Implementing the Steps

For best results, devote your initial class sessions to teaching students how to work in the software. Students need to learn program basics, as well as how to complete the steps for passing each story.

Students complete the following series of steps to pass each story.

  1. Select a Story: The student selects a story to work through.
  2. Key Words: The student clicks each key word to read along to the pronunciation of the word and learn more about the word.
  3. Prediction: The student uses the title, picture, and key words to write a prediction about the story.
  4. Cold Timing: The student reads the selected story for the first time for one minute, marking any difficult words. Then, the computer generates a graph that shows how many words the student read correctly.
  5. Read Along: The student reads the story along with an audio recording for a predetermined number of times, vocalizing quietly with the narration.
  6. Practice: The student practices reading the story, without audio support, several times until he or she is able to read it accurately at the predetermined goal rate.
  7. Quiz Questions: The student answers the comprehension questions.
  8. Retell or Word List: The student retells the story or writes a summary. Or, in the Phonics series, the student reads a word list until he or she is able to read it accurately at a predetermined goal rate.
  9. Spelling: In Phonics stories, the student tries to spell three words related to the story's text..
  10. Pass: The student reads the story for the teacher. To pass, the student must read at his or her goal rate, using appropriate expression and making three or fewer errors. Then, the computer generates a graph that shows how many words the student read correctly. The student must also answer all comprehension questions correctly, and retell the story well enough to meet the teacher's expectations (or pass the Word List step).

See Also

Program Basics

Students need to learn the use of common features that appear on several pages in the software. Common tasks include:

 

Common Features of the Stories Screens

Common features of the stories screens

Common Features of Story Pages

Starting the Program

To start working, a student must be enrolled in Read Live, have a Read Naturally Live license assigned to him or her, and have a series, level, and goal.

  1. The student opens the browser and goes to the Student Login page. (It is recommended that you bookmark this page in the web browser.)
  2. The first time the student logs in, the teacher must enter the account ID. (The account ID should be entered automatically after that.)
  3. The student enters his or her user ID and password and clicks Log In.
    If the Student has access to more than one Read Live component application, the Student Landing Page opens. The student chooses which application to open.
    If the student has access to Read Naturally Live only, she goes directly to her current step in that application.

See Also

Exiting the Program

From any story page, the student can click Log Out to return to the Student Login page.

It is important for students to click Log Out rather than simply closing the browser window or walking away from the workstation. Clicking Log Out ensures that a student's session is properly closed, and that he or she will be able to easily return to the same point later.

Note

Moving Between Read Live Applications

The student navigation feature allows students to move between Read Live applications as needed.

To move from one Read Live application to another: 

  1. In any student application, select the navigation icon in the header. The icon is to the left of the student's name.



    A side menu opens showing tiles for each Read Live application to which this student has access.
    For quick reference, the student's current step in each application is displayed.


     
  2. Select another application's tile from the list of applications.
    A confirmation dialog opens.
  3. Click or tap the Yes button to confirm that you want to move to the new application.
    The student's progress in the current application is saved, and the new application is opened.

See Also

 

Checking the Header

On most story pages, the header and footer are blue and there is no message in the footer, indicating that the student is working independently and does not need teacher assistance.

Standard header​

When the student needs help from the teacher (to conduct a cold timing or pass activities, for example), the header and footer are red, and the footer displays the message "Waiting for Teacher." There is a yellow link in the header that the teacher can click to conduct the necessary timing or other activities.

Waiting for Teacher header​

When the teacher clicks the link and enters his or her user ID and password, the header turns blue and the message "Teacher Present" appears in the footer. The teacher should stay with the student until "Teacher Present" is no longer displayed. The teacher can then leave the student to work independently again.

"Teacher Present" header​

Checking the Progress Bar

On most pages, the progress bar at the top shows the student where he or she is in the steps. The step the student is currently working on is highlighted with a red pointer. As the student finishes each step, the progress bar highlights the completed step in dark blue.

Read Naturally Live Progress Bar

If a step has been turned off in story options, the progress bar displays the word OFF for that step.

See Also

Advancing Through the Steps

Students must complete the story steps in order. Before moving on to the next step, the student must complete the requirements for the current step. On most pages, the Next button on the bottom right becomes enabled when the student has completed all the required actions for the step. The student clicks Next to advance to the next step.

See Also

Repeating Audio Instructions

On most pages, a narrator tells the student what to do to complete the step. If the student needs to hear the instructions again, he or she can repeat the audio.

  1. From any step page, click the speaker icon Instructions icon in the lower left-hand corner.
  2. Listen to the audio reminder to hear the instructions repeated for this screen.

Checking Series, Level, and Goal

On most pages, you can check the student's current series, level, and goal information. 

From any steps page, click Level | Goal in the page header to view the student's current series, level, and story goal. For students reading stories in the Phonics series, the displayed menu also includes the word list goal.

Click again to close the displayed information.

Turning the Reading Guide On or Off

For any of the story-timing steps, students whose workstation has a mouse or other pointing device can use a reading guide to help them track words as they read each line of text. The guide highlights one line of text at a time as a student moves the cursor over the story.

Students can choose to turn the guide on or off before each story timing. During a timing, students cannot turn the reading guide on or off.

To control the reading guide on the Cold Timing, Practice, Pass/More Practice or Pass/Hot Timing steps:

  1. If the reading guide is on, click Reading Guide On/Off to turn it off.
  2. To turn the reading guide back on, click Reading Guide On/Off again.
  3. When the reading guide is on, move it over the story text to highlight one line at a time.

Important Note:

Viewing Additional Pages in a Multi-Page Story

Many stories have multiple pages. Students working in those stories need to know how to view additional pages. From any story step you can view additional pages in a multi-page story.

Completing the Select a Story Step

On the Select a Story page, students choose the next story to read, which gives them a sense of control.

  1. The student starts the program.
  2. On the Select a Story page, the student clicks the story he or she would like to read.
  3. In the confirmation window, the student clicks Yes to open the story.
  4. The student advances to the next story step.

