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Read Naturally

Read Naturally is offered to a group of identified students who need reinforcement on reading fluency. Using the "repetitive" strategy, the program exposes children to a variety of short and high interest materials. Students use a timer and the comprehension assessment to monitor his/her progress.

Read Naturally is a research-based program that enables students to become fluent readers. There are three components: teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring. Read Naturally is based on several research-based theories including the following:

• Students become good readers by reading
• Reading a passage several times improves fluency
• Self-monitoring of progress improves reading achievement

Students who read fluently read smoothly and easily, without pausing to figure out words. These students identify words automatically. As a result, they can focus on meaning rather than word recognition when they read. Fluent readers generally comprehend better than non-fluent readers. Read Naturally is designed to help students who need additional instruction in fluency.

Read Naturally instruction is delivered by both technology and teacher instruction. The Read Naturally software allows students to automatically progress through each step independently. Teachers and paraprofessionals who are trained in fluency instruction will be available to coach and instruct students as they read the passage aloud. The software provides teachers and parents a powerful tool to track progress.

When working with the read naturally software, students will select a interesting, non-fiction passage at a reading level best suited for his/her development. Students will set a “words correct per minute” goal and then select a story, learn new vocabulary, make a prediction, and read the story. The computer will calculate words correct per minute on the first reading. The students will then read along with the computer up to three times before reading the story again. If the goal is met, they will have the chance to practice again or move on to comprehension questions and a retelling of the story. As the students fluency improves, the reading levels will increase.