October Star of the MonthCongratulations to our October Star of the Month, Shaniya! Shaniya is an eighth grader at Phoenix Academy Day School in Omaha, NE. Her teacher, Ms. Lucas, nominated her last year due to her amazing progress in Read Naturally. Here is what Ms. Lucas said:

"I believe Shaniya deserves to win the Read Naturally Award. Shaniya struggles with reading and other subjects in school. She came to our school two summers ago and I had the pleasure of teaching her that first year. She was very quiet and would not attempt to do work because she felt she would fail. As a 7th grader, she was in my homeroom. I saw how much she changed as a learner. She is committed to improving her reading. She practices her read-alouds repeatedly until I am able to pass her, even when her peers are off task. When my other students take brain breaks between stories, she chooses her next story and gets right to work. I have heard her fluency improve and I have noticed her confidence in reading has growth. Her overall test scores have improved as well, which I credit to Read Naturally. Shaniya has not been recognized for her academics or efforts since she has been in school, but I believe this is the time. She is truly a role model for the other students. This honor would mean a lot to her and her mother, and I can't think of a better choice for this recognition."

Way to go, Shaniya! Keep up the amazing work, and thank you for inspiring all of us.

Do you have a student like Shaniya? Nominating them to be a Read Naturally Star of the Month only takes a few minutes! Just share why they deserve special recognition for their hard work. 

Winners receive:

  • $50 Barnes & Noble gift card (student)
  • $50 Amazon gift card (teacher)
  • $200 Read Naturally gift card (school)