See Also

 

Moving Between Sets of Stories in a Sequenced or Read Naturally Live–Español Level

In the Read Naturally Live Sequenced series and the Read Naturally Live–Español application, each level includes 24 stories. Students work in sets of 12 stories at a time. When they finish the first set of 12 stories in a level, they move to the second set. At the bottom of the Select a Story page, information about the student's progress is displayed:

Teachers can also move students between the two 12-story sets manually, whether or not the student has completed all of the stories in a set. 

To move a student between two 12-story sets within the same level: 

  1. Make the change when the student has reached the Select a Story page between stories.
  2. In the display at the bottom of the Select a Story page, click or tap on the set of stories you want the student to work in next.
    The Teacher Login dialog opens. 

     
  3. Enter your staff member credentials and select Log in.
    The Select a Story page updates to display story titles and images from the set into which you have just moved the student.

Completing the Key Words Step

The Key Words step is a vocabulary step that teaches students important story words that may be challenging.

  1. On the Key Words page, the student listens to the directions.
  2. The student clicks each word to hear the word pronounced and learn about the word.
  3. Once they have clicked and read along with each key word, the student clicks Next to continue.

See Also

Completing the Prediction Step

The Prediction step teaches students to prepare their minds for new information and reminds them that they are reading for meaning.

  1. On the Prediction page, the student looks at the story title, picture, and key words for clues about the story. The student can click < Back to review the keyword definitions in the previous step.
  2. In the text box, the student types a prediction of what the story will be about. The Prediction step has a time limit. The timer begins when the student begins typing in the text box.
  3. When the student has finished the prediction or the time expires, the student clicks Next to continue.

Students can advance to the next step once they have typed a prediction in the box.

See Also

Completing the Cold Timing Step

The Cold Timing step enables students to see how many words they read correctly in one minute on a new story. This step sets a baseline for the story, so the student can see improvement after practicing.

By default, a teacher must be present for the Cold Timing step. During this step, especially in the first few stories, teachers check to see if each student's placement is appropriate and coach students to accurately identify their errors. To log in and oversee a Cold Timing, the teacher clicks the Conduct Cold Timing button in the header of the Wordtastic page.

Once students can identify their errors with reasonable accuracy, their teacher can set a story option to allow their students to complete this step independently.

If the teacher is required to conduct the cold timing, the student remains on the Cold Timing/Wordtastic step until the teacher logs in.

Topics

Playing Wordtastic

Students can complete most of the Read Naturally Live steps independently, but there are some times when a teacher must be present before a student can proceed. Wordtastic is a vocabulary game designed to keep students engaged and learning while waiting for a teacher.

By default, a teacher must be present for the Cold Timing step. If the teacher is required to conduct the cold timing, the student remains on the Cold Timing/Wordtastic page until the teacher logs in. If a teacher is not required, the student will not see the Cold Timing/Wordtastic page.

  1. The student answers each Wordtastic question by clicking the button next to the best answer. The student can click individual words to hear them pronounced.
  2. The software reveals the correct answer, and then the student clicks Next to continue. Students accumulate points for each correct answer. The points accumulated are displayed to help keep students motivated. They are not reported on or saved in the software.
  3. When you arrive to conduct the cold timing, click the yellow Conduct Cold Timing button in the page header.
  4. In the window that opens, enter your user ID and password and click Log in to open the Cold Timing page.

See Also

Conducting a Cold Timing

Account Administrators, School Coordinators, Teachers, and Read Live Assistants can conduct cold timings for any students, regardless of the students' lead teachers.

  1. By default, a teacher must be present for the Cold Timing step. On the Wordtastic page, the teacher clicks the Conduct Cold Timing button in the header to oversee a Cold Timing. 
    A dialog opens in which the teacher enters a User ID and Password to log into the application.
    To allow students to conduct Cold Timings on their own, you can change each student's Story Options. See Allowing Students to Conduct the Cold Timing Step Independently.
  2. On the Cold Timing step, the student clicks Start Timing.
  3. The student reads aloud, clicking on words that are difficult. If present, the teacher coaches the student to click words he or she stops in front of, skips, or stumbles on.
  4. The timing can end in one of two ways:
    • If the bell sounds, and the student clicks the last word read. In the Scores box, the cold-timing score appears.
    • If the student finishes the story before the bell sounds, he or she clicks Finished. In the Scores box, the cold-timing score appears.
  5. The student clicks Next to continue.
  6. On the Cold Timing / Graph page, the student views the cold-timing results and then clicks Next to continue.

Students can move on to the next step once they have completed the one-minute cold timing.

See Also

Retesting a Cold Timing

If a student was interrupted during the cold timing, you can immediately retest the student. You can select this option only while you are on the Cold Timing or Cold Timing / Graph step.

To retest a student's cold timing:

  1. From the Cold Timing or Cold Timing / Graph page, click Teacher.
  2. If prompted to log in, enter your user ID and password and click Log In.
  3. Click Retest Timing.
  4. Click Yes, retest the student to confirm. The student's previous cold-timing score is cleared, and you return to the Cold Timing screen for this story.

See Also

Completing the Read Along Step

The Read Along step is a modeling step, where students actively read along with a recording of the story. This step helps students learn unknown words and practice difficult words. It encourages proper pronunciation, expression, and phrasing.

Topics

Reading Along to the Spanish Translation

Some stories have Spanish translations. You can provide additional support to Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) by having them listen to (and perhaps read along with) the translation before beginning the Read Along step in English. This way, Spanish-speaking ELLs have the opportunity to develop an understanding of the story by building some background and vocabulary knowledge (Mielke, 2011). The rest of the steps in Read Naturally Live are in English.

By default, students do not complete the Spanish read along; teachers can change this setting.

  1. On the Read Along/Spanish step, the student clicks Start Read Along.
  2. The student quietly reads aloud as the narrator reads each sentence. The student can click Cancel Read Along at any time to stop the read along.
  3. After completing a read along, the student can click Start Read Along to read along in Spanish again or click Next to continue.

Students can move on to the next screen once they have read the Spanish translation with the narrator one time; canceled read alongs do not count.

See Also

Reading Along

By default, a student is required to read along three times as the narrator reads the story. Teachers can change the number of required read alongs.

