"What are other children reading?" Pupils are
often keen to know, and they will find the answer at Kids' Review.
The site provides a safe, protected environment where children write
all the reviews. Kids' Review (www.kidsreview.org.uk)
is Curriculum Online-registered, and subscription provides full access
for all members of the school
Visit our Software page for the Kids Review discount for Kent Schools.
Logging on
Subscribers get two log-ons: teacher and pupil.
The site carries details of 120,000 books. Publishers supply updates
every month, so it is virtually comprehensive.
A book can be located by entering the title, in
full or in part. You can also search by author, and by genre. Click
on the title and you are shown the blurb, cover, ISBN and publisher's
advised reading age.
Adding a review
A form provides the framework for writing the
review. Children can indicate by clicking whether they read alone,
read together, or listened to the book being read to them. They can
give it marks out of 10.
When complete, the review is shown to the child
in print-friendly format, then is temporarily stored on the remote
server. The teacher may edit a review by entering the ISBN number
and review number.
The teacher has the final say on which reviews
go live. The reviews can be accessed by year group. The teacher then
clicks 'Yes' to pass each new review, or 'No' or 'Delete'. Each review
may be accessed to make changes, by clicking the child's name. There
a blank review sheet which can be printed. There's also a 'new reviews
report'.
Reading the reviews
The reviews are attractively presented as a pin
board. As well as title or author, you can also search by genre. Topics
for older pupils can be switched off. The search results may be printed,
giving the child a useful list of reading suggestions.
There's a useful 'Top Ten' feature. You can opt
to see the national top ten, the LEA's, or even your own school's
favourites. 'Top Tens' can also be chosen for age groups. A snapshot
of the 100 most recently added reviews is available.
In the Authors' section, popular writers reveal
which books they enjoyed when they were younger. For each author,
there is a biography and list of books.
Extra features for teachers include books which
have different interest levels and reading age. The database also
has books in dual languages and foreign languages. It is possible
to limit the reviews to those written by a particular age range.
The Help section includes suggested ways of using
the site. There are well-designed Literacy lesson sheets, matched
to NLS objectives. These are particularly helpful in showing how Kids'
Review may be used as an integral part of the Literacy Hour.
A regular Subscriber newsletter is faxed to schools.
To sample the site, you may set up a demonstration log-on in the 'Subscribe'
section. It's only active for one day.
The comprehensive database of book details, and
the template support for children contributing reviews, are the great
strengths of this site. Subscribers can access the site from anywhere,
and children will enjoy contributing and reading reviews at home.
Kids' Review offers a secure and safe environment, and no contribution
will go live on the site without being approved by the teacher.
