Read Naturally Masters Edition (ME) Steps

Step 1: Select a Story
Students select a story from the packet at the correct reading level and get the cassette or audio CD for the story. Each level includes 24 nonfiction stories, but teachers may make them available to students 12 stories at a time.

Step 2: Read Along to the Key Words
Students read along with the recording of the key words and their definitions. This is a vocabulary step that teaches students some key words that are used in the story.

Step 3: Write a Prediction
Students use the title, picture, and key words to write a sentence about what the story will say about the topic. This prepares students to read by having them think briefly about the topic.

Step 4: Cold Timing
Students time themselves for one minute as they read the selected story aloud for the first time. As they read, they should underline difficult words—words they stop in front of, skip, or stumble on—the three Ss. Subtract the number of errors from the total number of words read to get their cold timing score (words correct per minute).

Step 5: Graph the Cold Timing Score
The student uses a blue pencil to graph the number of words read correctly in one minute.

Step 6: Read Along to the Story
The student reads along quietly while listening to a recording of the story on cassette or audio CD. Subvocalizing with the recording ensures that they actually read along and helps them learn proper pronunciation, expression, and phrasing. The cassettes and audio CDs include three recordings of the story, each one slightly faster than the previous one. Students typically read along three times, once to each recording, but older students may only need to read along once or twice, and younger or very disabled students may need to read along four or more times.

Step 7: Practice Reading the Story
The student practices reading the story without the audio tape several times until able to read at the predetermined goal rate. Students time each practice.

Step 8: Answer the Questions
The student answers the questions about the story. Levels 5.0 and below typically include five questions per story. Levels 5.6 and above include nine questions per story. For most of the levels, the questions follow a specific pattern, which can help you detect when students have trouble with particular types of questions.

Step 9: Pass Timing
The teacher times the student read the story for one minute, subtracts the number of errors (see counting errors), and determines if the student has reached the goal. To pass a story, the student must also make no more than three errors, read with good expression, and answer the comprehension questions correctly.

Step 10: Graph the Pass Timing Score
When students pass a story, they graph a red bar for their pass timing score (words correct per minute) above the blue bar for their cold timing score.

Step 11: Retell the Story (Sequenced Levels) or
Practice/Pass the Word Lists (Phonics Levels)
In the sequenced levels, students retell information from the story, either writing a specific number of ideas from a story or writing for a specific amount of time. If time is limited, teachers may decide to have students retell the story orally or skip this step.

In the phonics levels, students time themselves as they practice reading word lists featuring specific sounds and letter patterns. The students then try to pass the word lists by reading them for their teacher.