  1. On the Read Along page, the student clicks Start Read Along.
  2. The student quietly reads aloud as the narrator reads each sentence. The student can click Cancel Read Along to stop the read along. Canceled read alongs, when the student stops the recording before it is finished, do not count toward the number of completed read alongs.
  3. The student reads with the narrator until he or she finishes the required number of read alongs. On the right, the page displays the number of required read alongs remaining.
  4. When a read along is not in progress, the student can click the highlighted vocabulary words to see and hear their definitions.
  5. After completing the required number of read alongs, the student can either click Start Read Along again for more practice or click Next to continue.

See Also

Completing the Practice Step

The Practice step requires students to read the text until they are able to read at their assigned goal rate. In this step, students get the opportunity to master the story. By default, students are required to practice at least three times. Teachers can reduce or remove this requirement.

  1. On the Practice step, the student clicks Start Timing.
    When a read along is not in progress, the student can click the highlighted vocabulary words to see and hear their definitions. 
  2. The student reads the story aloud quietly and clicks on any words that are difficult. The student can click Cancel Timing at any point to stop the timing.
  3. The timing can end in one of these ways:
    • If the bell sounds, the student clicks the last word read.
    • If the student completes the story before the bell sounds, he or she clicks Finished.
  4. The student continues practicing until he or she reaches his or her goal and has read the required number of times.
  5. Once the student reaches his or her goal and reads the required number of times, he or she can click Start Timing to practice again or click Next to continue.

See Also

Completing the Quiz Step

The Quiz step helps develop comprehension skills and reminds students to read for meaning.

  1. On the Quiz step, the student answers each question. The questions may require the student to select the correct answers, select an answer from a list, match a word and its definition, drag sentences into the correct order, or type a short answer.
  2. After answering each question, the student clicks Next to continue. For multi-part questions (for example, matching questions), students must answer all parts before moving on.

See Also

Completing the Retell Step

The Retell step helps students develop the skill of retelling or summarizing text, and holds them accountable to read for meaning.

The Retell step is only available in some series. In the Phonics series, students complete a Word List step instead of the Retell step.

  1. On the Retell step, the student retells the story by typing in the text box. The student can click Review Story to review the story while writing. The Retell step has a time limit. The timer starts when the student begins typing in the text box.
  2. Once the student has finished typing or the time limit is reached, he or she clicks Next to continue.

Students can advance to the next step once they retell the story by typing in the text box.

See Also

Completing the Word List Step

The Word List step gives students working in the Phonics series a chance to practice and master reading words that contain the featured phonics elements.

The application times students, calculating a words per minute rate for each word list attempt. When students have read the word list the required number of times, meeting their goal reading rate at least once, they can move on to the next step.

By default, students read all the words in the list twice to complete the word list timing. First they read down the columns, and then across the rows. Teachers can also change the timing duration to end timings after one minute. 

To conduct a word list timing: 

  1. To start the timing, click the Start Timing button.
    A student can click Cancel Timing at any point to stop a timing attempt.
  2. Saying each word aloud, read the list of words down the columns. 
    The student can click on any of the words during a timing to review the correct pronunciation for that word.
  3. After reading all the columns, click Finished. 
  4. Read the list of words across the rows.
  5. Complete the timing in one of two ways:
    • After reading all the rows, click Finished again. (Note that for students with the default Whole list Duration exercise option, this is the only way to complete a timing.)
    • If the Duration exercise option is set to 1 minute and the list is not complete after a minute, a bell will sound. Click the last word you read when the bell sounded to complete the timing. 
  6. Review the practice results in the Scores box.
    Word List timings are scored in words correct per minute (wcpm). Whether a student read the whole list and then clicked Finished for a second time to end the timing, or chose the last word they read after the 1-minute timer sounded its bell, the application calculates the score based on the number of words read in the elapsed time.
  7. Practice until reaching the Word List goal and reading the list for the required number of times.
    Note that after 10 practice attempts, students can move on to the next step even without meeting their goal.
  8. Click Next to continue to the next step.

See Also

Completing the Spelling Step

The Spelling step in each Read Naturally Live Phonics series story asks the student to correctly spell three words related to the story.

The student is asked to spell one word at a time. Students click the audio icon to hear each word once, along with a sentence using the word. After attempting the spelling once based on the audio, the students click Show Me to check the original spelling try against the correct spelling of the word. After making any corrections, students click Check to verify their attempt against the correct spelling.

Each time a student clicks Check, one of three possible results appears to the right of the button:

To complete the Spelling step of a Read Naturally Live Phonics story:

  1. Click Next from the Word List step.
  2. Click the audio icon to hear the spelling word, along with a sentence using the word.
    A student can click the audio icon to hear the word pronounced again at any time.
  3. In the blank text field, type the word based on the audio example.
  4. Click the Show Me button.
    The correct spelling of the word appears in blue directly above the student's attempt.
  5. Type any corrections by comparing the attempt to the correct spelling above it.
  6. Click the Check button.
    A feedback icon appears to the right, as described above.
  7. If a red X appeared, meaning the spelling is still incorrect, continue typing any corrections and clicking Check until the spelling is right.
    When a star or a green X appears to the right of the Check button, Next is enabled on the bottom of the screen.
  8. Click Next when the word has been spelled correctly. 
    The application moves to the next word. After three words, it moves to the next step.

Notes

Completing the Pass Step

In the Pass step, the teacher checks to see whether students have met the pass requirements for the story. To pass, students must:

To begin pass activities, the teacher clicks the yellow Conduct Pass Activities button in the page header.

Topics

Pass Step Overview

The Pass step includes these tasks:

  1. Students practice reading the story and answer Wordtastic questions while waiting for the teacher to conduct the hot timing.
    If a student's browser supports recording features in Read Live, the student can also record hot timings for a teacher to use later.
    pointer Waiting for the Teacher
    pointer Student Recordings While Waiting for a Teacher
  2. The teacher conducts the hot timing with the student. The teacher needs to stay with the student during the Pass step until the student has moved past the “teacher required” screens.
  3. If a student has recorded hot timing readings, a teacher can also conduct the hot timings later using the recording. 
    pointer Conducting a Hot Timing
  4. The teacher corrects the student's quiz.
    pointer Correcting the Quiz
  5. The teacher evaluates the student's work on the Retell step. Or, if the student is using the Phonics series, the teacher conducts a word-list pass timing.
    pointer Correcting the Retelling
    pointer Conducting the Phonics Word-List Pass Timing
  6. The teacher reviews the student's work and then, if necessary, selects remedial actions.
    pointer Reviewing Student Work
    pointer Options for Students Who Do Not Pass

See Also

Waiting for the Teacher

While waiting for the teacher to arrive to conduct the hot timing, the student alternates between continuing to practice the story and playing the Wordtastic vocabulary game. Students with a browser that supports recording features can also record a reading of the story, which teachers can use for hot timings during the current story's Pass step. 

