ReadTheory is here to offer your students an opportunity to learn even when they are not in a school building. Now is the time to accept the challenge of being educators in the 21st century and incorporate online platforms into our daily routines.
This article is solely about using ReadTheory to facilitate remote learning. For more tips about remote teaching, visit this page.
Using ReadTheory while Teaching Remotely
I’ve been using ReadTheory for several years now. In many ways, and although not intentionally, ReadTheory was built for remote teaching. For the teacher, instruction is hands-off while using ReadTheory. You don’t have to be constantly standing over students to assist. The program model is fairly simple allowing students to use it even if they have never before used it.
Set the Schedule
The first thing teachers should do as they are beginning their ReadTheory journey is to create a schedule for both yourself and the students. I usually spend the first-week allowing students to get acclimated to the platform. This would include tasks like find your progress report, modify a report by date, and complete the pretest. The second week is when I start assigning points for grades. Personally, I do weekly updates using my students’ knowledge points (KP) on ReadTheory. Each week they need 500 more points to receive a 100; if they can’t achieve that, I do give them a percentage of the total score. For example, if they receive 3,000 out of 4,000 points, that equals 75%.
Typically, my students enjoy this program so much, they want to do many quizzes because they like to see their growth on the graphs, Knowledge Points, and overall Lexile Level. It is usually recommended for at least six ReadTheory quizzes a week, but with our current remote learning, a student could easily do two to three quizzes a day during the weekdays. This is manageable for the students, parents, and teachers.
It’s Adaptive (so you don’t need to worry).
A feature I like is that the program adjusts to the students’ results. If they passed the quiz, then it will go to the next level. If the student struggles, it will either stay at that level or even go to an easier level so that the student can be successful. Each student will be given passages that fit their Lexile level based on their pretest and average scores. Parents can also be reassured that their kids are getting work that is adequately on their level.
Since the students (and parents) can see immediate results with explanations on why they might have missed a question, it is ideal for remote teaching. Parents can help their students even without educational training because of the detailed reasons as to why a student missed a question.
Set Goals
While this is not entirely necessary while working with the students in-class, when working remotely it is recommended that teachers will set in place specific goals depending on their classes and the time without instruction. Teachers can choose to go by the number of points accumulated, average score, or the number of quizzes taken depending on their situation and class. KP works best for my students because it creates an environment of competition. That is what my high schoolers thrive on.
ReadTheory also grades the quizzes automatically, so it is another step that teachers don’t have to make.
How to use ReadTheory
To aid in the transition to online learning, ReadTheory has created a series of videos that should help those new to program quickly acclimate. These videos go through what ReadTheory is and how to use it effectively. Check out the new teacher guide video if you have never been on the site.
If you don’t have an account yet, you will need to create one here.
Next, and after adding a few details about your class, you will be able to add new students.
You can either ask your students to use the unique code you will see to connect their accounts to yours (here’s a video you can share with them to guide them through the process), or add the students manually yourself. If you need help uploading many students at once you can email our support team (support@readtheory.org) with a list of students and they will do it for you. As you begin to teach remotely, it is imperative to get student accounts created as quickly as possible so that they are able to work.
If you already have an account, once you log into ReadTheory, on the home screen near the upper left corner of the page you will see “create new student accounts / track existing students” in blue. Click the create new student accounts button. From there begin typing in your students’ first and last names, ReadTheory will autofill a username. I always use a default password of my school’s initials and my last name (example: whsbrown). You can do this just as well by clicking “set a default password.” You do not have to include an email for the student account, but be aware that all password reset notifications will go to your email. When you finish click the button at the bottom. You will receive an email with copies of login cards for each student that are easily printed and sent home.
We’re Here If You Need Us!
As always, our team is here for any questions or concerns that you might have.
36 replies on “Remote Teaching With ReadTheory”
Hello,
My friend told me about this website. I am a teacher, but I accidentally signed up as a parent. Could I change my status? I went to my setting to do so, but it wouldn’t let me.
