Read Naturally®

Read Naturally^® was found to have no discernible effects on reading fluency and potentially positive effects on writing for students with learning disabilities.

Read Naturally^® is designed to improve reading fluency using a combination of books, audiotapes, and computer software. The program has three main strategies: repeated reading of text for developing oral reading fluency, teacher modeling of story reading, and systematic monitoring of student progress by the students themselves and by teachers. Students work at a reading level appropriate for their achievement level and progress through the program independently. The program has two versions. In one, students use audiocassettes or CDs in conjunction with hard-copy reading materials. In the second version, students use only the Read Naturally^® computer program.

One study of Read Naturally^® that falls within the scope of the Students with Learning Disabilities review protocol meets What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards. The study includes 20 students with learning disabilities from the 4th to the 6th grade in one parochial elementary school in Washington State.

Based on this study, the WWC considers the extent of evidence for Read Naturally^® for students with learning disabilities to be small for reading fluency and writing. The one study that meets WWC evidence standards did not examine the effectiveness of Read Naturally^® for students with learning disabilities in the alphabetics, reading comprehension, general reading achievement, math, science, social studies, or progressing in school domains.