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How can we help those students who have not attended preschool and/or do not possess the same school-readiness skills as their peers? Read more

In 1991, the term “World Wide Web” had not been coined yet. People went to the library to get information, and news of companies and products spread via word-of-mouth and flyers in the mail, not websites or social media. This was the climate in which Candyce and Tom Ihnot founded Read Naturally, a small business dedicated to helping struggling readers achieve fluency. Read more

Read Naturally programs are highly motivating and therefore highly successful. Even so, some students need an extra boost to remain engaged. If you have a student or students lacking in motivation, our curriculum experts have a few suggestions. Read more

One of the most frequently accessed tools on our website is the Read Live User Guide. This is the go-to resource for Read Live users with questions about anything from changing a password to customizing story options. Until recently, this guide was in PDF format. We’re pleased to report that it’s now HTML format, making it even easier to access and navigate. Click here to check it out. Read more

Teachers love Read Naturally Strategy programs, first and foremost, because they are so effective in boosting reading achievement. An added bonus is that students work independently for most of the time. However, Read Naturally Strategy programs are not completely independent. The teacher needs to be present at crucial times in order for the strategy to work. Read more

Flip on the 2016 Summer Olympics, and you’ll quickly see that today’s athletes are the best of all time. Records are being shattered left and right. The best sprint times of Jesse Owens, once considered the fastest runner in the world, wouldn’t even earn him a medal today. And if you really want to be blown away, compare the Olympic women gymnasts of 1936 to the “Final Five” who captured the gold in Rio. To say there’s no comparison would be an understatement. Read more

In elementary school, I remember participating in a reading incentive program with a simple premise: The more books I read, the more points I’d receive toward a reward. Because of the reward, my classmates and I were highly motivated to spend our free time reading. What’s not to love about a program like that?

There was just one problem. I could read a long, challenging chapter book slightly above my reading level in the same amount of time it took my classmate to read a dozen quick, easy books below his reading level. Who earned more points? My classmate. What did I learn? Quantity beats quality. Don’t challenge yourself.

The program had a fantastic mission, but there was an unintended consequence for me and many other students. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens often in schools. The only way to avoid it is for teachers to take the time to scrutinize the practices and programs they put to use in their classrooms. Are we doing things out of habit or because others are doing them? Or are we doing things because they truly promote learning? A good educator is one who observes and adjusts—constantly and relentlessly. Read more

When you were a kid, what were your favorite chapter books? I couldn't get enough of the Anne of Green Gables series (the heroine had me hooked from the first pages, when she insisted on the "e" at the end of her name). My seven-year-old currently laughs out loud (and stays up way past bedtime) reading Judy Blume's Fudge books. We loved the B.F.G. so much we're hoping to see the movie later this summer. And who doesn't love the Magic Treehouse series? Everywhere I turn, I seem to meet another Jack and Annie fan. Read more

Each year, new educators set foot in their own classrooms for the very first time. These newly trained educators are eager to put their skills to use and make a positive impact. Are they prepared? Read more

If you’re on Facebook, you’re all too familiar with the high that comes from receiving a “like” on one of your posts. Researchers have suggested that this quick hit of dopamine in our brains can be as addicting as the most powerful drugs. We aren’t addicted to likes (or drugs!) here at Read Naturally, thank goodness. But we do know that likes are a good way to measure the appeal of a post. We use this data to figure out how to give our Facebook followers more of the content they want and less of the content they don’t. Read more