Social Websites centred around reading

As an English teacher I often feel that half of my problems could be solved if children read more. It’s not because I want them to cultivate the same love of literature that I have developed but because it helps them further develop a variety of important skills. Reading, inference, understanding grammar and syntax, character analysis, critical thinking, creative writing etc.

The key to getting children hooked on reading is to get them hooked on the right book. Easier said than done. Which book? Which genre? Where to start?

Luckily enough there are already social networking sites on the web that have the solution to these problems.

You Are What You Read is part of Scholastics global literacy campaign Read Every Day. Lead a Better life.  This site is a book recommendation service for young readers and a social networking site. 

Students can share information on their favourite books and discover people who share similar interests and through this further discover other books that might interest them. There are also excellent resources that you can access without signing up for an account.

One of the most notable is the list of celebrities and famous people who have listed their favourite age appropriate books. So even if you don’t know where to start when recommending a book to a student ask them who their favourite celebrity or star is and there you go.

If you join you are invited to submit five book titles that have helped shape who you are which is called a “bookprint.” This is helps get students on the path to discovering fellow book lovers, new titles and you can also encourage them to write reviews.

Also included on the site is a Sample Letter for Parents that you can use to let parents know about this program and how they can support your classroom activities at home.