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Schools Around the World Celebrated for Literacy Achievement

May 12, 2026

2026 Read Live School of the Year Awards

Vernal, UT / Woolwich, London / Calgary, Alberta / Philadelphia, PA / Various Locations — Schools around the world have been recognized in the 2026 Read Live School of the Year awards for their effective use of Read Naturally's Read Live program to achieve significant gains in student literacy. Celebrating these schools aims to unite communities around educational success.

This year’s awards spotlight a variety of schools that have excelled at using the Read Live program to enhance literacy skills, meet diverse student needs, build students' self-confidence in reading, and demonstrate measurable gains on assessments and standardized tests.

Winner: Davis Elementary School (Vernal, UT)

What began with one teacher requesting to use Read Naturally with her students quickly grew into school-wide use of Read Live for students in grades 1–5. Students at Davis Elementary School have made significant gains in reading accuracy, automaticity, and comprehension, with their success also showing up in their standardized testing scores and self-confidence.

Runners-Up: Nightingale Primary School (Woolwich, London), Balmoral School (Calgary, Alberta), People for People Charter School (Philadelphia, PA)

Educators at Nightingale Primary School believe reading is the foundation for success, and they have used Read Live for many years to help students grow as readers. With visible gains in skills and SATS scores, staff feel confident that their students are prepared for the next stage of their learning journey.

In its first year using Read Live, Balmoral School has already seen gains in reading achievement, confidence, and language skills across its diverse student population. With a commitment to personalized instruction, Balmoral is using Read Live to help meet each student’s unique needs.

After years of limited success with other programs, People for People Charter School saw powerful results with Read Live in just three weeks. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of staff, students are showing meaningful growth and patterns of illiteracy are being broken every day.

Honorable Mentions:

Additional schools acknowledged for their outstanding efforts include Centerburg Elementary School (Centerburg, OH), Northwood Elementary School (Kalamazoo, MI), Lakewood Elementary School (Mandan, ND), Lucy S Herring Elementary School (Asheville, NC), Krystal School (Hesperia, CA), Wapakoneta Middle School (Wapakoneta OH), and Chickasaw Elementary/Intermediate School (Chickasaw, AL). Each has utilized Read Live to improve literacy outcomes and address diverse needs.

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For More Information:  
www.readnaturally.com/school-of-the-year
Media Contact:  
Maddie Waters  
mwaters@readnaturally.com 
651-286-8737 

About Read Naturally:  Read Naturally's research-based programs provide interventions and differentiated instruction for developing and struggling readers of all ages. Since its founding in 1991, Read Naturally has established itself as a pioneer in the industry and has developed a variety of programs targeting the essential components of reading instruction. 

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