Scratch (scratch.mit.edu), is a free computer program from MIT’s Lifelong Kindergarten Group that’s changing the landscape of how young people learn programming, engage in media-based project creation, and develop 21st-century literacy skills.
Today’s young readers are experiencing reading and books as more than a one-dimensional printed medium. The growing popularity of books with cross-over components (39 Clues Series, Skeleton Creek, The Softwire Series just to name a few), as well as the proliferation of fan fiction sites, fan forums, and eBooks, are only the beginning. People raised with technology integrated into all aspects of their lives see no disconnect with enjoying a story in multi-leveled, multi-faceted media.
In the May 2009 issue of School Library Journal, Jennifer Nelson highlights Scratch from MIT (Celebrating Scratch in Libraries). Nelson’s telling of her son’s use of Scratch in his reading assignments and what he developed using the tool after reading Ender’s Game highlight many innovative and integrative ways teachers and librarians could ignite students, particularly boys, into a whole new way to explore books.