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Literacy expert Tim Shanahan outlines the many benefits of formal spelling instruction in his article, Should We Teach Spelling? We recommend Shanahan’s article for a compelling answer to the question of whether to teach spelling. But another, equally important question, is how to teach spelling. Finding the right instructional materials is key.

…to attend a Read Naturally seminar, of course! No, seriously, we’re not kidding. Our seminars are just as enjoyable as they are informative. Our dynamic presenters will captivate your interest with fascinating research and exciting, hands-on demonstrations. You’ll experience the Read Naturally Strategy from the perspective of a struggling student, which will allow you to see just how effective and motivating it is.

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:

Congratulations to William P. from College Park, GA, on being selected as the April Read Naturally Star Student!

Think back to the beginning of the school year. What did your struggling readers sound like? How was their fluency and comprehension? Now think about these readers today. Do they read more confidently? Have they made significant gains?

Good news for Word Warm-Ups users! We recently updated the progress graphs to be even more motivational for your students.

Do you have students who seem more focused on rate than overall reading improvement? It’s natural for some Read Naturally students to get caught up in the “game” of trying to read faster and faster with each timing. But as you know, fluency is about accuracy, expression, and rate, which together lead to comprehension. To pass a story, the Read Naturally Strategy requires students to meet all four of these criteria. Remind students that the ultimate goal is comprehension, not speed. If a student persists in being overly focused on rate, consider the following remedial actions:

Congratulations to fourth grader; Brighton W. from Middletown, CA on winning the March Read Naturally Star Student award.

Register for one of our summer/fall seminars before April 30, and get 20% off! Use code EBSD2015 to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount.

When you’re looking for information about an educational product or program, what’s your first step? Often, you’ll look online. You’ll find the company’s website; you’ll search for user testimonials; you may even seek data from independent organizations that review educational products. Depending on the reviewer, this last step can be helpful. Unfortunately, not all reviewers offer reliable information. One in particular, What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), is notorious for misleading educators. The National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) recently released a report that outlines numerous reasons why educators should not trust WWC’s reviews.

Make Your Student a STAR!

Read Naturally Star of the Month​Share your student’s success story—nominate him or her for our Star of the Month award. Win a Barnes & Noble gift card for the student and a Read Naturally gift certificate for your class!

pointer Submit a Star-of-the-Month entry

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