Proven Effective Reading Intervention & Comprehension Program

Dear families and friends of striving readers,Many students in our schools struggle with reading. According to The Nation’s Report Card, only a third of students are proficient readers. Learning to read is a complex and difficult challenge, and the literacy demands on children and young people in the twenty-first century are higher than ever.

Your student is using READ 180, a blended learning solution that pairs powerful adaptive technology with teacher-led instruction. READ 180 is designed to provide personalized, purposeful instruction to accelerate reading success. It provides individualized digital experiences that engage students and ensure the mastery of critical reading skills.

I know from personal experience as a parent and teacher that it's hard to see your child struggle with anything. Please know that all of us involved in the development of READ 180 used the best knowledge from research and classroom practice to create a program in service of your child's unique needs. We have tried to help students move from being struggling readers to becoming striving ones. We have used research in growth mindset to help students in READ 180 better understand how their brains work and to teach them that their reading can improve with effort.

We take our responsibility to students, their teachers, and you—their families and friends—very seriously. Let us partner with you to support your student. On this website you can find out more about READ 180, get ideas for how to help your student, and contact me with questions and comments. Learning to read is essential to success in school and in life, and READ 180 will help your child grow as a student and person.

Happy reading.

Francie Alexander
HMH Intervention Solutions Chief Academic Officer

Learn about the more than 15 years of research and proven results behind READ 180.

Growth Mindset

September

Growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Growth mindset supports students' view of themselves as learners, understanding that with effort and dedication, they will become capable, competent, and confident learners. For these reasons, the READ 180 school year begins with five lessons that help students explore and understand the concept of growth mindset over two weeks.
October
— ongoing

Growth mindset concepts and self-reflection exercises are incorporated in teacher-led instruction and the Student App throughout the year and the students' time in the READ 180 classroom.

Placement and Progress Tests

September

About two weeks after school starts, your child will take a placement test called the HMH Reading Inventory. This test measures your child’s comprehension of reading material. Based on the scores, the teacher will know what instruction is best for your child.
November
January
May

It's time for another HMH Reading Inventory test! The results of this test will be used to set goals for your child’s reading progress throughout the school year.

ReaL Book: Workshop Assessments

September

Your child's teacher is guiding the class through the ReaL Book. This book contains lessons and activities in vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing, and more. The ReaL Book is divided into six Workshops, each of which has several readings—including a lot of nonfiction—on a single topic. Twice within each Workshop, students will take a Workshop Assessment to check their learning, and twice throughout the year (starting halfway) a ReaL Book Performance Task to assess growth. Your teacher should provide your child with a report that explains how he or she did. Learn more about the ReaL Book here.
October - Ongoing

It's time for another ReaL Book Workshop Assessment! This progress-monitoring test helps teachers determine whether students are benefiting from the program and they can give additional support where needed.
January
May

It's time for a ReaL Book Performance Task to provide information on your student's current levels of achievement after a period of learning.

Independent Reading: Books and Quizzes

September

In READ 180, your child will spend dedicated time each day reading on his or her own in a quiet, comfortable area of the classroom. The READ 180 classroom library is stocked with high-interest eBooks, paperbacks, audiobooks, and eReads that are sure to engage your child. After completing a book or article, your child will take an HMH Reading Counts! quiz. These computer-generated quizzes not only test how well readers understood the text, but also allow students to practice and improve their test-taking skills.
November

By now, your child may have completed a book during independent reading time—maybe the first book that she or he has ever read from cover to cover! Talk to your child about what she or he has been reading, and ask about your child's HMH Reading Counts! quiz results.
January
March
May

Check in with your child to learn about the latest book he or she read. And while you’re at it, ask about the HMH Reading Counts! quiz. This computer-generated quiz not only tests students on how well they understood the book, but also allows them to brush up on their test-taking skills.

Student Application (Student App)

September
— on going

As part of their work in READ 180, students work on computer software (Student App) to practice their skills and get regular assessments. They watch videos on topics ranging from science and history to literature and the arts. Then, they read a passage about the video they watched and practice important skills like spelling, vocabulary, and writing. Students have power of choice for the topics they learn about: check with your child about what they find interesting about the topics they have selected.

Important School Events - and Tips!

September

Welcome back to school! To kick off the school year, many schools host a parent-teacher night. This is a great chance for you to meet your child's teacher and to share any concerns you may have. For more information, contact the school.
December

Most students should be receiving a report card around this time. The report card lists your child's grades in each subject. Some schools mail report cards directly to the home, while others hand them out to students.
February

Students may be home for winter recess, but that doesn't mean they should take a break from learning. Help your child practice—and maintain—the reading skills he or she has learned. Take a trip to the library. Have your child help you read your recipes, or log on to favorite shopping sites, for reading practice.
June

Most students should be receiving a report card around this time. The report card lists your child's grades in each subject. Some schools mail report cards directly to the home, while others hand them out to students.
Summer

School's out! To keep reading skills polished over the summer, your child may bring home a list of books to read. Provide encouragement and make the assignment fun. Have your child pretend to be a book critic and write a review. Pair him or her with a reading buddy. Or have your child listen to audiobooks during a car trip. See our Helping Your Child tips and videos here to learn more. *Dates may vary by individual school or district schedule.

