Into the Book

This resource offers a complete and thoughtful reading-comprehension curriculum for classroom teachers that also could be useful for homeschooling families and parents looking for at-home activities to bolster learning. Students can evaluate websites, blogs, and more traditional texts. They also can practice reading-comprehension skills, from making connections and activating prior knowledge to inferring and synthesizing. Activities such as creating a pirate handbook and assembling a rocket engine will appeal to reluctant readers. The classroom scenes (and songs) can feel like Barney episodes, but kids can make mature and insightful observations about, for example, productions of Hansel and Gretel, a biography of Sacagawea, and online NASA study cards. Impressive print lessons offer complete instructions, conferencing guidelines, and organizers such as a synthesizing hat handout.

Although the website is professionally designed and implemented, certain aspects might be confusing. There's a lack of consistency in terminology, and learning goals frequently alternate for videos, activities, and teaching resources. Games don't always make sense, text selections are not always well-matched to activities, and instructions are sometimes unclear. Parent guidance may be needed. Kids can't view their progress, but they can print out or email their work as they finish it. A confusing dialogue box sometimes hangs up at the ends of activities, forcing kids to close the browser tab and restart, as they can't use the back button on their browsers. Finally, the price, which can run upward of $300 for all content, can keep some users away, especially those who can't justify the price for a supplemental English course. But for parents who are willing and able to spend the money and overlook these flaws, they'll find a decent set of material for their young readers here.