Getting In2Books with a 5th Grader in Silicon Valley

They say that kids don't read anymore. We could devote many blog postings to why this is, but I personally believe that one things kids need is individualized interaction when reading. I would like to tell you about a program that uses web-based technologies to connect adults with students to offer some individualized reading-centered interaction: In2Books.

In2Books is a “curriculum-based eMentoring program” that supports student reading in the 2nd-to-5th grades classroom.

I am going to explain it from my perspective in this process. I am an adult penpal (aka mentor). I correspond with a 5th-grader named Derian at an elementary school in Silicon Valley.

We login to the In2Books website where we can use e-mail to write each other. Also, there are many resources that support our understandings of the books we share. On my adult penpal side, I can access resources that help me guide my conversations with Derian to a higher cognitive level. On Derian’s side, he can write e-mails, play games, take quizzes, access vocabulary related to the book, and interact with a number of kid-friendly resources.

So far this year, we have read 3 books together: PS, Longer Letter Later, If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon, and Who was Albert Einstein? Derian’s class has read all of these books together, as a class. The teacher told me in a recent e-mail that she is trying to figure out a way to get the In2Books system to allow her students to choose their next books individually.

This YouTube video gives a great overview of the process:


The challenge I have faced as a mentor is in trying to figure how to get Derian to talk to me. In his letters, he usually summarizes what he’s read in the book in one big chunk of text. I get the feeling that he just sees this as a hoop he’s got to jump through in class. I asked his teacher for tips—because we are able to talk to the teachers, too—and she said Derian is a very bright and very shy young man and to just keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve tried long, personable letters, short letters. I've talked about myself, the book, the larger world, and I'll keep trying! I try to tell him about my day-to-day life and not just make it sound like I’m an extension of his teacher. We have two books to go, so I've a little time yet....

Below is an excerpt of one of my letters followed by Derian’s response.



Is this program beneficial? I believe that it is. Certainly, not all students will feel the benefit equally. But to a large extent, I think this program invites children to read and share the joy of reading with interested adults. It gives students the opportunity to discuss what interests them (as opposed to what often happens in reading instruction: the teacher emphasizes the “important points” of the book). Children need to be encouraged to think about and talk about books without the pressure of an adult telling them what they should think about the book. This gives the adult penpals the unique charge of listening to students and encouraging them to express their own reactions. I believe this may be one of the most compelling aspects of this program.


A Summary of the Steps
1. A classroom teacher signs up his class for In2Books at http://www.in2books.com/TeacherSubmit.htm

2. Adult penpal mentors sign up to participate at http://in2books.epals.com/penpal08/. Adult mentors have to fill out an online application and pay approximately $6 for a criminal background check.

3. In2Books staff assign one penpal mentor per student in a participating classroom. Each classroom is given a login, and individual students have their own e-mail inboxes with which to communicate with penpals.

4. Over the course of the school year, the class (or individual students) chooses 5 books to read and share with penpals.

Recommendations
The sooner teachers and pen pals sign up, the more likely they are to be able to participate. I recommend doing this 3-6 months in advance of the next school year to ensure availabilty.

Other Information
In2Books is owned by ePals, which is a penpal program that is used for linking up classrooms across the globe. When you read more about In2Books, you will see references to ePals, which is like the "mother" in this relationship. :~)

Teachers interested in using this should read the In2Books Terms of Use and check with their school’s Acceptable Use Policy. Acceptable Use Policies spell out how teachers, students and others at the school are allowed to use the internet. Every public school has an Acceptable Use Policy. An example of acceptable use policies is available here from the DeKalb County Schools Website.


Links related to In2Books
NYTimes Article: A Capitalist Jolt for Charity
Joyce Valenza, PhD Blogs on In2Books
Reading Teacher Article: Raising Urban Students’ Literacy Achievement by Engaging in Authentic, Challenging Work