Whole- and Small-Group Instruction

During READ 180 Whole- and Small-group Learning, teachers provide direct instruction using the ReaL Book, a work text that includes six high-interest Workshops with reading selections about topics such as the Bill of Rights, D-Day, and space exploration. Every Workshop also includes systematic instruction in academic vocabulary and language, close reading, and academic writing and research.

After beginning the session with the whole class, students work independently on three rotations: the Student Application, Small-Group Learning, and Independent Reading.
The Student Application

The Student Application is the software component of READ 180. Students can choose from a menu of 25 high-interest segments on varying topics including civil rights, breakdancing, and historical figures like Rachel Carson and Nelson Mandela. Each segment begins with an Anchor Video to engage student interest, build background knowledge, and help students form mental images of the subjects they’ll be reading about. After watching the Anchor Video, students read passages based on the video content that are geared to their individual reading levels. They continue working with the passages by answering questions using comprehension strategies, building vocabulary and spelling skills using words from the text, and responding to writing prompts based on the passages and video. As students work in the Student Application, the software tracks their progress, reports data to their teacher, and customizes instruction to meet their needs.
Independent Reading

During Independent Reading, students can choose a grade-appropriate text from the Independent Reading library, which includes 30 paperbacks, 46 eBooks, 5 audiobooks, and 46 nonfiction articles called eReads. All digital texts have supportive features, such as audio, highlighting, and a clickable glossary, to help students as they read independently.
Small-Group Learning

In this rotation, students work with their teachers in their ReaL Books to deeply analyze texts, master new vocabulary, and demonstrate writing knowledge.

Whole- and Small-Group Instruction

During READ 180 Whole- and Small-group Learning, teachers provide direct instruction using the ReaL Book, a work text that includes six high-interest Workshops with reading selections about topics such as the Bill of Rights, D-Day, and space exploration. Every Workshop also includes systematic instruction in academic vocabulary and language, close reading, and academic writing and research.

After beginning the session with the whole class, students work independently on three rotations: the Student Application, Small-Group Learning, and Independent Reading.
The Student Application

The Student Application is the software component of READ 180. Students can choose from a menu of 25 high-interest segments on varying topics including civil rights, breakdancing, and historical figures like Rachel Carson and Nelson Mandela. Each segment begins with an Anchor Video to engage student interest, build background knowledge, and help students form mental images of the subjects they’ll be reading about. After watching the Anchor Video, students read passages based on the video content that are geared to their individual reading levels. They continue working with the passages by answering questions using comprehension strategies, building vocabulary and spelling skills using words from the text, and responding to writing prompts based on the passages and video. As students work in the Student Application, the software tracks their progress, reports data to their teacher, and customizes instruction to meet their needs.
Independent Reading

During Independent Reading, students can choose a grade-appropriate text from the Independent Reading library, which includes 30 paperbacks, 46 eBooks, 5 audiobooks, and 46 nonfiction articles called eReads. All digital texts have supportive features, such as audio, highlighting, and a clickable glossary, to help students as they read independently.
Small-Group Learning

In this rotation, students work with their teachers in their ReaL Books to deeply analyze texts, master new vocabulary, and demonstrate writing knowledge.

Whole- and Small-Group Instruction

During READ 180 Whole- and Small-group Learning, teachers provide direct instruction using the ReaL Book, a work text that includes six high-interest Workshops with reading selections about topics such as the Bill of Rights, D-Day, and space exploration. Every Workshop also includes systematic instruction in academic vocabulary and language, close reading, and academic writing and research.

After beginning the session with the whole class, students work independently on three rotations: the Student Application, Small-Group Learning, and Independent Reading.
The Student Application

The Student Application is the software component of READ 180. Students can choose from a menu of 25 high-interest segments on varying topics including civil rights, breakdancing, and historical figures like Rachel Carson and Nelson Mandela. Each segment begins with an Anchor Video to engage student interest, build background knowledge, and help students form mental images of the subjects they’ll be reading about. After watching the Anchor Video, students read passages based on the video content that are geared to their individual reading levels. They continue working with the passages by answering questions using comprehension strategies, building vocabulary and spelling skills using words from the text, and responding to writing prompts based on the passages and video. As students work in the Student Application, the software tracks their progress, reports data to their teacher, and customizes instruction to meet their needs.
Independent Reading

During Independent Reading, students can choose a grade-appropriate text from the Independent Reading library, which includes 30 paperbacks, 46 eBooks, 5 audiobooks, and 46 nonfiction articles called eReads. All digital texts have supportive features, such as audio, highlighting, and a clickable glossary, to help students as they read independently.
Small-Group Learning

In this rotation, students work with their teachers in their ReaL Books to deeply analyze texts, master new vocabulary, and demonstrate writing knowledge.