Queen Allison just sent me the link to this great program In2Books http://in2books.epals.com
to encourage reading for elementary students. It's easy to sign up and read books with a student through the year. It encourages the student to read, write and discuss (critical thinking skills) with someone on a one-on-one basis. Research has shown this to be a very effective program.
Some of our members who have had to go inactive for awhile might find this a great volunteer opportunity to promote literacy. It's online and you commit to reading 6 books and writing 6 letters per school year. Needless to say due to children being involved there will be a background check and monitoring of all communications which are done through their website. Below is the info from their website. Sign Me UP!
In2Books is a research-based eMentoring program that pairs adult pen pals with 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students in under resourced classrooms across the country. Students engage in authentic learning experiences with their pen pals; teachers get access to rich resources to teach literacy across the curriculum!
Over the course of the school year, students and pen pals read five diverse and thought-provoking books in different genres (fiction, social studies, biography, traditional tales, and science). By writing letters back and forth, students improve their reading and writing skills and develop their love for books
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