K–12 educators can prepare for heading back to school with these new Scholastic Professional books

Scholastic has released three new professional titles with a focus on reading, family and community engagement, and writing that educators can use to prepare for returning to school this fall. The new Scholastic Professional titles have been authored by a host of leading education experts including Stephanie Harvey, Annie Ward, Dr. Karen L. Mapp, and Ralph Fletcher and offer educators a range of support to help all of their students reach their full potential and meet their diverse needs.

These books, which promote Scholastic Education’s commitment to a high-quality, core literacy curriculum, include: From Striving to Thriving: How to Grow Confident, Capable Readers by Stephanie Harvey and Annie Ward, Powerful Partnerships: A Teacher’s Guide to Engaging Families for Student Success by Dr. Karen L. Mapp, Ilene Carver, and Jessica Lander, and The Writing Teacher’s Companion: Embracing Choice, Voice, Purpose & Play by Ralph Fletcher.

Available September 2017 with pre-orders open now, From Striving to Thriving: How to Grow Confident, Capable Readers by Stephanie Harvey and Annie Ward, offers K–8 educators methods for using detailed, formative assessments to tailor personalized instruction and support striving students in finding books that they love so that they can become thriving readers.

Powerful Partnerships: A Teacher’s Guide to Engaging Families for Student Successby Dr.Karen L. Mapp, Ilene Carver, and Jessica Lander is a guide focused on family engagement that urges K–12 educators to evaluate their own core values and develop the mindset for creating meaningful and trusting relationships with families to support student learning. This title is available now.

Also available now,The Writing Teacher’s Companion: Embracing Choice, Voice, Purpose & Play by Ralph Fletcher, is a practical guidebook for both new and veteran K–8 educators that outlines methods for creating, launching, and sustaining an effective writer's workshop that helps students become strong and passionate writers.

Together, the new books address ways to helps student and their families engage in meaningful learning year-round. You can learn more about these new Scholastic Professional books here.

"Goodbye" from our summer interns

Our 2017 summer interns, Alison Bonaviso and Mitchell Axelson, share their final thoughts about their experience working at Scholastic. We thank them for their amazing dedication and hard work.

Working at Scholastic is an experience of a lifetime. Sadly, today is our last day at the office, but we have had the best time working here! We wanted to share our top three favorite things about our summer internships. There were so many fun experiences and it was rather difficult to narrow it down. Thank you, readers, for letting us share our thoughts and ideas about the power and joy of reading for fun.

Alison’s final thoughts:

  1. As a kid, I loved books from Scholastic. As an adult working at the “home” of iconic books and characters this summer, I have rediscoved my love of reading. The Scholastic offices are filled with books from top to bottom. I even received a signed copy of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, as well as a new book set of The Hunger Games series. They are both sitting very pretty on my bookshelf at home. In addition, my co-workers also provided me the best book recommendations and I have been reading nonstop all summer! No “summer slide” for this college kid.
  2. Speaking of co-workers, the Corporate Communications team here is amazing! As an intern, one could have expected to do stereotypical intern duties like getting coffee and making copies, but not here! The team had us doing real, meaningful work that really made a difference and helped us grow as communications professionals.  We worked on the 2017 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge and got to see its impact on kids nationwide through social media and local events. The team treated us like colleagues and it is an experience I will be forever grateful for as I grow in my career.
  3. As a communications major at school, having an experience like this internship gave me an inside and practical look at the media industry. In the classroom you learn how and why media professionals execute business plans, but an internship offers you the chance to apply what you learned into the real world. It was a valuable experience to learn tips and tricks of the media industry and I will carry these lessons with me throughout my career.

Mitch’s final thoughts:

  1. One of the most exciting days in the office was when a group of students from China came to visit Scholastic. Our Corporate Communications team planned a special day of activities for them to enjoy during their visit to New York City. With the help of the team at KLUTZ, our team set up different activity stations. Setting up these crafts brought me back to my childhood making paper airplanes and friendship bracelets. The kids also got a chance to take a tour of the Scholastic archives and had a chance to meet Clifford the Big Red Dog. It was nice to see firsthand how excited the kids were for their “day at Scholastic.” It reminded me how impactful the company really is for children worldwide.
  2. This summer, Alison and I were able to take a tour of the Scholastic archives. It was amazing to be in one place with all of the work Scholastic has been involved with since the 1920s. We were able to see the first book published by Scholastic and how the company has evolved. As we searched through the archives, we learned that Scholastic is so much more than just books. It includes Classroom Magazines, educational activities, professional development guides for educators and so much more.
  3. One of the projects I spent the most time with was the Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip. It was a fun opportunity to with engage local communities about the importance of summer reading. Seeing the great responses to the events on social media always motivated me to keep working hard to ensure as many kids as possible would find out when the RV was making a stop near them.  

If it were not for this internship, we might have never met each other or become friends. We had the best time this summer. Thank you, Scholastic, for making this an excellent professional – as well as personal - experience.

