Students...
- Build fluency and motivation by reading short, nonfiction passages.
- Increase reading accuracy and expression with audio support.
- Strengthen comprehension and vocabulary.
- Develop automaticity in decoding (Phonics levels).
- Work independently most of the time.
- Experience success and an improved attitude toward reading.
Read Naturally Live provides...
- An interactive reading intervention, often used for RTI or MTSS implementations.
- Options to easily differentiate the program to meet individual needs.
- Motivating informational texts for reluctant readers, from beginning readers to adults.
- Extensive, computer-generated reports on student progress.
- Opportunities for teachers to work with students one-on-one.
- Three curriculum series (Sequenced, Phonics, Idioms) with a total of 23 levels.
- Nonfiction reading opportunities as required by state standards.
- Spanish translations for stories in early Sequenced levels.
Read Naturally Live is an online reading program that accelerates reading achievement by combining the research-proven strategies of teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring. A student works at his or her own pace in an appropriate level of material. Text and audio guide the student through the steps. The student masters a story by reading along with audio and then practicing the story until he or she can read it fluently and with comprehension. The program automatically tracks student progress.
Research basis for the Read Naturally Strategy

Read Naturally Live Steps
- Select a Story
The student clicks on the story he or she wants to read. Choosing the story deepens the student’s investment in the material. - Key Words
In the Sequenced and Idioms series, the student reads the key words and their definitions while listening to an audio recording. The key words provide definitions that are important to understanding the story. In the Phonics series, the student listens to a phonics lesson and reads words that have the featured phonics patterns. - Prediction
The student uses the title, picture, and key words to write a prediction of what he or she thinks the story is about. The prediction prepares the student’s mind for reading the story. - Cold Timing
The teacher may time the student for one minute as he or she reads the story, or the student may complete this step independently. The student clicks unknown words while reading, and then clicks the last word read during the timing. Read Naturally Live subtracts the unknown words from the total number of words attempted to obtain a cold-timing score and displays it on a graph. This step establishes a baseline for progress monitoring, the component of the Read Naturally Strategy that motivates the student to improve. - Read Along
The student reads along quietly with a recording of the story, typically three times. This step is the teacher-modeling component of the Read Naturally Strategy, which helps the student learn new words and master others as well as learn proper pronunciation, expression, and phrasing. - Practice
The student practices reading the story without audio support three to ten times until able to read it accurately, with expression, and at the goal rate. This step is the repeated-reading component of the Read Naturally Strategy, which helps the student improve fluency, master difficult words, and understand the story. - Quiz
The student answers questions about the story. Responding to the text holds the student accountable for meaning, develops the ability to answer many types of questions, and provides teachers with information about how well the student comprehends the story. - Retell/Word List
In the Sequenced and Idioms series, the student retells or summarizes the story to improve comprehension.
In the Phonics series, the student works on decoding skills by practicing the word list until able to read it accurately at a predetermined rate. The Phonic series also includes a spelling step to give students practice encoding words from the word list. - Pass
The student reads the story for the teacher to show that he or she can read it at the goal rate, with appropriate expression, and with three or fewer errors. The teacher corrects the comprehension questions and the retelling of the story (if applicable) and reviews the results with the student.
In the Phonics series, the student also reads the word list to show that he or she can read it with three or fewer errors at the goal rate. A graph shows how much the student’s fluency has improved since the cold timing.
Additional graphs show results for the comprehension questions, the retelling, and the word lists (if applicable).
Read Naturally Live is a component of Read Live, a subscription program that is licensed per student. Teachers can reassign licenses if students leave the program. Read Live subscriptions include access to all 23 levels of three series. All series have the same basic design with strategic differences.
- Sequenced series is the basic series and has 13 levels (1.0 – 8.0) with 24 stories per level.
- Phonics series adds phonics lessons and activities to the basic design and has 6 levels (0.8 – 2.7) with 24 stories per level.
Phonics elements taught in the Phonics series - Idioms series teaches common American idioms as students work on reading skills. Idioms has 4 levels (3.0 – 4.5) with 12 stories per level.
Featured idioms
The teacher assigns the appropriate series and level for each student. The student works through the level in the student program, and the teacher manages the student's progress in the teacher program.
STUDENT PROGRAM
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High-interest, leveled, nonfiction stories include:
- Key words, clickable vocabulary words, and comprehension activities.
