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Raising the Bar
Why In2Books?
In2Books stimulates excitement about learning through matching adult pen pals with students who read the same curriculum-based books and exchange online letters about important issues in the books they both read. In2Books provides relevant coaching and resources via Student Place and Pen Pal Place, our dedicated websites for students and pen pals. Recent reviews and independent studies show that students who participate in the In2Books program score significantly higher on standardized tests than other students in the same grade in the school district.
Experience shows that the In2Books curricula unite a learning community of students, families, teachers and pen pals. This continuous support network encourages members to share resources and learn from one another. It also develops personal relationships that challenge students intellectually, increase their personal and professional aspirations, and reinforce home and classroom learning experiences.
How It Works
Teaching third - fifth grade students how to read closely, communicate well and think critically is one of the most important challenges society faces. Research and experience have shown us what works. The In2Books curricula are year-long, and synthesize the best literacy practices providing:
- Diverse Books - Students select and read high-quality books in various genres that have been carefully selected by In2Books' team of children's literature experts.
- Adult Pen Pals - Each student exchanges online letters with an adult pen pal who reads the same books as the student. These adult pen pals serve as intellectual mentors and friends, giving their students insights into how adults think about books, express ideas, and have successful careers and relationships.
- Curriculum Units - Each curriculum unit focuses on a specific genre or subject. The units are aligned to Content Standards and include: Realistic Fiction, Social Science, Biography, Folktales, and Science. Carefully selected books in the subject become the center of the learning experience. The key elements of the curricula are:
- understanding the defining characteristics of the genre
- overarching thought-provoking questions
- encouraging multiple readings of the book for different purposes
- supportive related resources
- teacher-proven lessons and discussion questions
- reading and analyzing the pen pal letters
- in-depth discussions
- practice using the writing process
The culminating activities - Expressing via online letters what they have learned about the book, responding to their pen pals' open-ended questions, and writing in the various genres.
Continuity - Students in grades 3-5 are able to participate in In2Books from year to year with increasingly complex curricula and book choices.
The In2Books Informed Reader Series
Our hallmark series of six curriculum units.
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The Introductory Unit: Understanding pen pals, letter writing, and building a classroom community
Unit One - Fiction: Exploring personal strengths, interests, and relationships with friends and families
Unit Two - Social Science: Understanding communities and how to contribute meaningfully in them
Unit Three - Biography: Understanding how choices people make affect their lives and learning about setting goals and pursuing dreams
Unit Four - Folktales: Understanding the universal commonalities among cultures and how to solve problems independently
Unit Five - Science: Understanding the world around us and how living things are interdependent
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Versions of In2Books are also available for home use, in after-school programs, and other environments. In these settings, a wider variety of both genres and titles are available.
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