Back to school tips to keep kids reading for fun: Insight from the Kids & Family Reading Report

Kids are getting ready to go back to school and we want to remind parents, caregivers and family members to keep kids "reading ready" throughout the year.

The latest research from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report: 6th Edition shows that the majority of kids ages 6–17 agree “it is very important for their future to be a good reader” and about six in ten kids love or like reading books for fun, BUT only 32% of children are frequent readers (kids who read for fun 5-7 days a week) and one in four kids (24%) are infrequent readers (kids who read for fun less than one day a week).

 

 

Research across the board shows daily independent reading can help children develop vocabulary, comprehension skills and stamina – all critical skills for school success. As families balance homework, activities, meetings and play dates, families more than ever need easy, actionable tips and resources to make reading for fun at home a priority.

Never fear! We have some helpful "back to school reading resolutions" to ensure families read every day at home once school begins.

  1. Ask your kid’s new teacher at back-to-school night for a list of books to read for fun at home, as kids say their teacher is a top resource for book ideas.
  2. Keep books in the home for independent reading time all year. Frequent readers have twice the amount of books in the home in comparison to infrequent readers. 
  3. Read aloud at home – and keep it going beyond ages 5 and 8, as 66% of kids ages 6–11 say that “reading together is fun” and 72% of kids say “it is a special time together.”
  4. Talk to your local public librarian or school librarian for book suggestions. They are a year-round resource for great book ideas for families.
  5. Look for children’s books that feature characters that are “smart, brave or strong” and who “face a challenge and overcome it.” Kids need to connect with stories and characters in order for them to associate reading as an enjoyable activity.

And don't forget to let children choose their books to read for fun. 9 in 10 kids say their favorite book is the one they picked out themselves. 

To learn more about the state of kids and reading in the U.S., visit scholastic.com/readingreport on the latest findings from our nationally representative survey of parents and kids.

We asked to see your reading adventures, here's what happened

In support of the Summer Reading Challenge, we held a “Show us your reading adventure” sweepstakes that ran throughout July. For four weeks, entries came flooding in and we gave a total of eight lucky winners an awesome reading prize pack! And, in the process, we saw some AMAZING photos of kids doing what we love best — reading! It was so great to see kids and families all across the country taking reading adventures together. Whether it was reading on their favorite pool float, atop a rock in the mountains, or in a tent in their backyard — kids found fun and creative ways to get their summer reading on.

Although this sweepstakes is over, the summer (luckily), is not. So grab a few of your favorite books, think about where you’d like to go, and take a reading adventure!

Check out some of the great entries we received over the last few weeks: 

 

 

Summer is a great time to READ in a tree!. . . #climbatree #readanywhere #charlottesweb #summerreading #readingadventure #sweepstakes 

A post shared by Family.Coffee.Country Life❤️️ (@liliumlaughs) on Jul 20, 2017 at 8:53am PDT

 

A post shared by Alicia Vara (@aliciavara77) on

 

 

A post shared by Sarah Bartlett (@sarahbartlett) on

 

#readingadventure #summerreading #sweepstakes #scholastic #treehouse #bookworm

A post shared by rissasmum (@rissasmum) on

#WeHaveDiverseBooks: Discover This is Just a Test by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang

#WeHaveDiverseBooks: Discover is a spotlight on OOM dedicated to connecting readers with books written by distinct voices. We’ll take a look at the books that we can’t stop talking about— books that make us laugh and cry and think and feel, and see our world in new and interesting ways. Come join the conversation!

When long-time friends and critique partners Rosenberg and Shang began writing together, they drew from their own Jewish and Chinese backgrounds, and, “figured out just how much dumplings and kreplach had in common.” From the comical bickering of family to the realistic tension between friends, This Is Just a Test offers a nuanced look at what it feels like to be caught between opposing cultural and social pressures with wit, humor, and a lot of heart. And the impending threat of nuclear annihilation only adds to the tension the protagonist David, experiences as he tries to figure out who he wants to be in this world, and how he’ll ever survive it.

Stuck in the middle. That’s how seventh-grader David Da-Wei Horowitz feels in Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang’s hilarious and heartwarming new novel This Is Just a Test (Scholastic Press, Ages 8-12). It’s 1983, and though David’s country might be on the brink of nuclear war with Russia, battles closer to home are causing him the most stress. His Chinese grandmother and his Jewish grandmother argue about everything from whether Peking duck belongs on the family’s Thanksgiving Day menu to the wording on the invitations to David’s bar mitzvah. But they fight so politely that sometimes David thinks he’s the only one who realizes how they really feel about each other. David’s friends, on the other hand, are way more obvious. Scott can’t stand Hector, and he’s never shy about letting David know it. In fact, Scott wants David to help him dig a fallout shelter—in case the world goes up in smoke—but Hector isn’t invited. David just wants everyone to get along. If they could, he might be able to concentrate on his bar mitzvah speech, winning the upcoming trivia tournament, and talking to Kelli Ann Majors without getting nervous.

