At Read Naturally, we firmly believe in differentiated instruction. Each student is unique, and an effective program should have the capacity to respond to these differences. The ability to individualize Read Naturally programs to maximize each student’s success is something that sets our tools apart.

In Read Live, it’s easier than ever for teachers to customize the program for each student. Not only is each student working in an individual level, but teachers can set story options to ensure the student is using his or her time most effectively. Now that our Read Live User Guide is easily accessible online, teachers and administrators are always just a click away from finding the information they need to make these changes.

Below are five useful links from the User Guide about setting individual story options. You may find it helpful to bookmark these pages, so the information is always handy when you need to make a change.

Turning Steps Off and On
This table explains why a teacher may want to turn a certain step on or off for a student. For example, if you have a student with poor keyboarding skills who would rather write his or her prediction in a notebook, you can turn off the Prediction Step for this student. Or, if you have a student for whom the Word List Step in the Phonics series is unnecessary, you could turn off this step and allow the student to proceed more quickly to the next story.

Setting the Time Limit for the Prediction Step
The default time limit for the Prediction Step is two minutes. This page explains why and how to change that time limit for students who need more or less time.

Setting the Time Limit for the Retell Step
Similarly, this page explains why and how to change the default time limit for students who need more or less time on the Retell Step.

Allowing Students to Complete the Cold Timing Step Independently
The default setting in Read Live requires a teacher to be present for the Cold Timing Step. This page explains how to enable students to complete the Cold Timing Step without a teacher. In a recent blog post, “The Cold-Timing Dilemma,” our Curriculum Director, Karen McKenna, explains when students should be released to conduct their cold timings independently.

Setting the Number of Required Read Alongs
The default number of required read alongs for the Read Along Step is three. But perhaps you have an older student who only needs to read along twice; or maybe you have an ELL student who could benefit from four read alongs. This page explains how and when to change the number of required read alongs for a student.

The information on these pages will easily help teachers customize Read Live to maximize each student’s success--and this is just the beginning! Look for another blog post next week containing additional quick links for customizing story options.