December 2001     Vol.2 Issue 12

Young Saint Louis.com is basically divided into two parts. First, it is an interesting "local newspaper" with 10 different sections with news, features and photos written about and for young St. Louisans from ages 8 to 13. Second, it is a tool that parents, tutors and teachers can use to help the youngsters become more proficient in reading.

This website is based on the premise that ability to read fluently is one of those essential skills that help determine young people's future success in both their personal lives and careers. It also believes this reading fluency can be encouraged best while using interesting "real life" information about the community in which they live.

The website is a collaboration between A. Edward Heins, a former journalism professor and professional journalist, and Richard W. Burnett, a former professor of literacy education and director of a university reading clinic. Both believe that reading is an educational essential for all young people.

Young Saint Louis.com gives young St. Louisans up-to-date information about their community while the timely, interesting material provides a basis for adults to assist children achieve greater fluency in reading. The lesson plans accompanying most of the news and feature stories will be valuable help to adults who are helping children with reading problems catch up with their classmates in fluent reading.

Content of this website will be changed completely each month, thus creating a special electronic "local newspaper for St. Louisans" specifically targeted to local children. The website is available via the Internet for pickup on computers in schools, individual homes or in tutoring locations.

The website not only includes different sections of the "newspaper" but each section has four different layers. The first layer is the news story or feature for kids. A second layer strips out the photos, illustration and color from the first layer to make it easier and quicker to print out the material, regardless of the age of your computer.

A third layer includes information for adults, including a specially designed reading lesson plan they can use to help kids learn to read more fluently. This layer also may include additional information adults might want concerning the kids' news stories.

For instance, we include on the third layer book reviews that are different than those on the kids' layer. These reviews reflect an adult perspective, while the kids' reviews are written from a young perspective.

The fourth layer again strips out any color, photos and illustrations from the adult layer to facilitate quicker printing.

Whenever possible, the stories and explanations have links with other websites that have additional information on the story subjects. We have been accepted as a Borders.com Associate, which means you can click over directly to that Internet bookseller and buy books you may have read about on our website.

We have--and expect to add more--direct links to area libraries to encourage both kids and adults to extend their book and periodical reading.

In the Your Turn section, we have included ways the audience can talk with the editors of Young Saint Louis.com to ask questions, suggest stories and write letters to the editor

The Past Stories section includes the archives of past issues. This gives new viewers access to past articles and features whose content remains timely, whenever it is read. You also can easily find past articles that might be recommended to you by others.

We plan to keep Young Saint Louis.com lively and informative as well as valuable as a new reading experience. We look forward to having you--the readers--help us with ideas of different ways to look at our community and different ways to learn for the future.