See Also

Student Recordings While Waiting for a Teacher

Recordings
Students whose browser supports Read Naturally Live's recording features can make a recording of themselves reading the story. The recording can later be used as a hot timing. See Distance Learning Tools for a description of how recordings can be managed in distance learning settings.

Saving a Student Recording:

  1. If a teacher is not immediately available on the Pass/More Practice step, the student clicks Start Timing to practice. When the teacher is ready to pass the student, the student can finish the practice or click Cancel Timing to stop the timing.
  2. After practicing once, if the student has more time to wait, he or she can practice again or click Next to:
    a) save a recording for the teacher on the Pass/Recording step; and/or
    b) answer Wordtastic vocabulary questions while waiting for the teacher.
  3. On Pass/Recording, students can save and review recordings of themselves reading the story.
    By clicking on the last word they read during a recording, students can see how many words per minute (WPM) they read. Reviewing their WPM and listening to the recording can help students decide whether they are ready for the recording to be heard by a teacher.
    The student's last saved recording can then be used by teachers, including those in distance learning environments, as a hot timing. 
  4. On Pass/Word List Recording, students in the Phonics series can save and review recordings of themselves reading the word list for the story.
  5. In Wordtastic, students answer each question by clicking the button next to the best answer. Students can click a word to hear it pronounced. The software reveals the correct answer, and then the student clicks Next Question to continue.
  6. Students alternate practicing the story and playing the Wordtastic vocabulary game until the teacher arrives to conduct the hot timing.

See Also

Conducting a Hot Timing

Account Administrators, School Coordinators, Teachers, and Read Live Assistants can conduct hot timings for any students, whether or not they are the students' lead teachers.

To conduct a hot timing:

  1. On the Pass/More Practice or Pass/Wordtastic step, click the yellow Conduct Pass Activities button in the page header.
  2. In the Teacher Login, enter your user ID and password and click Log in.
  3. On the Pass/Hot Timing step, ask the student to click Start Timing. 
    If the student has saved a recording and is not available for a live timing, click Score Recording instead to conduct a timing based on the recording.
    You can also click Start Live Timing to do a live timing for the student, even if they have saved a recording.
  4. As the student reads, listen, and count the number of errors.
    This step is similar for a student recording. While the recording plays, listen and count the student's errors.
  5. The timing ends in one of these ways:
    • If the bell sounds, click the last word the student read before the timer expired.
    • If the student finishes the story before the bell sounds, click Finished.
  6. Enter the number of words the student missed. 
  7. Rate the student's expression.
  8. Click Next to continue.
  9. On the Pass/Hot Timing Graph page, view the student's cold- and hot-timing results.
  10. Click Next to continue.

See Also

Conducting Hot Timings for Remote Students Using Login As

Distance learning students working in Read Naturally Live from home still need teachers to conduct hot timings at the end of a story. 

Teachers can use the Login As feature, available in the Staff Module, to open a session as a specific student. Then it is possible to either:

Using the Login As Feature:
To log in as a specific student, use the Login As feature in the Staff Member Module:

  1. Go to the Read Live home page, and log into the Read Live Staff Module using your own Account ID, User ID, and password.
  2. From the navigation menu, select Waiting List or Read Naturally Live.
    The Waiting List displays only those students currently waiting for a teacher in order to keep working.
    The Read Naturally Live page includes all licensed students whom the current user can help in Read Naturally Live.
  3. Find the student for whom you need to log in.
  4. In the Login As column, click the Login button for the student.
  5. The application will open a new browser tab in which you are logged in as the selected student. 

Conducting Hot Timings With Screen Sharing Software:
Once a teacher has used Login As to open a student session, screen sharing software can be used to conduct a hot timing.

  1. Open a student session as described under Using the Login As Feature.
  2. Begin an online meeting or screen sharing session with the student over the internet.
  3. Share the browser screen with the student session you opened using Login As.
  4. Click the yellow Conduct Pass Activity button at the top of the page in the student session. 
  5. Log in using your staff member credentials.
  6. Using the controls on the page, conduct the hot timing while listening to the student read the story from your shared screen.
  7. When the timing is over, use the Number of missed words and Expression score controls to complete the timing as usual.

Conducting Hot Timings Using Recordings:
If a student has recorded a story or word list reading, you can use the Login As feature to grade that recording as a hot timing. If a student has saved a recording:

  1. Open a student session as described under Using the Login As Feature.
  2. In the student session, click the Conduct Pass Activity button at the top of the page. 
  3. Log in using your staff member credentials.
  4. On the appropriate hot timing step, click the Score Recording button and choose Score Recording.
    The student's saved recording will begin playing along with the hot timing.
  5. Listen to the student's reading, keeping track of errors, just as you would for a live timing.
    You will need to click the student's last word, or the Finished button, when the recording ends, just as you would for a student reading to you live.  
  6. When the reading is over, use the Number of missed words control to record the error count.
  7. Choose the student's Expression score.

Notes

See Also

 

Rating Expression

During each hot timing, you rate the student's expression (prosody) from 1 to 4. The expression score indicates how well the student used appropriate inflection, phrasing, and pacing while reading the story. The student must receive an expression score of 2 or higher to pass the story. Use the table below to determine the appropriate rating:

Select If the student:
1 Reads haltingly; seldom uses phrasing; reads without expression.
2 Reads phrases of three or four words (especially for familiar words); usually pauses for punctuation.
3 Usually uses correct phrasing; uses appropriate inflection and attends to punctuation in some of the story.
4 Reads conversationally; consistently uses correct phrasing and inflection; attends to all punctuation.