I created an account and don’t know where to navigate from there.
I have the same question. A student of signed up as a teacher, how can he reset that?
Same Question
Hi There!
Please contact our support staff at support@readtheory.org and we will get everything straightened away for you!
Good afternoon. Is there a way that a supporting teacher can access the page that a student is completing. My student has a one to one and needs the support. Thank you.
Hi ! I already have an account as student, but I would like to link with my teacher. I don’t know how to go to my teacher’s page. Thanks!
Does anyone know how to add a teacher to a class? I am co-teaching with a wonderful new ELD teacher at my school and we would like to be able to get the data TOGETHER. How do I do that? How can she see the data like I see it?
i signed up my students and have no idea what to do next. I gave them their user names and passwords and usually after they get on they take a pre assessment and I get the results. I have no results or progress reports. It still says they have not started. What do I need to do?
I really in joy this it is good??
Hello, I’m a 6th grade teacher, and I’ve created a class with this level, but I think is to difficult for my students. Can I change the level of the reading once I’ve created the group? Thank you.
hi there :
Why my kids account for doing the reading that suddenly are not showing the answers in the progress.
Could you please check it ? Is that anything problem appear in system?
ReadTheory will automatically adjust the level if a student starts to struggle! If you have any questions, contact support@readtheory.org.
Students needs to complete the pretest and one additional quiz before their scores will appear! If you have any more questions, contact support@readtheory.org.
The students can add the co-teacher directly. They just enter the co-teacher’s email address on the My Teachers page in their account. If you have any questions, contact support@readtheory.org!
Add do you add reading passages, and work sheets to students accounts?
All passages are assigned automatically! All they need to do is log in. They’ll begin seeing passages right away.
Can read theory be used on a tablet?
Yes! We recommend that you use Google Chrome while on ReadTheory.org, but pretty much any device will work with our site!
Hi, I signed up and have a couple questions.
1. Can I see materials before I have my class sign in?
2. Is there an audio feature for my SPED kids that need content read?
Can parents get to the answers? I have had a security breach on my former program because to log they logged in as a teacher to get the answers for their child.
Great Question! Teachers cannot simply browse our library of passages or “look up” passages or answers. Teachers and students can only review previously completed quizzes and their answers. No answer banks exist within our system!
I am taking over for a teacher who has been using this program. How can we switch teacher roles without losing student progress? (Take the former teacher out, and add me in)
We can definitely help! Send over your details to support@readtheory.org and we’ll take care of this!
Unfortunately we are only able to offer resources in English right now. Reach out to support for some tips and tools on how to make the most of ReadTheory for your ESL students.
Is there a way to follow the reading a student is doing at the same time as he/she is reading?
Thank you
Teachers cannot see the passages a student is working on in real-time, but they can review them with the student as soon as the student finishes that passage.
If i have this in read theory when I read the selected answer is not valid for the next question what does it mean?
Greetings! I’m sorry you’ve experienced an issue. If you still need to have this problem resolved could you please contact support so that they can assist you?
When a student selects an answer from a quiz it says ” the selected answer is not valid for the next question.” What does it mean and how can we get around this?
Hello! This could be a bug. Could you please send the student’s name and username to customer support and we can look into it for you.
I would like to ask as I see there is my writing item in the platform, would you please explain how teachers can use this privilege effectively to support learner’s writing skill as well.
Best regards,
We do offer a written response option. Teachers can opt to turn this on through their “Written Responses” page. Students will then be offered a written response question on their quizzes. When they have completed this it will appear on the teacher’s “Written Response” page for them to review and grade.
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When I try to submit an answer, I receive a message saying, “The selected answer is not valid for the next question.” How can I solve this issue?
I have been using the amazing rubric to mark students written responses and I am wondering if there is a way to see these separately per student. I was also wondering about an overview summary of how individual students are doing on their written response.