School of the Year

Read Live School of the Year Honorable Mentions

The Read Live School of the Year Award recognizes schools whose students have substantially improved their reading skills using the Read Live program. It has been gratifying to read the many inspiring success stories from schools far and wide. Join us in congratulating our 2026 honorable mentions!

Centerburg Elementary

Centerburg, Ohio

Submitted by Amber Kotzin, Title I Teacher

Centerburg Elementary receives a $100 Read Naturally Gift Certificate.

Over the past several years, Centerburg Elementary has made Read Live an essential part of its reading support system, using the program with Title I students in grades 2 and 3 as well as students in grades 2–5 receiving special education services. Through intentional implementation, consistent routines, and careful placement at appropriate instructional levels, staff have created a supportive environment where students can build phonics, fluency, and comprehension skills with confidence.

As a result, students have demonstrated meaningful academic growth, with some making remarkable gains in a short amount of time and several successfully exiting intervention services altogether. Teachers have also noted increased student motivation and confidence, as students eagerly track their progress and take pride in improving their scores. Families and staff alike value the program’s clear reporting, engaging content, and ability to foster independent learning.

Centerburg Elementary’s commitment to literacy instruction, student growth, and consistent implementation has created lasting success for its readers. Their dedication to helping students become confident, capable readers makes them a very deserving honorable mention recipient for the Read Live School of the Year scholarship.

Chickasaw Elementary/Intermediate School

Germantown, Tennessee

Submitted by Kellie Stacy, Reading Specialist

Chickasaw Elementary/Intermediate School receives a $100 Read Naturally Gift Certificate.

This was Kellie Stacy’s first year as the school-wide interventionist for grades 2–5. Early on, she worked hard to learn about Read Live and develop a plan for implementing it effectively in her program. As she began working with students, she quickly saw their challenges with decoding, fluency, comprehension, and retelling—but Read Live provided the structure and support they needed to begin experiencing success. It also allowed Stacy to spend meaningful one-on-one time with each student, observe their progress, and provide responsive instruction. 

Read Live’s high-interest, nonfiction texts helped students experience the joy of reading to learn. Students who had long felt frustrated with reading are now returning to their classrooms eager to share interesting facts they learned in Read Live with their peers. Stacy reports significant academic growth, with some students even exiting intervention because their reading ability, comprehension, and classroom grades improved so much. 

Chickasaw Elementary/Intermediate School is a model of excellence in literacy instruction and a very deserving awardee of the Read Live School of the Year scholarship.

Krystal School

Hesperia, California

Submitted by Barbara Cerna, Classroom Teacher

Krystal School receives a $100 Read Naturally Gift Certificate.

Krystal School has used Read Live for over ten years to build students’ confidence, fill learning gaps, and provide an engaging, consistent routine. Staff understand that students need to develop many skills to become successful readers—including phonological awareness, decoding, sight word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—and Read Live helps teachers support all of these areas within one program.

Students at Krystal School are invested in their own learning, using Read Live to track their reading progress over time. As their skills improve, so do their confidence, motivation, and pride. Staff believe fostering a love of reading is priceless, and they are thrilled to see students develop greater joy and appreciation for reading. 

Krystal School is dedicated to developing confident, capable readers. They are a model of excellence in literacy instruction and a very deserving awardee of the Read Live School of the Year scholarship.

Lakewood Elementary

Mandan, North Dakota

Submitted by Valerie Miller, Title I Teacher

Lakewood Elementary receives a $100 Read Naturally Gift Certificate.

Since opening in 2023, Lakewood Elementary has made Read Live an important part of its tiered reading support system. Initially implemented primarily with special education and Tier 3 students, the school has steadily expanded its use of the program over the past several years due to the success students have experienced. Today, the program serves a growing number of Tier 2 students, with staff using a variety of Read Live components—including fluency practice, vocabulary activities, and comprehension instruction—to provide targeted, engaging support.

As a result, students have demonstrated increased confidence, improved fluency, and greater independence as readers. Staff have found the program easy to implement across intervention settings, allowing teachers and paraprofessionals to effectively support students while maintaining consistent instruction. The engaging nonfiction stories and structured routines have also helped students stay motivated, make meaningful connections to texts, and build essential reading skills across multiple areas.

Lakewood Elementary’s thoughtful implementation and commitment to helping students become confident, independent readers have already created a strong foundation for literacy success. Their dedication to supporting student growth makes them a very deserving honorable mention recipient for the Read Live School of the Year scholarship.

Lucy S. Herring Elementary School

Asheville, North Carolina

Submitted by Patricia Burgess, Reading Specialist

Lucy S. Herring Elementary School receives a $100 Read Naturally Gift Certificate.

This school year, Lucy S. Herring Elementary School began implementing Read Naturally and One Minute Reader with fourth- and fifth-grade students as part of their reading intervention efforts. Alongside additional literacy tools such as Taking Aim! and Comprehension Builder, staff have created a data-driven, individualized approach that encourages students to set goals, monitor their own progress, and receive targeted instruction based on their specific needs.

As a result, many students have demonstrated significant gains in fluency, comprehension, and overall reading achievement. Some students who initially struggled to engage with reading are now reading several grade levels above where they began, while others have surpassed grade-level expectations entirely. Teachers have also seen remarkable growth in student confidence and motivation, with reluctant readers developing a genuine enthusiasm for books and independent reading.

Lucy S. Herring Elementary School’s commitment to personalized literacy instruction and student empowerment has created meaningful growth for its readers in a short period of time. Their dedication to building confident, successful readers makes them a very deserving honorable mention recipient for the Read Live School of the Year scholarship.

Northwood Elementary School

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Submitted by Amy Guzior, Reading Specialist

Northwood Elementary School receives a $100 Read Naturally Gift Certificate.

For third graders at Northwood Elementary School, literacy goals center on the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Northwood staff recognize the importance of targeted support in strengthening students’ reading fluency so they can successfully access grade-level content—and Read Live allows them to do that in a structured, efficient way.

Northwood staff are committed to implementing the program with fidelity. Thanks to their deep knowledge of Read Live, strong relationships with students, and careful organization and attention to detail, students are making meaningful growth every day. Staff have also added their own personal touch to the program by creating “brag tags”: students wear lanyards and earn a bead for every story they complete, providing a powerful visual reminder of their hard work and progress. One student shares, “It makes me feel proud because I know I’m getting better at reading.”  

As students experience success in Read Live, they begin to see themselves as capable readers. This shift is reflected in their behavior and attitudes, with teachers noting improvements in students’ willingness to participate in classroom reading activities and discussions. 

Northwood Elementary School is a model of excellence in literacy instruction and a very deserving awardee of the Read Live School of the Year scholarship.
 

Wapakoneta Middle School

Wapakoneta, Ohio

Submitted by Katie Dietrich, Special Education Teacher

Wapakoneta Middle School receives a $100 Read Naturally Gift Certificate.

Just over five years ago, Wapakoneta Middle School began working toward a district-wide commitment to improving reading outcomes for all students. As part of this effort, they expanded their use of Read Live during a school-wide resource period to help students develop fluency and comprehension skills. Over time, they further strengthened their implementation by incorporating the phonics tools, with staff working collaboratively to provide targeted support based on each student’s unique needs.

As a result, students have demonstrated measurable growth in reading ability, performance on NWEA MAP ELA and Oral Reading Fluency measures has steadily increased, and perhaps most notably, the number of students requiring intensive reading intervention has significantly decreased.

Wapakoneta Middle School has found effective, sustainable success through its efforts over the past several years. They are a model of excellence in literacy instruction and a very deserving awardee of the Read Live School of the Year scholarship.