Reading with proper expression (prosody) is an important component of fluency and influences comprehension. Students need to be taught that expression matters. A simple explanation is to tell them to "try to read like you speak." Model for your students how to read with expression, grouping words into appropriate phrases rather than reading word-for-word, pausing for commas and periods, and reading at an appropriate pace. 

Expression is taught during the Read Along step. When a student reaches the Read Along step in the first story of a level, they hear audio instruction prompting them to pay attention to the narrator's expression. The play-audio control  allows them to listen again as needed during the Read Along step for any story. The narrators in the audio recordings emphasize important words, group words into phrases, recognize punctuation marks and read at an appropriate pace, modeling for students how to read fluently. When students read along with these recordings, their expression and comprehension improve.

The Practice step gives students additional opportunities to develop the ability to read more expressively and fluently. When a student reaches the Practice step in the first story of a level, they hear audio instruction reminding them to practice reading with expression. The play-audio control  allows them to listen again as needed during the Practice step for any story.

Attending to expression continues in the final Pass step of the program. During this step, teachers listen to the students read, and then rate their expression on a scale of 1-4. This piece of the final evaluation process is essential, and we encourage teachers to discuss this rating with students, especially those who struggle to read with expression. Point out students' improvement on the expression scale and remind them to notice how the narrator reads the next time they read along with a story. You may need to adjust your ratings and comments based on your understanding of and reasonable expectations for each individual student. Some common feedback teachers give to students include the following: 

  • Try to read like you speak. 
  • Don’t rush. This is not speed reading. 
  • Remember to pause for commas and periods. 
  • When we ask questions, our voices go up at the end. Can you hear that? 
  • We often emphasize important words. Let’s read this sentence again together and emphasize [word]. 
  • Use your voice to express that something is good, bad, scary, or surprising. 

Retesting a Hot Timing

If a student was interrupted during the hot timing, you can immediately retest him or her. This option is available only on the Pass/Hot Timing and Pass/Hot Timing Graph steps.

To retest a student's hot timing:

  1. From the Pass/Hot Timing step or the Pass/Hot Timing Graph step, click Teacher.
  2. Click Retest Timing.
  3. Click Yes, retest the student to confirm. The student's previous hot-timing score is cleared, and you return to the Pass/Hot Timing screen for this story.

See Also

Correcting the Quiz

To correct the quiz questions:

  1. On the Pass/Grade Quiz step, review the student's answer(s) to the open-ended question(s).
  2. Click See correct answer to view a suggested answer to each question.
  3. Indicate whether each answer is correct (click Yes) or incorrect (click No).
  4. Click Next to continue.

See Also

Correcting the Retelling

To correct a student's retell attempt:

  1. On the Pass/Grade Retell step, review the text the student used to retell the story.
  2. Indicate whether the retelling met your expectations (click Yes) or was unacceptable (click No).
    Your requirements will vary based on the student's age and ability. For example, you may require older or more advanced students to write a summary with a main idea and supporting details.
  3. Click Next to continue.

See Also

Conducting the Phonics Word-List Pass Timing

Students working in the Phonics series need to complete a word list pass timing to pass each story.

To conduct a word list timing:

  1. On the Pass/Word List step, ask the student to click Start Timing.
  2. As the student reads the words, listen, and count the number of errors.
  3. When the student finishes reading the words down the columns, the student clicks Finished.
  4. When the student finishes reading the words across the rows, the student clicks Finished.
  5. Enter the number of words the student missed.
  6. Click Next to continue.

See Also

Retesting the Phonics Word-List Pass Timing

If a student was interrupted during the word list pass timing, you can immediately retest the student. You can select this option only while you are on the Pass/Word List step.

To retest a student's Word List pass timing:

  1. From the Pass/Word List step, click Teacher in the page header.
  2. Click Retest Timing.
  3. Click Yes, retest the student to confirm. The student's previous word list pass score is deleted, and you return to the Pass/Word List screen for this story.

See Also

Reviewing Student Work

After the student has completed the required activities on the Pass step, review the student’s results together on the Pass/Review Work step.

  1. On the Pass/Review Work step, Story Details tab, review the student's story results.
    The student's pass results are listed in the Summary section. Each item is marked with a star or an X.
    • A star indicates the student has met the requirement.
    • An X indicates the student has not met that requirement.
  2. Click the Fluency, Comprehension, and Retell or Word List tabs to see the student's scores graphed for all completed stories in the level.
  3. On any of the graph tabs, click the printer icon Printer icon to print.
  4. Click Next to continue to the Pass/Remedial Actions step or the Congratulations step, depending on whether the student has met all requirements for passing.

Reviewing Data Mentor Suggestions

Read Live’s Data Mentor feature uses a student’s recent performance to give teachers data-driven suggestions intended to increase student achievement or reduce student frustration. Periodically, Data Mentor can make new suggestions at the Pass/Review Work step of a story based on updated data. Teachers can choose to accept Data Mentor’s suggestions or not, depending on their deeper knowledge of the student.

Because proper placement is critical to student success, some suggestions recommend adjustments to a student’s level or goal. Others suggest areas where the student may need additional support, like reading comprehension.

Currently, Data Mentor suggests possible changes in Read Naturally Live’s Sequenced series. 

To review Data Mentor suggestions in Read Naturally Live: 

  1. On the Pass/Review Work step, choose the Data Mentor tab.
    The Data Mentor view displays basic information about the student's Read Naturally Live assignment and progress through the current level.
    Any suggestions and notifications from Data Mentor are present at the bottom of the page.
  2. Review any suggestions and notifications. 
    On the right side of the page, explanations for each suggestion include relevant student data from recent work.
    Other possible suggestions, including resources for helping students with comprehension, can also be listed on the right.
  3. Determine whether to accept the set of suggestions. 
    • If you want to make suggested changes, choose the Accept button.
      The student's assignment will be adjusted. Data Mentor's suggestions will no longer be visible on the page.
    • If you do not want to make the suggested changes, simply ignore them.
      No changes will be made to the student's assignment. Data Mentor's suggestions will continue to be displayed.
    • Note: You can wait to resolve any suggestions. If the student reads more stories, Data Mentor will reassess and update its suggestions based on added data over time. 

