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When it comes to language, young children have a distinct advantage over the rest of the population. Their brains are far more receptive to it. Researchers believe that people are most able to easily learn their native language—as well as other languages—in the time before adolescence. How can educators support this window? Read more

The Internet is bursting with educational websites. It can be difficult to navigate this excess and find the sites that are really worth your time. For this reason, Homeschool.com compiles a yearly list of the top 100 educational websites. This list includes both homeschool-specific sites as well as the best sites for information and products related to math, reading, writing, science, and other content areas. We’re pleased to report that ReadNaturally.com is featured on the list as one of the top educational websites of 2015! Read more

Picture yourself participating in a parent-teacher conference for one of your students. If you are a literacy specialist, a Title 1 teacher, or a special education teacher, it is always a bit awkward when the regular classroom teacher or the parent turns to you and says, “I don’t really know what Jamie does when he leaves class for reading intervention!” Even though regular classroom teachers and parents are usually involved in planning a student’s intervention, and they receive several formal reports about a student’s progress during the year, they may not necessarily be aware of what the student is doing day-to-day. Read more

Read Naturally has been successfully implemented in thousands of schools across the United States and Canada. With the introduction of our web-based intervention program, Read Naturally Live, an increasing number of international schools are taking advantage of our research-proven, powerful strategy. In response to this new trend, we attended one of the largest educational technology events on the planet, the 2015 British Educational Training and Technology (BETT) Show. Read more

Nothing says, “Welcome back from break!” like being faced with winter benchmark assessments. The recommended testing window is December 16 – February 6, so for many of you this task is in the near future. Our blog is full of great information about winter assessments. Read more

Read Naturally, Inc. was born out of research. In 1989, a reading teacher named Candyce Ihnot conducted a study in her classroom for her master’s thesis. Candyce applied three research-based methods (teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring) in a simple set of steps in an attempt to improve her students’ reading fluency. Her approach proved to be highly effective and became the basis for the Read Naturally Strategy. Read more

Congratulations to December Star Student Kai-yon M., a sixth grader at Van Corlaer Elementary in Schenectady, NY! Here is what Kai-yon's teacher, Karen Morandi-Isabella had to say about Kai-yon. Read more

Last week, I helped assemble gingerbread houses for my son’s Kindergarten class to decorate. I sat down at a table covered in empty milk cartons, graham crackers broken into various shapes, and buckets of icing. The other parent volunteers and I exchanged timid looks until the teacher met with us and showed us a fully assembled prototype. It was then that we understood what our process should be. When we saw the finished product—the goal—we could relax and get to work. Read more

Nothing can replace the learning that happens when students interact personally with a good teacher. Not even the most sophisticated computer can compete with that. However, the use of technology in connection with face-to-face learning can have huge benefits for both teachers and students. That's one reason why blended learning—a mix of online and classroom learning—is gaining popularity in schools around the world. Read more

Why is it fun to play games? Researchers have found that it’s the learning aspect of games that makes them fun. When we’re playing games, we’re making choices, realizing consequences, mastering skills, and working toward goals. We’re developing our understanding of systems and rules. Our brains are highly stimulated by this kind of learning, and we’re motivated to keep doing it. The best part is that our brains are working hard, yet we don’t feel drained by the effort—we’re just having fun! Read more