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
.jpg)
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
.png)
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
Michael Aug 13, 2015
5
This is an excellent resource for teachers. Students find the stories interesting. Students have improved their reading fluency and reading comprehension skills.
Reply Phyllis Small Jul 16, 2015
5
I was an Instructional Assistant at Monterey Road Elementary School for the 2014-2015 school year. I was responsible for helping groups of children who were below standard in improving their reading skills. Our school used the Read Naturally Live Program. We had a classroom converted to a computer lab and it was great! I saw so many children improve their reading ability that it excited me for my own two boys. I think this program is excellent in that it helps them to improve on their reading speed, comprehension and knowledge of words. I hope that this program can also be used for kids who don't necessarily have reading issues but to help them improve on comprehension or just pick up their speed and reading fluency. I'd like to see this program continue to be a regular part of their curriculum.
Reply will newlands Jun 14, 2015
5
Marina May 1, 2015
5
We use Read Live as a fluency intervention piece for our literacy program. Students enjoy the interesting passages. The Live program allows students to easily get right to work and provides activities for students to do while waiting for teacher help. Read Live is a perfect fit for us!
Reply Lynda Niffenegger Apr 13, 2015
5
This program is so easy to get up and running. It is highly motivating with the student choice options, the graphics and the timings. I notice the students really taking ownership of their learning and goals. The Read Along and Read Alone features provide valuable independent practice. I am able to continue with all of my other reading instruction without adding something new that is timely to learn and implement. It also provides good feedback on a weekly basis on what individual comprehension questions need to be addressed. I am very pleased with it.
Reply Kelly Arbor Apr 11, 2015
5
Read Naturally is perfect for struggling readers. The material is high interest, so high interest in fact that students don't always want to move to the next level because they want to read the stories on the level they just graduated from! The online program makes it easy for students to do the comprehension questions and fix those they've missed. The vocabulary exercise while waiting for the teacher is also excellent. The most important predictor of whether a student will become a successful reader is the time he spends reading, and this program gives ample time and practice to reading, and the students feel rewarded as they improve their fluency. I highly recommend this program!
Reply Christine Nerbonne Apr 8, 2015
5
We have used Read Naturally for years and the students love the stories. We just started using Read Live last spring and it has all of the qualities that we love from Read Naturally but it is so much easier.
Reply Rachel Frank Apr 8, 2015
5
I have been using this program for a few months and my students have been making noticeable progress in all areas, especially reading fluency. This is a very motivating program and the progress monitoring is so helpful when discussing with parents and keeping data.
Reply Beth Brandenburg Mar 26, 2015
5
Read Naturally has been a great learning tool for many of our learners that struggle with reading. Not only has this program increased our learners' fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, but also their confidence! The program is learner driven and lets them choose their own stories. For educators, it is so user friendly. Customer service representatives are always helpful. Thank you so much!!!
Reply Jane Bauman Mar 25, 2015
5
Service was clear and quick. Thanks.
Reply Stephanie Mar 23, 2015
5
Excellent service and help.
Reply Iris Cueto-Anglarill Mar 6, 2015
5
I have been using Read Live with my ESL students and THEY LOVE IT! It offers them the opportunity to "read independently". The phonics level is an invaluable tool that is easily adapted for my beginner English language learners.
Reply Emily Foster Mar 5, 2015
4
My district has had great success with this program at the middle school level for several years. We use RNL as a daily intervention for students scoring below grade level for reading comprehension and fluency. Includes a great selection of nonfiction texts and the stories are interesting for most students. I do wish that most or all stories would include a short video or a better selection of pictures. Some stories, like the story about Ulama and the Northern Lights story, would be much easier to understand if students could see those events in action. Relating text to multimedia sources is also an important part of testing today. Overall a useful program if implemented in small groups with consistency.
Reply Kathryn Flangan Mar 4, 2015
5
Read Naturally improves students reading scores. Students practice predicting, study vocabulary and do repeated reading to help with fluency. Questions about the passages include literal questions, vocabulary questions, and main idea questions. The stories are all nonfiction and very interesting for the students. Reply Christine Karpenko Mar 4, 2015
5
I think the kids learned a lot and improved their reading fluency. We found it a useful tool. Reply Carolyn Mar 4, 2015
4
The adaptation from the older Read Naturally program to the Read Live program has been done well.
The addition of the independent vocabulary building exercise with synonyms and antonyms is excellent for students and teachers alike.
They are learning and well occupied, and it takes the pressure off teachers who may be busy with another student.
The addition of some international stories, such as the Terry Fox story, is appreciated by your northern neighbors.
And students who have attained their fluency goals can focus on their reading comprehension and written responses much more efficiently as improving answers is easy on a keyboard. Thanks for moving literacy intervention into Twenty first century learning. Reply Lori Beach Mar 4, 2015
5
Read Naturally Live provides the added motivation of using technology for our struggling readers. I have been impressed with the ability to customize the program for my students to meet individual needs. Reply Ingrid Jaimes Feb 23, 2015
5
Joel Olson was fantastic in helping me solve an issue with Read Naturally Live. Thanks!
Reply Samantha Feb 20, 2015
4
Read Live is an excellent program that truly targets fluency through research-based strategies. It is relatively easy to use and is perfect for use with interventions and special education students with fluency goals. Plus, Read Naturally has excellent customer service; I have never had a bad experience with tech support or any other support staff with whom I've worked. The only thing I would say about Read Live is that, sometimes, the comprehension questions get a bit cumbersome at the end to score, and it's overwhelming to go over ALL of the types of questions with the students. You have to choose a few types to focus on at any given time, or it takes a long time to move students from story to story.
Reply Karen McKenna, Read Naturally Director of Curriculum Feb 23, 2015
Samantha, your solution to focus on only a few types of questions is an excellent strategy to help students master comprehension skills and make the Pass step less cumbersome. Another way to develop comprehension and increase efficiency is to use the link to the correct answer (located directly under the student's response) when scoring open-ended questions. In addition, limiting the evaluation of the answer to the quality of comprehension rather than the quality of writing may help the student focus on understanding the story and will improve your efficiency. Thanks for taking the time to review Read Naturally Live.
Michele Massa Feb 9, 2015
5
It is always refreshing to deal with a company that not only provides a stellar product for teachers and students, but who also provides excellent customer service. We have been using the self-study, hands-on training workbooks for Read Live since January, and find them extremely well-done and easy to follow. We needed to order quite a few more as more of our teachers begin to use Read Live, and after a phone call to Christy Baldinger, I had a quote within minutes at a savings of $300 to my district. Can you say "Made My Day!"? Thank you for making your customers feel valued while providing support for our students. We appreciate it!
Reply