Notes: 

Options for Students Who Do Not Pass

If a student does not successfully meet one or more of the criteria for passing, after reviewing the student's work, you decide the best course of action on the Pass/Remedial Actions page.

  1. On the Pass/Remedial Actions page, view the student's results for each pass requirement.
  2. Select a remedial action for each pass requirement that has not been met.
    If the student... Then select this option: The student will...
    Reads too slowly to meet his or her goal Practice story Practice the story until reaching the goal and then complete another hot timing
    Made a lot of errors during the hot timing because of a lack of decoding skills or an inability to read sight words Read along for accuracy Read along with the narration at the slowest pace, focusing on accuracy, and then complete another hot timing
    Received a low expression score Read along for expression Read along with the narration at the fastest pace, focusing on expression, and then complete another hot timing
    Answered any questions incorrectly Redo missed questions Correct any incorrect answers
    Wrote a retell of the story that did not meet your expectations Rework the Retell step Revise what he or she wrote for a retell
    Failed to pass the word list Practice word list Practice the word list until he or she reaches the goal and then complete another word-list pass timing
    Missed passing the hot timing only by a small margin Retest story (without selecting any other remedial actions) Immediately complete another hot timing
    Missed passing the word list by only a small margin Retest word list (without selecting any other remedial actions) Immediately complete another word-list pass timing
    Has not met all of the requirements, but you want to pass the student with the current scores anyway Pass with current scores Not be required to go back and do any remedial work
  3. Click Next to continue. The student is required to complete any remedial actions you selected. If you selected multiple remedial actions, the software prompts the student to complete the steps in order.

Interpreting the Congratulations Screen

When a student completes a story, a Congratulations page appears with reward badges for various aspects of the student’s work on the story.  Badges can appear as a gold medallion (met the basic requirement), or as a medallion with ribbons (went above and beyond). 

Congratulations screen​

This page can motivate students who understand that excellent performance is rewarded by ribbons. Tell students what they have to do to earn the badges and blue ribbons. Many students strive to excel so they can receive all blue ribbons.

How Students Earn Badges

  Basic Requirement Above & Beyond
Accuracy Student had 3 or fewer errors on the hot timing Student had no errors on the hot timing
Goal Student met the goal on the hot timing Student met the goal on the first try at the hot timing
Expression Student got an expression score of 2 or 3 on the hot timing Student got an expression score of 4 on the hot timing
Quiz Student got all the quiz questions correct. Student got all the quiz questions correct on the first try.
Retell (Sequenced and Idioms stories) Student’s retelling of the story met teacher expectations Student’s retelling of the story met teacher expectations on the first try.
Word List (Phonics stories only) Student passed the word list The student passed the word list on the first try

Explicit Instruction and Feedback

Step 

Explicit Instruction 

Feedback 

  1. Select a Story

Set a Purpose: “Here’s where you have a choice of which story you would like to read. There are 12 stories to choose from. You are in charge and can choose the stories in any order.”

Guided Practice/Modeling: “Look at the pictures and the titles to see what is interesting to you.” Ask the student which stories they think they would like best and why. “If you want to hear the title of the story before you decide, click on the picture. After hearing the title, you can decide to click ‘yes’ to read the story or click ‘no’ to return to the select a story screen.”		 Feedback: Remind the student to choose a story quickly and provide positive feedback when they do.

  1. Key Words

Set a Purpose: “For this step, you will be working on vocabulary skills. When you click on a word, you will see a pop up with the definition which will be read to you. Sometimes there will be a sentence using the word or a picture to go with it. Becoming familiar with these key words will help you understand the story better.”

Guided Practice/Modeling: “Let’s look at the first word together. Read the word to the student. “Have you heard that word before? Tell me what you know about this word already. What else do you notice about this word? Based on the age of the student, point out the parts of the word and/or identify the part of speech.

“When I’m learning a new word, I find it helpful to hear it multiple times. I’m going to read the first word for you this time. When you work on your own, the computer audio will read it to you. It’s important to focus on the audio in order to learn the words and what they mean.”

  • Mute the sound and have the student click on the word.
  • Pronounce the word and ask the student to repeat the word.
  • Read the definition.
  • Ask if the student has any questions about the definition and answer their questions.
  • If there is a sentence, read it to the student and then ask the student to read it with you.
  • If there is a picture, talk with the student about how the picture relates to the word.

“Let’s listen to the next one together.”

  • Unmute the sound and have the student click on the word.
  • Model attentive listening as the word and definition are read aloud.

“Because I like to hear new words multiple times, I often click them again to hear them repeated. However, we don’t want to take too much time on this step so make sure you only do that for a few words.”

Independent Practice: “You’ve shown me that you know what to do in order to learn about the key words. You’re doing a good job! I’m going to work with another student while you do the rest of this step on your own.”		 Feedback: Remind the student to actively listen while looking at the words on the screen and praise them when they do.

  1. Prediction 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set a Purpose: “Making a prediction helps to get your brain ready to start thinking about what the story is about. That makes the story a little bit easier to understand.”

Guided Practice/Modeling: “When I am making a prediction, I use the title, the picture, and key words to help me think about what I already know about this topic.”

  • Talk with the student about the title, picture, and key words.
  • Ask them what they know about the topic.
  • Share what you think the story will be about.

“I know I only have a couple of minutes to write my prediction, so I think of one or two sentences to write.” Decide on a sentence together.

“Then I type my prediction. I read it to see if it makes sense before clicking Next.”

Independent Practice:

Ask the student if they feel comfortable doing the prediction for the next story on their own.

Feedback: If you notice (or anticipate) that the student has difficulty typing the prediction, ask them to signal the teacher the next time they get to that step so the teacher can do one of the following options.

The teacher can:

  • Type the prediction using the student’s words.
  • Provide a notebook where the student can write the prediction. (Note: the student will need to type something—like a period—in the box before the Next button will be enabled.)
  • Provide a sentence starter for the student.

  1. Cold Timing

 

Set a Purpose: “The cold timing will help us know how fluently you can read a brand-new story out loud. When you finish reading, we’ll see your score on the graph in blue.”