- Spanish translation of each story in Sequenced levels 1.0 – 5.6.
Extensive audio support includes:
- Audio directions for each step of the process.
- Three appropriately paced recordings that model correct pronunciation and expression.
- Pronunciation of words in stories when clicked.
- Audio definitions of key words, or, in the Phonics series, an audio phonics lesson.
- Clickable vocabulary words with audio-supported, student-friendly definitions.
- Spanish translation of each story in Sequenced levels 1.0 – 5.6.
- Auditory signals that indicate if a student's responses to multiple choice items are correct or incorrect.
Structured instructional process includes:
- Automated steps built around teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring.
- A wait-time vocabulary-building activity.
Computerized scoring and extensive reports include:
- Automated correction of multiple-choice questions.
- Calculation of fluency, phonics, and comprehension scores.
- Graphs and reports showing student performance.
TEACHER PROGRAM
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Set up of account for district, building, classroom, staff, and/or students include:
- Enrolling staff and students.
- Licensing students.
- Support for single sign-on tools from ClassLink and Google Classroom.
Management of student programs includes:
- Placement of each student in a level and series with an appropriate reading-rate goal.
- Easily customized options for individual students and extensive student reports.
- Printable stories, reports, parent letters, awards, and completion certificates.
Online documentation includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for working in the software and "how to" section on setting up Read Naturally Live.
- A lesson plan for introducing the program to students.
- Training videos that explain how to set up the software and work with students in the program.
ONLINE RESOURCES AND TECH SUPPORT
To help you implement Read Live successfully, Read Naturally provides free web resources and tech support.
Learn more about Read Naturally's online resources and tech support
Read Naturally Live is an integrated component of the Read Live platform.
- Students At-a-Glance Report
This report includes a student-by-student summary of results for Read Naturally Live stories passed. This report is used to quickly identify students who may not be making adequate progress in fluency and comprehension and therefore may require adjustments in their programs or additional instruction. - Student Level Summary Report
This is a table summarizing results for each story a student has passed at a given Read Naturally Live level, including cold- and hot-timing results, number of practices, quiz results, and more. - Student Fluency Graph
This bar chart displays a student's cold- and hot-timing scores for all stories passed in a specified series and level. - Student Comprehension Graph
This graph shows the quiz questions a student answered correctly on the first try for each story in a specified level. Quiz results are reported by question type and story. - Student Retell Graph
This graph shows the number of words a student used to retell each completed story on the first try and whether or not the student met the teacher's expectations on the first try. - Word List Graph
This graph shows how long it took a student to read the word list on the most recent attempt for each story the student completed in a specified level. - Story Details Report
This report provides a student's detailed results for a specific Read Naturally Live story. - Student Placement Results
This report shows the results of a student’s placement test conducted using the Read Naturally Live placement program—the test results, recommendations, and decision.
Read Naturally Live is an integrated component of the Read Live platform. All Read Live licenses enable full access to the Read Naturally Live curriculum as well as access to the Word Warm-ups Live curriculum, One Minute Reader Live curriculum, and Read Naturally Live-Español curriculum.
Customer Reviews
Terri Schoen Apr 1, 2025
5
My school has been using Read Live for 2 years now. We are seeing so much progress for our struggling readers in our 3rd - 6th grade classes! We are also able to use it for our primary advanced students during independent work stations. It is such a good tool that builds in fluency training, comprehension practice, and also vocabulary. Students are excited about the reading passages, and motivated by that blue and red bar graph! One of the best things I've seen happening is all of the data chats after a student's hot read. We have an individual reading conference that is targeted toward their specific needs. We are able to set goals for the next story, or do a small mini lesson for them to revisit their comprehension questions. The teacher dashboard is so easy to use, with lots of options to tailor make the students' reading experience.
Reply Mary Bousselot Mar 30, 2025
5
I LOVE Read Naturally Live and Word Warm Ups!!! I use these with my 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. The nonfiction passages build background knowledge and vocabulary while working on fluency. I have had students’ families take vacations to places they learned about through RN! I appreciate how, as a teacher, I can make adjustments to the level and goals for each student. After the students work through the different steps of a story, I am able to conference with each student, listen to them read their story, and then talk about their answers to the comprehension questions. Students are so proud to see their progress in the charts provided.