 

What was better, the book or the movie?

It’s a great debate of our time. What was better, the book or the movie?

With almost every movie adaptation of a great book, this question comes into play. I’m a firm believer in the value of reading the book before seeing the movie, but once in a while, I accidently do the opposite and enjoy the movie before the book. There are a number of beloved books becoming movies soon, so as you add to your summer reading book list and prep for any last minute beach trips, you might want to check out some of these titles coming to theatres!

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Staring Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams, the movie adaptation of this book is due out in theatres on October 20, 2017. You can view the movie teaser online here.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

This memoir details the life of the author and her siblings who grew up in a dysfunctional family that continually moved around the western United States. Walls describes the many amazing events she endured while growing up and her eventual decision to move to New York City.  

The film, staring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson and Max Greenfield, is due out August 11, 2017. You can view the trailer online here.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Meg Murray, her little brother Charles Wallace and their mother are having a midnight snack on a dark and stormy night when an unearthly stranger appears at their door. He claims to have been blown off course, and goes on to tell them that there is such a thing as a "tesseract," which, if you didn't know, is a wrinkle in time. Meg's father had been experimenting with time-travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father?

The movie, due out March 9, 2018, will star Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling and Chris Pine. 

Introducing Scholastic Teachables: A new online database of teaching resources (giveaway!)

We’re excited to introduce you to the new Scholastic Teachables—a rich online database of teaching resources from Scholastic for every subject, grades Pre-K–6. Previously known as “Printables,” the revamped website features printables, lessons, mini-books and more to help educators plan for the new school year—it’s the smart teacher’s secret weapon!

Browse the new and improved Scholastic Teachables planning site to explore:

  • Improved, easy-to-use search functionality
  • Mobile responsive site—browse from all of your devices!
  • Updated design and organization, including My File Cabinet, which allows you to access your saved resources from any computer or tablet
  • Thousands of curated resources for every grade, subject, and skill level

To learn more about Scholastic Teachables, visit: https://teachables.scholastic.com.

*GIVEAWAY* 

UPDATE: This contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone for participating!

To celebrate this launch, were giving away ONE Annual Gold Teachables subscription! To enter, tell us in the comments below how you plan to creatively use Scholastic Teachables in your classroom in the new school year.

One entry per person. All entries must be submitted by 5 PM ET on Friday, August 11, 2017. Open to U.S. residents, 18 and over. See the complete legal rules here.

The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge: 3 months down!

It's officially week 13 of the 2017 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge! That means there's only a little over one month left to go. (Times does fly!) Let's take a look back at all the fun that's happened this July!

  • As of this writing (10:52 am ET), kids have logged 89,655,716 reading minutes!
  • The Summer Reading Road Trip wrapped up its travels across the country! Thank you to everyone that stopped by for another amazing year of pop-up reading celebrations! Below, you can check out some social media highlights from some of the stops the RV made at the end of the tour. (Be sure to check back later this week for a FULL recap of just the Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip!)
  • Our Show Us Your Reading Adventure sweepstakes has come to an end! We randomly selected a pair of winners each week in July - one from Instagram, one from Twitter - featuring people that showed us how they were taking a reading adventure through books this summer! Check out some of the winners below.
  • On National Summer Learning Day (July 13), New England Patriot (and soon-to-be Scholastic author!) Malcolm Mitchell shared a tweet promoting the Summer Reading Challenge!

If your child hasn't joined the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge yet, there's still time! Just go to scholastic.com/summer to get started. (Psst... mark your calendars for next Tuesday, August 8! If your child or students haven't logged their minutes for the summer yet, we'll be making a very special announcement that you won't want to miss!)

World Ranger Day: Protecting endangered pangolins

Have you ever heard of a pangolin?

These unique mammals—often called “scaly anteaters”—can be found near woodlands and savannas in Africa and Asia and are easily recognizable for their impressively scaly exterior and ability to completely roll into a ball for self-defense.

Sadly, the pangolin population is critically endangered. As the world’s most trafficked mammals, pangolins are often hunted for their meat and scales, which are considered a delicacy and used in some traditional medicines. As of 2016, all international trade of pangolins was banned, but illegal poachers are still at large.

In recognition of these endangered creatures, Scholastic News magazine teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for World Ranger Day to thank the dedicated wildlife rangers who work hard on a daily basis to protect pangolins. Hundreds of students from across the country drew pictures and wrote sincere letters to the WWF, letting these rangers know how much they appreciate them and their conservation efforts.

Check out some of the awesome drawings and letters that our readers mailed in, below, and don’t miss the full Scholastic News article “Pangolins in Danger!”

 

To learn more about Scholastic Classroom Magazines, visit: http://classroommagazines.scholastic.com. 

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