Since 2020, our wildly popular virtual book club has connected hundreds of kids aged 9-12 from different communities through a shared love of reading. Delivered through six weekly book club meetings led by trained facilitators, kids can socialize online through guided reading activities, discussions and games.
Kids ReadTO offers kids the opportunity to connect with peers and mentors, explore their identities and opinions, and build confidence in their literacy skills. Ongoing author visits give kids an opportunity to ask their burning questions about their stories and creative process.
Each virtual book club session is led and guided by mentors and new teaching graduates, who receive ongoing training in online facilitation, education and leadership.
Participants of Kids Read TO receive a free copy of the featured title, which they get to keep once the program is over. We select books by diverse authors from around the world so that participants can see themselves reflected in the characters.
They’ll also receive a free “Drop Everything and Read” D.E.A.R. Diary Activity Book to guide them through the process of reading and reflecting on the story. It’s full of activity pages, questions for them to think about, and a reading schedule to keep them on track.
The outcomes of low literacy rates often contribute to unfavourable physical and mental health outcomes later on in life. The research shows that when children and youth develop a love of reading, they will thrive in other areas of their lives too. See the evidence behind Kids ReadTO.
TESTIMONIAL
I really loved sharing our opinions about the books we were reading. It’s super interesting to see what everyone thinks, and it can help you see things from different perspectives. I also really liked that everyone got the chance to read, because over the weeks, you could hear everyone improve. The discussions we had were over important topics that were covered in the books. I think everyone benefited from the conversations and learnt some new things on those topics as well.
– KRTO Participant
SEE the PROGRAM in ACTION!
