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The past year has been extremely challenging. Educators everywhere are working extra hard to keep students learning under very difficult circumstances. Luckily, teachers are incredibly resourceful and creative. They have risen to the challenge by learning new skills and adding new tools to their repertoire. Read more

​Thanksgiving is a day to reflect on what we’re grateful for. Full bellies and full hearts leave people everywhere feeling thankful for what they have—and wanting for nothing more. So naturally, the day after Thanksgiving is a time to… make a wish list and go shopping? Have you ever noticed that the rapid progression from Thanksgiving to Black Friday to Christmas can quickly take many of us from grateful to greedy? Read more

Tomorrow’s the big day! The day where sticky, heart-shaped treats and sweet, silly folded-up sentiments take over your classroom—and possibly your sanity. Valentine’s Day exchanges and celebrations usually make for a rowdy and unusual day in the classroom, but this doesn’t mean opportunities for building literacy are lost. In fact, there are plenty of ways to capitalize on the holiday to help your students strengthen their skills. Read more

Children around the country will be asked the same question several times this week: What are you thankful for? While some children will take the time to pause and give a thoughtful answer, many will just answer the question quickly (“I’m thankful for my family and friends”) without taking the time to consider the meaning of what they’re saying. In fact, many adults will do the same thing. 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

To celebrate Read Live's fourth birthday, we solicited the help of Read Live’s best friends—a.k.a., our tech support staff. We asked them to tell about the growth and personality they’ve observed in Read Live over the years. Here are some fun facts: Read more

In an effort to give you more of the content you want moving forward, we decided to take a look back. We wanted to know which blog posts resonated most with our customers this year. Here are the ten most popular posts from the past year: Read more

Most fluent readers don’t question the seemingly unnecessary b in doubt. They know it’s there, and they know how to read and spell the word. But in the interest of expanding students’ vocabularies and developing their spelling skills, it can be beneficial to teach that the b actually does serve a purpose. Read more

Have you read all the books on your classroom bookshelf? If so, we’re impressed! Many busy teachers don’t have time to vet every single book available for independent reading time. Instead, you may rely on recommendations from other teachers, online reviews, or your knowledge of certain authors and publishers. Some of your most valuable book reviews, however, could come from your students themselves. Read more

I am lucky to participate in Minnesota’s Early Childhood Family Education program with my two children. At the beginning of our weekly class, each parent shares a joy. The purpose of this ritual is to build a culture of gratitude, even on days when our job feels thankless. After recovering from the stomach bug, we’re thankful for health. When it’s brutally cold outside, we’re thankful for a warm place to gather. Our kids keep us up all night, but we’re thankful for their smiles. Read more