Guided Practice: “You’re going to read the story on your own. Click on any word you stop or stumble on or want to skip. I might tell you if I notice that you missed a word, but that’s ok—this is just your first read. When you’re ready, click on Start Timing and start reading.”

Feedback: As the student reads the story, quietly remind them to click on words they miss. Eventually, they will be more comfortable noticing and clicking on words they don’t know.

After the timer sounds and the student clicks on the last word they read, discuss any words they missed.

  1. Read Along 

 

Set a Purpose: “The read along step helps us learn to read more fluently, with expression, like we talk. When we read fluently, we understand what we read.”

Guided Practice/Modeling: Read the first few sentences of the story like a robot—no expression, no pauses—or very fast. “Can you easily tell what the story is about/what is happening in the story when I read like that?” Read the same few sentences with expression: pausing at commas and periods and emphasizing important words. “Is it easier to understand when I read it that way? Why?”

Independent Practice: Have the student practice reading the first few sentences with expression.

“Remember, when you’re working on your own to read along with the narrator, try to imitate her—pause at commas and periods and emphasize important words.”

Feedback: If the student doesn’t pause at periods, remind them that a period is like a stop sign when you’re driving. Have them go back and reread the sentence, then praise them for their efforts.

  1. Practice 

Set a Purpose: “The practice step is your chance to practice reading the story fluently on your own, see if you can meet your goal, and learn something new.” Show the student how to find their level and goal at the top of the screen.

Guided Practice: “What do I need to remember when I’m reading? When do I pause?”

Independent Practice: “Now it’s your turn. You’re going to read for one minute and click on the last word you read. Your score for each practice will show up in the box under the image.”

 Feedback: After listening to the student read the first few sentences aloud, remind them to pause at periods and commas and emphasize important words. Point out their scores in the box below the image for the story and praise them for their efforts.

  1. Quiz 

Set a Purpose: “The quiz step is your chance to show what you know by answering some questions about the story. You can go back to the story any time to find the answer.”

Guided Practice: “What is this question asking you to do?” Guide the student to the purpose of each question, i.e., main idea, detail, vocabulary, and show them how to go back to the story and find the answer.

“If you want to hear the words, just click on any word in the question and answer and the narrator will read them to you.” Demonstrate clicking on the words to hear them read.

Independent Practice: “Now it’s your turn to answer the questions. The computer will tell you if you’re right, and we can go back and correct the ones you miss when I join you for the review step.”

Additional Resources: If students are struggling with a particular type of comprehension question, reference the Comprehension Tips and Comprehension Builder in the Read Live Staff Member Module to see teaching strategies for the different types of questions.

Feedback: Remind the student to take their time when answering the questions and read all the answers before choosing one.

  1. Retell 

 

Set a Purpose: “For this step, you are going to retell or summarize the story so I can see all the things you understand and remember about the story.”

Guided Practice/Modeling: “When I am getting ready to write a retelling, I like to look back at the story one more time. This helps me remember what the story was about, but I can’t just copy from the story—I need to tell it in my own words. Let me show you an example from a student who used to be in my class and did a good job with the retelling.” Show the student a retelling from a previous student that met your expectations. “This retelling starts with the main idea and then includes related details. I have some sentence starters to help you build on the details.” Share the list of sentence starters from the Comprehension Builder available in Read Live or from the Structured Retell Directions, Organizer, and Checklist.

Gradual Release: “Let’s write this retelling together. Tell me your ideas and I will type them. We can discuss the main idea and details as we go.” Work on the retelling together gradually encouraging the student to take more ownership.

Independent Practice: “You did a nice job with the retelling. Do you feel ready to do one on your own?”

 

Feedback: If you notice (or anticipate) that the student has difficulty typing the retelling, ask them to signal the teacher the next time they get to that step so the teacher can do one of the following options.

The teacher can:

  • Type the retelling for the student as the students dictates.
  • Provide a notebook where the student can write the retelling. (Note: the student will need to type something—like a period—in the box before the Next button will be enabled.)
8a. Word List

Set a Purpose: Think of an age-appropriate activity the student may have practiced—like tying shoes or playing a sport, an instrument, or a video game and use that example in this conversation. “Remember when you were learning to (insert activity)? Did you do it quickly and easily the first time you tried it? Did you need to practice over and over until it became easy and automatic for you? Well, that is what practicing the word list step does. You get to practice the list multiple times in order to reach your goal. As you continue to practice, reading the words will become easier and more automatic. Soon, you won’t have to stop and think about each sound in the word—you’ll be able to read it right away.”

Guided Practice/Modeling: “Let me show you what I mean.” Read the list of words down and across slowly. Then do it again with fewer pauses and more automatically.

Gradual Release: “Let’s read the words together.” (Read the words with the student.) “Nice work! Now, read a few words to me.”

Independent Practice: “Great job! Now it’s your turn to try it on your own.”

Feedback: When a student says a word incorrectly, ask them to pause for a moment. Slowly pronounce the word by sounding it out. Then, have the student sound out the word with you. Prompt the student to look at the letters in the word as they sound out the word again. Finally, have the student read the word without sounding it out first.

8b. Spelling

Set a Purpose: “As you learn to read words, you can also start to learn how to spell them so you can use the words in your writing.”

Guided Practice/Modeling: Place a small whiteboard and marker in front of you and the student. “When I am trying to spell a word, I say it very slowly and stretch it out.” Choose a word the student is likely to know and demonstrate. “When words rhyme, I can follow the pattern.” Write additional rhyming words on the whiteboard. “I’m going to say a new word slowly. Tell me the letters in the word and I’ll write them down.” Write down what the student says. “This is the correct spelling of the word.” Write the correct spelling above the previously written word. “Do they match?” If yes… “You got it right!” If no… “Let’s see what’s different and change the first word to match the correct word.” Discuss the changes needed and show how to make the changes.

Gradual Release: Give the student the marker and ask them to spell a few words. Watch for signs the student is ready to do the spelling step independently.

Independent Practice: “It looks like you are ready to do this on your own for the spelling step.”		 Feedback: When comparing the correct word to an incorrect attempt, let the student know they made a good effort and show them which letters are correct (and can stay the same) and which letters are incorrect and need to be changed.

