GATE+ uses the Read Naturally Strategy that combines three powerful methods—teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring. Research indicates these are effective ways to develop reading fluency. To learn more about the research basis for the strategies used in Read Naturally GATE+—to teach phonemic awareness, phonics, high-frequency words, and fluency—see this topic:
 Research Basis for the Read Naturally Strategy

GATE+ works well as an intervention for small groups of six or fewer students with similar reading skills and needs in grades 1-3 or as classroom instruction for grades K-1. Teachers can use universal screening data, phonics screening data, and classroom performance data to determine who might benefit from this program. Teachers, tutors, or teacher-trained educational assistants can also teach these lessons to individual students.

One full lesson generally takes four 30-minute reading periods or five 20-minute reading periods. (The first few lessons may take longer because the students will need time to learn what to do in the lessons.) The time required will also depend on whether the teacher chooses to complete all the activities and/or adds to the activities, the age of the students, and how quickly they master the skills taught, etc. The lessons are set up so you and the students can complete as many parts of the lesson during a reading period as possible and continue the lesson during subsequent reading periods until the lesson is complete. You may begin a new lesson immediately upon finishing a lesson if time remains in your reading period.

Many of the stories in GATE+ levels 0.8, 1.3, and 1.8 are indeed the same as the stories in the corresponding levels in Read Naturally Live/Encore Phonics series. Read Naturally did revise many stories (about half) and replace a couple of stories in those levels for the GATE+ revision (late 2023 & early 2024). Read Naturally will update the Read Naturally Live/Encore Phonics Series with those story revisions/replacements in 2024 and 2025. When that happens, all of the stories will be the same (or very similar) between the programs.

When you are placing students in Read Naturally, some students may fall below the placement table range on the lowest placement level, 1.0, but they will still be able to work successfully in Read Naturally if they know beginning sounds and can recognize about 50 written words. 

If a student is not yet ready to work independently and only knows 15 to 20 words, that student may start in Read Naturally GATE+, level 0.8 (short vowels). 

GATE+ 1.3 (long vowels) or 1.8 (blends/digraphs) may be an appropriate option for a student who is not yet ready to work independently and who falls within the range for level 1.5 or 2.0. If a student places at level 1.5 and needs to work on long vowels, Gate+ 1.3 may be appropriate. If a student places at level 2.0 and needs to work on blends and digraphs, GATE+ 1.8 may be appropriate.

The words displayed in red font are high-frequency words—some with regular spelling patterns (sound-out words) and some with irregular spelling patterns (spell-out words). The red font reminds the teacher and the students that it is important to learn to read these words accurately and with automaticity, because these words appear so frequently in text.

In Read Naturally GATE+, you use a one-minute timing to:

• Conduct a student's cold timing as he or she begins each story.
• Conduct a student's hot timing when he or she completes work on each story.

Detailed steps for conducting a one-minute timing in Read Naturally Encore, Read Naturally GATE+, and Read Naturally ME are listed in Read Naturally Encore: Conducting a one-minute timing.

Follow these guidelines when counting errors:

• The words in the title do not count as words in the story. If the student reads the title, do not start the timer until the student reads the first word of the story.
• Each word in the story counts as one word.
• A number written as a numeral counts as one word.
• Each word in a number written in words counts as one word.
• An abbreviation counts as one word.
• Each initial counts as one word when it appears within a person's name.
• If two full words are connected by a hyphen, each word counts as one word.

Count the number of words the student read in one minute.

• Each numeral on the left side of the story indicates the total number of words through the end of the previous line of text.
• Start counting with the numeral to the left of the row with the last word the student read.
• Beginning with the numeral, count the words across the row, stopping at the last word read.

Even though having a student underline errors may lower the cold-timing score initially, using the cold timing as an instructional tool (not an assessment), has great impact on improving student accuracy. As a student makes fewer errors, the interruptions by the teacher decline and the cold-timing scores increase.

Often a struggling reader is not aware of reading mistakes, even though teachers/parents may have been pointing out errors for years. A student becomes much more alert to reading errors when the student takes control and has to underline each word that is read incorrectly. At first, the teacher needs to tell the student which words to underline. As the student underlines the word, the teacher models the correct pronunciation. Hearing the correct pronunciation of the word at the point of error (neurological impress) is a powerful step in learning the word in context.

This process also makes the student realize that:

1. These errors are slowing the student down.
2. The student can become proactive about underlining unknown words, so the teacher will read the word aloud and no longer slow the student down.

Beginning readers who know the letters of the alphabet, have some knowledge of the letter sounds, and can recognize as few as 15 to 20 words can begin a Read Naturally program that uses Read Naturally GATE+ level 0.8 materials (early first grade). That’s because GATE+ programs are designed for direct instruction of fluency and phonics in teacher-led small groups.

Students do not need to know the behaviors required for each activity before beginning the first lesson. The students will learn the process by participating in each lesson. However, the first few lessons may take longer than later lessons because the students will be learning behaviors required for Read Naturally GATE+ during the early lessons.

Which words should beginning readers be able to read? The actual words a student knows do not have to be specific to a list, but you can refer to one of several lists of the most frequently used words for beginning readers, such as the preprimer Dolch word list.

A student who passes quickly can answer the questions, practice reading the bonus word lists, or work on the crossword puzzles while waiting for the rest of the group to pass. You can increase the student’s required score by ten words per minute. You can also have a packet of previously passed stories ready for a student who passes quickly to reread while waiting. If a student regularly passes enough before the rest of the group so that these activities do not provide sufficient challenge, the student may belong in a higher group or may be ready to work independently in Read Naturally Live or Read Naturally Encore.

If a student does not pass during the final timing, the teacher can adjust the number of words the student must read in one minute, or you can continue to time the student until they pass. However, moving the group on to the next lesson may be more important than using group time to continue timing the student who can’t pass. If the teacher decides to move the group on, the student who did not pass should practice independently, with a partner, or at home. The teacher may choose to then re-time the student later.