This program is very easy to use, is research-based, and adaptable to each student’s needs. The support is fantastic! I can print letters and step-by-step guides to inform parents how the program works. Throughout the year, I can send home summary or detailed reports about their child’s progress. I am so appreciative that my school provides this resource for my students! It has truly made a difference!
Reply Kelly Jones Mar 29, 2025
5
As a veteran reading specialist of 21 years I can’t imagine doing my job without Read Live. I was recently at a conference where other reading teachers were expressing frustration with struggling to keep up on progress monitoring every two weeks. They had a hard time administering the assessments and entering/displaying the data. I am happy to say I couldn’t relate at all, thanks to Read Live! I always have fresh data and it’s never, ever a hassle thanks to RL:)
Reply Kacey Fiscus Mar 28, 2025
5
Read Naturally Live is an excellent online reading program to build phonics skills and fluency ability in students. I use it with my students with reading disabilities and have seen outstanding growth in reading achievement with all learners. The students love reading non-fiction stories and learning new things while reading. They also enjoy learning vocabulary words while waiting for a teacher to help them pass the story. I highly recommend using Read Naturally Live to support reading achievement.
Reply Cathy R Mar 27, 2025
5
ReadNaturally Live is an outstanding online program that helps students improve their reading fluency and comprehension. It’s incredibly easy to implement, with a user-friendly interface that allows students to get started quickly and independently. The program has shown excellent results, with students making noticeable progress in both fluency and comprehension. They benefit from repeated practice and real-time feedback, which boosts their confidence and skills. What’s more, the students actually enjoy using it, with many looking forward to their sessions due to its interactive and engaging nature. Overall, ReadNaturally Live is a highly effective and enjoyable tool for enhancing reading abilities, and I highly recommend it. Reply Sherry Garner-Wainwright Mar 26, 2025
5
ReadLive has been an absolute game-changer for struggling readers and those looking to build fluency, comprehension, and confidence! The program offers an engaging, structured approach that meets students where they are and helps them progress at their own pace. One of the standout features is its individualized approach—students receive immediate feedback and support, allowing them to grow in real-time. The combination of modeled reading, repeated reading, and comprehension questions ensures that students are not just reading words but truly understanding the text. The built-in progress monitoring is another huge advantage. Teachers and students can see the growth, and it keeps the students motivated. Tracking and reporting progress is easy and can be tailored to fit each student. I've seen firsthand how ReadLive boosts students' confidence. Readers who once hesitated now approach texts with enthusiasm, knowing they have the tools to succeed. If you're looking for a research-based, engaging, and effective reading intervention, ReadLive is the way to go!
Highly recommended! Reply Laura Doncouse Mar 26, 2025
5
I have used Read Naturally for the last 15 years. It has always been a solid reading intervention. It is great that the passages are non-fiction and of high interest. Having it online is perfect. Being able to do other activities while waiting for the teacher is the best. This is truly a great program for all levels of reading. Reply K.Spear Mar 26, 2025
4
As an elementary reading specialist, we're aways on the lookout for programs that can support students with fluency that can bridge the gap between content areas and all settings. Read Live allows me to target a small group of students, rather than single one-on-one sessions, with relative ease. It ties in key vocabulary and skill building from multiple content areas with engaging texts and related activities. My students are exposed to key tech tools for response, test taking strategies, personal goal setting and tracking, and more. My favorite feature is actually the ease of printing reports and sharing progress with families and teachers. Additionally, it allows for extended independent practice both in the classroom setting and even at home. My students are really enjoying this literacy support! Reply Kelly Lister Mar 25, 2025
5
As the tier 2 reading intervention teacher serving students from K-6, I use Read Naturally Live as an integral part of my intervention program. We are able to make small adjustments to each child's account so that we can more accurately target the skills they are building. For students who need more fluency practice with basic phonics skills, we set them up in the phonics stories. For students who have strong accuracy but are still needing to build automaticity, we stick with the sequenced stories. Some students are at that point where they are tackling reading with fluency while monitoring their own meaning making. The consistent questions at the end of each passage help us to work on those basic comprehension strategies that should take center stage in their brains as their decoding becomes automatized. Each December we switch it up and do month of idioms. We have collected lots of artifacts to support the stories as they read: a signed photo from Ellen Ochoa, freeze dried durian fruit, a toy Model-T Ford. The biographies, science articles, historical events, and other cultural informational text have become part of the shared knowledge and culture of our learning space. While we are targeting skills, we are also helping student amass knowledge through the wide range of reading topics. Students are goal oriented and the program provides lots of growth data and immediate corrective feedback that is easy for students to operate. Reply Laurie Mar 25, 2025
