Benefits of this Collaborative Award Nominee Reading Community:

• This is an excellent tool to use as an alternative for the required book report.
• The more students exchange ideas about interests of books the more they will become inspired to read. 
• Students will begin to improve technology skills, and keyboarding.
• Students will feel a sense of connection to a specialized reading focus.  This is something new and students love to try new things. 
• Some students do not have access to the Internet at home. Allowing students access to this reading community through school technology will not leave less fortunate students behind in developmental technology skills.
• Students will engage in a safe, secure and interpersonal communications through the use of technology as they are given the opportunity to express their interests through literature.
• Students communicate and exchange ideas and opinions with students close to their own age.
• An online reading community provides students with the confidence to make comments, whereas some students may feel less comfortable making comments in the classroom.
• Students are not judged by their opinions.

   

• Interaction is easy and convenient, students sign in at their convenience and/or at the completion of an award nominated book to give and receive ideas

Supporting Evidence                                              

Out-of-School Independent Reading

http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/literacy/in_read2.html

The Effects of Independent Reading on Reading Achievement

http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/literacy/in_read1.html  Retrieved June 27, 2007