In 2018, Kentucky’s Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) implemented Scholastic R.E.A.L., a program developed by Scholastic Education Solutions, to prioritize literacy as a key pillar of its students’ success and to create stronger readers.
Over the course of four years, the district has watched students, teachers, and volunteers flourish within the program, with many expressing that their love for reading has only expanded. Recently, Scholastic visited Mary Todd Elementary to see the program in action. During the visit, Scholastic was able to capture on film the volunteers’ testimonies and highlight how the reading small groups have impacted the kids’ literacy journeys.
These clips will be shared in a new promotional video, expected to debut in August, which will help launch the Scholastic R.E.A.L. refresh. This initiative will include new family guides, as well as a 75% overhaul of culturally responsive new books to increase the diversity of texts available.
Christian Adair, District R.E.A.L. Equity Specialist and Advocate relates:
“This program is a game changer for us. Every child needs a mentor and something meaningful happens when volunteers from our community share their love for reading. We partner with Scholastic R.E.A.L as a vehicle to get more mentors in schools."
Scholastic R.E.A.L. is a literacy-based mentoring program that gives school districts and community-based organizations the tools they need to recruit and equip mentors—caring individuals from the community—to be reading champions. Utilizing high-quality, diverse books and companion guides (for mentors, students, and families), mentors read aloud in classrooms and discuss books with children.
Scholastic is proud to feature FCPS and its dedication to maximizing community partnerships. FCPS’s goal to create and improve educational equity will allow its students to experience an engaged support system from their community and grow their home libraries. This is the foundation of the Scholastic R.E.A.L. program: strengthening real world application from inside the classroom and providing a positive environment for kids to be curious and engage in new stories.
To learn more about these programs, follow @ScholasticEd on Twitter and visit the Scholastic Education Solutions homepage!
