-place post, Recommendations for Teaching the Schwa Sound, offers practical strategies to help students decode and spell multisyllabic words. 

3. Our third-place post, 13 Ways to Cultivate Gratitude in Your Classroom (Free Printables Included!), provides simple yet meaningful activities to foster a culture of thankfulness year-round. From gratitude journals to scavenger hunts, this post is a fantastic resource for fostering a healthy culture of thankfulness among your students.

2. This year's runner-up, Attention Teachers: You’ll Love These New Read Live Features!, introduces Independent Placement and Data Mentor—two features that streamline student placement and provide tailored recommendations throughout their Read Live journey, saving valuable time for teachers and enhancing student outcomes.

1. And finally, the top spot goes to a fascinating exploration of dyslexia’s history. The Birth of Dyslexia: The Early Brain Science of 19th-Century Medicine explores the journey from early descriptions of "word blindness" to modern insights into the brain's reading network. 

As always, thank you for joining us on RN Bookmark. Stay tuned over the summer for more exciting updates and helpful tips, and don’t hesitate to share your ideas for future posts. Here’s to another successful school year ahead!