Reading

Rocketreader's entire site is devoted to helping people of all ages learn to read better, faster and understand more. For that reason, the topic of 'reading resources' is daunting and large. Reading is, after all, what we specialize in. We have selected a variety of resources addressing areas not covered in the rest of our reading resource directory. There are resources for curriculum specifically geared toward reading skills. We have included sites with book lists for teens (a tough age for books) and for adults in reading groups. Each of the resources is just a bit different from those we have covered in other subject headings. Check them out and start reading!

Reviewed Sites

Starfall: www.starfall.com

Starfall.com is primarily a website for students and teachers. The site includes reading resources for teachers such as lesson plans and worksheets. For students, there are fun online reading games. Starfall also has an online store for purchasing additional products.

Reading Rockets (Not to be confused with RocketReader): www.readingrockets.org

Readingrockets.org is a public-private partnership between the public radio and television stations in Washington, D.C. and the United States Department of Education. The site has resources for teachers, techniques for teaching reading, book lists and curriculum that dovetails with PBS programs.

Reader2Reader: www.reader2reader.net

Reader2Reader is a UK based website that connects readers with each other. The site allows readers to post reviews and sum up the book with one adjective such as: Brilliant, Hilarious, Moving, and more. This site, along with the National Literacy Trust in the UK ( www.linteracytrust.org.uk )are top reading sites with a world-wide perspective.

Bookmuse: www.bookmuse.com

Bookmuse is a half-public, half-member website offering summaries, discussion questions and author interviews to help book groups with discussions. It is worth signing up for the free membership (it really is free and there is not a lot of spam!) to have access to all of the book summaries. Whether you belong to a book club or not, the summaries on bookmuse are thoughtful, factual and interesting, and a great help for those trying to read difficult books without the benefit of a college professor or friends to lean on.

Cool Reads: www.cool-reads.co.uk

Cool reads is a website about books for children and maintained for children. All reviews are written by children ages 10-15. Readers from around the world submit reviews for the site, which covers books for children at an age where 'cool reads' are difficult to find. Originally started by two brothers ages 11 and 13, it is still maintained by the brothers, though they are now beyond their 'age range' of readers. The brothers still moderate and maintain the site and post reviews submitted by readers, but no longer write reviews. (They are too old!)

Tips for Success

  1. Reading groups are sometimes loathe to select more difficult books. A lot of people are not fast readers, and do not want to be stuck with one, hard book to read for the month. Well, our own software can help people learn to enjoy reading, read better and faster, so one book a month will seem like a tiny number. Use us! We are here to help!
  2. Book Muse and other similar sites are terrific resources for book groups brave enough to tackle Faulkner or Joyce. Make use of these supportive websites to help you read and understand books you would not normally pick up.
  3. Reading websites from countries other than your own provide great recommendations and an opportunity to learn about other cultures. What are we reading and why? People around the world find pretty amazingly good reads. The internet spreads those finds to every corner of the globe.
  4. Reading is a wonderful and magical experience. If you have time, volunteer at your local literacy organization, library or other establishment that encourages reading. The ability to read is a gift that keeps giving.
  5. If you are not already a part of a reading discussion group, create one. Sources like craigslist and meetup.com are great places to start a group and quickly gather members. Nothing beats reading a good buck, but discussing it is fun too!