5
I love Read Naturally. I have used it for the past five years and every year it helps my students build fluency and comprehension. I love the repeated reading practice. I teach first grade and the levels are fantastic for this age group. The stories are interesting and my students get excited to tell one another what they are reading about. Reply Maureen Culbertson Mar 25, 2025
5
I am a Title 1 teacher and have used Read Naturally Live with my 1st through 5th grade students for 7 years. I have seen tremendous growth in reading fluency and confidence across the board. The students and I find the stories interesting and engaging. I love that there are up to 24 stories to choose from in the sequenced stories. The phonics series of stories are perfect for the students who are working on decoding, and the program really aligns with the science of reading. I love being able to make individual changes within each child's program, adjusting their personal goals, the reading speed of their read along, whether or not to include the prediction or retell, and how many times I would like them to read along and practice a story or word list. The program takes care of my record keeping, and it is easy to print reports for parents or for when I need detailed information about a child's reading progress. The One Minute Reader and Word Warmups program are equally good. I am a big fan of Read Naturally Live, and highly recommend it for Title 1 programs. Reply Stephen Derrick Mar 25, 2025
5
Read Naturally is the best program I have ever used for my elementary school resource room. My students consistently make progress over the course of the school year. What I find most exciting is when a struggling reader becomes self-motivated because they feel they are being successful. I will continue to use Read Naturally as a cornerstone piece of my practice. Reply Megan Hall Mar 25, 2025
5
Read Live has been a great resource for our students to build on their comprehension and fluency skills. The students love the independent aspect of working on their own and at their own pace. The stories are interesting for them to read and also hold their attention.
Reply Patricia Osburn Mar 23, 2025
5
As an interventionist with learners ranging from kinder to 7th grade learning how to incorporate read naturally with fidelity is important to me. My students love that hot score however through your webinar I’ve lead that the cold score growth is what’s key. I’ve come to observe some struggles with the vocab and how to motivate past this by picking up a few pointers. I love the program and story excerpts. Particularly when it’s an engaging one other students will stop and listen to what’s being read. Which is really cool. My aim is to continue to become a connoisseur of and for literacy! Reply Angela C. Mar 21, 2025
5
We use read live with our students in small groups. Our students love the program and so do we. We have seen growth in every student that is using this program!
Reply Koya T. Mar 18, 2025
5
Read Live has made such a difference for students within my classroom. My students made significant improvements in their fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Students love the engaging texts and are motivated to start each new story.
Reply Ana Maria L. Mar 17, 2025
5
Read Live is a comprehensive reading program that helps students develop vocabulary, fluency, reading comprehension and written expression while keeping them motivated to reach their goals. The stories are interesting and keep students engaged. You can adjust your student's reading level, the amount of practices they may need to reach their fluency goal and the time they have to complete their retell. Another excellent feature is that the program includes Read Live in Spanish!! That is a big plus for my students who are learning in a DUAL language program. Last, but not least, I love using the detail reports to discuss with students what they are doing well and where they can improve.
Reply Stephanie Strasser Mar 16, 2025
5
Read Live is the solution we've been searching for to deliver differentiated, targeted instruction. It encompasses all the essential components for effective literacy teaching. My students are making noticeable progress and gaining more confidence in their reading.
Reply Patricia Perkins Mar 15, 2025
5
Read Live is one of the few resources I’ve tried and felt my district definitely needs to invest in it. With so many students coming in with dyslexia diagnosis, Read Live has been my support to help target those deficits in phonics and fluency, I’ve videoed one of my students reading a fluency passage and sent it to my SPED Director. She immediately asked how many seats we need. I am so excited we are purchasing seats for the upcoming year, and I am so eager to see how much growth our students will show after using it with fidelity. I’ve seen much growth in the one student I’ve used it with faithfully. He is now able to work the program on his own as I work with other students. He’s taking ownership of his own learning which is so important for students. I love it! I just love it!
Reply Michelle Zamaites Mar 12, 2025
5
Read Naturally has made my 4th & 5th graders stronger at retelling what they have read. My students are really honing in on the 5 W's & H.
Lower Elem are becoming stronger readers!
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