ReaderZone on Reddit

What does Reddit have to say about Reading Programs and Reader Zone?  Find out below.

It’s a funny thing.  With so much content flooding web-based platforms, especially Reddit, our customers might have a bit of trouble sorting out what Reader Zone is and for whom it’s intended.

Reader Zone is a rare software tool that has a single purpose. We help schools and libraries build and host reading programs.  That’s all we do. Building a software platform is an interesting endeavour. You begin with a problem that you’d like to solve–build a tool that addresses it and then release it to the people you’d like to help.

Then, like magic, people begin using it and the temptation to begin adding features beyond the original scope and intent of the initial idea.

At Reader Zone, we’re acutely aware that we can add features to the system ad nauseum. But, we resist!  We stay focused on the original problem we want to solve: Give schools and libraries a way to build reading programs for patrons and students that fit their individual readers.

When we built Reader Zone, we had one goal:  Help teachers and librarians engage more readers into classroom and library reading programs.  When more reading happens, reading programs come to life and opportunities for more engagement with readers becomes available.
We broke this primary goal of more engagement in reading programs into two separate objectives:  

1. Allow teachers and librarians to build any type of reading program on the Reader Zone dashboard in less than 10 minutes.
   
   We know that building reading programs should not be complicated. It should be fast and easy.  After a reading program is made, it should be easy to edit and update according to the changing needs of a given reading group.
   
   
2. Allow readers to create a new Reader Zone account in less than 2 minutes. After an account is made, a given reading entry should be made in eight seconds or less.
   
   Today’s families don’t want to handle a paper reading log and they will not bother with a cumbersome app to participate in a school or library reading program.  If a school or library asks students or patrons to enroll in a reading program and they want them to actually participate. It should be simple and quick.
   
   We want people to access the Reader Zone mobile app, log their reading in about eight seconds, admire their progress and feel great about their positive reading habit–then, come back tomorrow and do it again.

If you do visit Reddit, you might see articles and posts relating to summer reading, classroom reading logs and how teachers and libraries struggle to keep students and patrons engaged in reading programs.  

There is a lot of frustration with trying to engage families into reading programs. Our experience is that people want to participate in reading programs.  However, if they run into any friction or difficulty with making reading entries and feeling validated for their reading efforts, they will stop.

That’s where we come in. Reader Zone has the tools and features teachers libraries need to easily enroll students and patrons in reading programs. Then, more importantly, keep them engaged and logging reading to the end.

Any teacher or librarian can create a free  Reader Zone account, build programs and test it as much as they’d like.  Once they feel comfortable with how it all works, those same programs can be used to engage their readers.

We love reading and reading programs.  When we see a school or library use Reader Zone well, a durable culture of reading is developed and it’s very gratifying for all involved to see and experience success.

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