Use Bookopolis to set up a safe, private social network for your students' free reading or in-class reading assignments. Have students browse for and discover books that interest them. For students who don't know where to start, teachers can provide recommendations. Bookopolis offers two nice models for this: Book Trailers and Book Talks. They also offer summer reading lists that could be a good place to start. After students are done reading, they can complete their review of the book as well as a book report. Teachers can then comment on the reading logs, reports, and reviews and also track student reading by group or by individual, including the number of minutes spent reading and the number of pages completed.
For an extension activity at the end of a semester or year, have students create a Book Trailer or Book Talk for the best book they've read.
Continue readingBookopolis is a social reading website (and Chrome app) that allows students to log, rate, and review books they’ve read. With a parent's help, students create an account, choose an avatar, and create lists of books they'd like to read, books they're currently reading, and books they've already read. Kids can browse built-in book lists, including curated lists by award winners, Common Core-aligned books, and read-alike ("if you liked this, try this") lists. These built-in lists are available for early readers (grades 1-3), older readers (grades 3-6), and middle school readers (grades 6-8). There's also a Fun & Games section where students can engage in word games, trivia, and puzzles. Students earn points and badges by logging their reading and recording their progress, and their friends, parents, and teachers can view their updates.
Teacher accounts have more extensive features that let teachers create classes, monitor reading progress, recommend books to kids, and create assignments linked to specific books. Kids can then submit book reports directly from the site. Keep in mind that users can link directly to vendor sites where books are for sale; there's an alert that lets kids know they're leaving the site, but it might not prevent purchases.
Recent updates add a lot more features: Discover books with BookQuest or Bookopolis Reader Picks, make and share book lists, and make and share wish lists. Other features include Summer Reading HQ, Book Trailers & Talks, and weekly book giveaways. These features add a bit more dimension to a student's experience.
Bookopolis offers a great way for students to find new books to read and to reflect on their reading in a fun, safe environment. Kids must enter a parent's email address and get permission before creating an account. Bookopolis is like a Goodreads just for kids; it lets students create a record of what they've read, and the more they read, the more rewards they'll receive. Writing reviews lets students practice their communication and writing skills in a safe space where they can concentrate more on their words than on who'll read them. Badges and points may serve as good motivators for reluctant readers, and the charming animated design may keep kids coming back.
Bookopolis' social features would be even better if they let kids engage with their classmates in conversation rather than just in comments. For example, it would be great if kids could respond to their friends' reading progress and book ratings, allowing for a discussion. Teachers can respond, but it would be even better to have an option for students to dialogue about books in this online setting. It would also be great if the included games promoted learning more explicitly or linked more explicitly to certain books; as it is, they're neat, but they seem like more of an afterthought to keep kids on the site than a meaningful learning extension.