How Kids Can Start Their Own Safe Online Book Club
Kids of all ages love to read. When they get together to read and talk about books, they encourage one another’s love for reading and learning. If your students need help connecting with other kids who love to read the same books and authors as they do, they should consider starting their own book club online or in person.
Online book clubs offer a chance to connect with more people than in-person versions. However, kids must be safe when engaging with and creating online communities. Keep reading to learn how kids can start their own safe online book club.
Choose the Contact Style Together
Kids as young as seven years old may want to participate in a club about their favorite books and authors. However, it isn’t safe to give children free rein on the internet to connect with strangers. The best way to protect them, help them learn internet safety, and allow them to talk about their favorite books with other fans is to choose the contact style together.
Sit down with a device together and discuss how your child wants to talk about what they’re reading. They may prefer to write down their thoughts in an online forum, chat with other fans on social media, or schedule video call meetings.
Once you know how your child wants to meet others, figure out how to do so safely. For example, if your child wants to write down their thoughts online, you can encourage them to start a website dedicated to their favorite books and authors. There are many web design apps and websites for students that they can use. After their website is running, you can monitor it to ensure that the content is safe and appropriate.
Let Them Find Their Niche
Joining book clubs and online communities comes from a desire for belonging. Reading and enjoying niche media, such as a specific book or author, can feel isolating if no one else in your child’s school or community knows about that media.
While you may feel tempted to swap out your child’s reading materials for something more popular, you should let them find their niche safely. Allow them to read any appropriate book and share about it on their website, on a monitored social media account, or in video calls with people you’ve met. They’ll connect with other people about these niche topics and form a positive community.
Educate Them on Internet Safety
The more comfortable your child gets in their online book club, the more they’ll view the internet as a positive place. We want our children to feel confident when using technology, but that doesn’t mean we can stop educating them.
Important Reminders
As your child continues to update their website, post on social media, or talk in video meetings, continue to educate them. Remind them never to share personal information online, such as their last name or where they go to school. If strangers request access to their book club, explain that you will speak with the new person and verify who they are before potentially admitting them to the group. They should never try to meet someone in person that they’ve connected with online, even if you’ve verified who they are.
Kids can start their own safe online book club in various ways. As long as you help them pick a safe contact style, appropriate reading material, and who they interact with, they can enjoy their virtual connections.