  1. Pass 

 

Set a Purpose: “Now it’s time to pass this story. This is a chance to show your improvement with the number of words you read correctly compared to the cold timing. After I score your hot timing, you’ll see a graph in red that shows how well you did. During this step, we can also see how you did on the quiz and the retell (or word list).”

Guided Practice/Modeling:

“I’ll listen to you read the story for your hot timing. Make sure to read carefully and use your voice to show expression. Remember, we want to make it sound interesting. Before you start, let me show you what I mean.” Read the first and second paragraphs of the story demonstrating careful reading, stopping for punctuation, and reading with vocal inflection. Make one mistake to see if the student notices. “What did you notice while I was reading?” If they noticed the word you missed, praise them for paying attention and catching that. Reassure them that they do not have to be error-free on the hot timing. As long as they have three or fewer errors, read with some expression, meet their goal, and answer the comprehension questions correctly they can pass the story.

Gradual Release: Let’s try something else. “I’ll read a sentence and then you’ll repeat it after me. Try to read every word and use your voice to make what you’re reading sound interesting.” Read a sentence and have the student read the same sentence after you. “Well done! Now you read a sentence, and I’ll repeat after you.” Repeat the sentence after the student reads it. Provide corrective feedback, if needed.

Independent Practice: “You seem ready for the hot timing. Do you have any questions?” (Answer any questions.) “When you’re ready, click on Start Timing and start reading.”

Feedback: Because the errors show up in the first box on the pass timing screen, it is tempting to tell the student how many words they missed. Instead, look at the second box that shows how many words they read correctly and let the student know how many words they got right.

On the pass/review work screen, show the student how they did on each step.

Praise them for what they did well in specific language. Give corrective feedback and guidance for any step that did not meet expectations.

Resetting Stories

If a student is struggling with a particular story and cannot pass it, you can reset the story and allow the student to try it again later. Resetting a story discards all of the student's data and scores for that story.

Account Administrators and School Coordinators, Teachers, and Read Live Assistants can reset stories for any students, regardless of the students' lead teachers. Read Live Assistants can reset stories only from a student's workstation.

To reset stories from the Student Module:

  1. With a student logged in, click Teacher in the page header.
  2. If prompted to log in, enter your user ID and password and click Log in.
  3. Click Reset Story.
  4. Under "Do you want to reset these stories," change NO to YES for the story (or stories) you want to reset.
  5. Click Reset Selected Stories and click Yes to confirm.

To reset stories from the Staff Member Module:

  1. From the navigation menu, select Student Activity.
  2. Use the Choose students to view feature to find the student for whom you need to reset a story.
  3. Click the chevron to the left of the student's name to open the Applications level of the Student Activity page.
  4. In the Read Naturally Live or Read Naturally Live-Español row for the student, click the reset  icon. 
  5. On the Read Naturally Live > Reset Stories page, select the story (or stories) to reset.
  6. Click Reset & Close, and click Yes to confirm.

See Also

Using the Phonics Series

Students working in the Phonics series follow most of the same steps as students working in the Sequenced series. However, there are some differences:

Using Read Naturally Live–Español and its Steps

When students work in Read Naturally Live–Español (RNL–Español) stories, the entire student Read Naturally Live interface is delivered in Spanish.

Note that while the default audio directions played in RNL–Español are in Spanish, English instructions can also be accessed by clicking the EN? button in the application's footer. 

Teachers interacting with students in RNL–Español use an English Teacher Menu. The Pass/Review screen can be viewed in either English or Spanish, allowing teachers to discuss results with their students in whichever language is most appropriate.

Read Naturally Live–Español story steps: 

Read Naturally Live–Español includes the same student steps as in the English Read Naturally Live program. The Spanish step names used in the program are as follows:

  1. Seleccione una Lectura is equivalent to the Select a Story step, in which the student selects a story to work through.
  2. Palabras Claves are Key Words: The student clicks each word to read along to the pronunciation of the word and learn more about the word.
  3. Predicción is the Prediction, in which the student uses the title, picture, and key words to write a prediction about the story.
  4. Primer Intento is the equivalent of the Cold Timing. In this step, the student reads the selected story for the first time for one minute, marking any difficult words. Then, the computer generates a graph that shows how many words the student read correctly.
  5. Lees Juntos/Inglés is the Read Along English step. Each Read Naturally Live–Español story can be accompanied by this step, in which the student hears the story once in English before continuing in Spanish.
  6. Leer Juntos is the Read Along, in which the student reads the Spanish story along with an audio recording for a predetermined number of times, vocalizing quietly with the narration.
  7. Práctica is the Practice: The student practices reading the story, without audio support, several times until he or she is able to read it accurately at the predetermined goal rate.
  8. Prueba is the Quiz: The student answers comprehension questions about the story.
  9. Volver a Contar takes the place of the Retell page: The student retells, or writes a summary of, the story.
    Note that Read Naturally Live–Español does not include any equivalent to the Phonics series, so there are no Word List steps.
  10. Aprobar is the Pass step, when the student reads the story for the teacher. To pass, the student must read at his or her goal rate, using appropriate expression and making three or fewer errors. Then, the computer generates a graph that shows how many words the student read correctly. The student must also answer all comprehension questions correctly, and retell the story well enough to meet the teacher's expectations (or pass the Word List step).
    Individual screens under the Aprobar step include:
    Aprobar/Practar Más is the Pass/More Practice screen.
    Aprobar/Grabación is the Pass/Recording screen that allows students to record a hot timing for their teachers' use.
    Aprobar/Wordtastic is the Pass/Wordtastic screen. RNL–Español incudes Spanish-language Wordtastic questions.
    Aprobar/Último Intento is the Pass/Hot Timing screen. 
    Aprobar/Calificar Prueba is the equivalent of Pass/Grade Quiz.
    Aprobar/Calificar Volver a Contar is the Pass/Grade Retell Attempt screen.
    Aprobar/Revisar Trabajo is Pass/Review Work. Note that teachers on this screen can view the student's performance in both Spanish and English by using a toggle on the upper right of their browser window. The default language is Spanish.
    Aprobar/Acciones Correctivas is the Pass/Remedial Actions screen, which allows teachers to choose steps for a student's remedial attempt at any story.

See Also