MANILA, Philippines – Most, if not all, people know that Scholastic is one of the most well-known and well-loved names when it comes to books. Here in Manila, book-lovers (or should I say “book-hoarders”) like me eagerly anticipate Scholastic’s warehouse sales, because we know that we will find great bargains there.
More than being “just” a publisher and distributor of books though, Scholastic is also dedicated to helping educators and parents alike build a nation of readers and problem-solvers. This was emphasized at the Scholastic Readers Cup 2015 held last August.
Scholastic Readers Cup 2015
Fritzie Salem-Cruz, General Manager of Scholastic in the Philippines, gives more informationabout the Readers Cup:
“Our teachers, librarians, principals and school administrators are doing a fine job at helping us raise a nation of readers, and we should all be grateful to them. The Scholastic Readers Cup is just one way of giving recognition to these noble educators. They are the real heroes in our quest for a more globally competitive Philippines. We hope to continue this tradition every year. By shining the spotlight on these individuals and institutions, we hope to inspire other educators to raise more and better readers and good learners too.”
The competition ran from February 2014 to April of this year, and the winners were chosen among educational institutions that participated in Scholastic’s Assessment and Enrichment Program (AEP) and Independent Reading Program (IRP). The aforementioned are literacy programs that were extremely helpful in producing significant improvements in students’ reading abilities.
Frank Wong, president of Scholastic Asia, speaking at the Scholastic Readers Cup 2015
Listed below are the educational institutions that were awarded this year:
- OSJ - Sto. Rosario Academy
- OSJ - Holy Family Academy
- St. Thomas Academy
- Dr. Yanga's Colleges Inc.
- St. Paul College, Balayan
- Iloilo Scholastic Academy
- OSJ - Saint Joseph Institute
- Saint Mary's Angels College of Valenzuela
- OSJ - Saint James Academy
- OSJ - Joseph Marello Institute
- Sta. Teresa College
- Notre Dame of Greater Manila
- MGC New Life Academy
- Falcon School
Launch of Scholastic’s new programs
At the same event, Scholastic also launched three of their latest programs, namely the Scholastic Literacy Pro and Scholastic Literacy Pro Library and PR1ME Mathematics.
Here are some information on these programs, which are all aligned with Scholastic’s goal of creating a generation of successful readers and efficient problem-solvers:
Scholastic Literacy Pro
According to Scholastic Asia, Scholastic Literacy Pro is “an online monitoring program which provides teachers with accurate and timely reports on their students' progress and performance, giving them research-based insights to make informed teaching and learning decisions. It promotes the student's growth in reading by developing an individualized reading plan, with corresponding teacher reports.”
This means teachers can assess their students’ reading progress, allowing them to determine whether each student is reading at, above, or below grade level using the Lexile Framework, which Scholastic originally developed for Singapore schools. Teachers can also help provide students with the right books using the Lexile Framework.
Scholastic Literacy Pro Library
This is an e-book library that gives readers of different proficiency levels unlimited access to more than 650 fiction and nonfiction e-books. 150 new titles are added every three months, complete with LitPro quizzes for each title.
Younger readers’ pronunciation and listening comprehension can be improved via the library’s word-by-word read aloud feature, while readers who need help with difficult words will find the glossary feature helpful.
An audio recorder also allows students to practice fluency, while a note pad promotes writing skills. Students can also get instant feedback from their teachers through the audio recorder. The best part is that students can access this unique library anywhere — as long as they have Internet access.
PR1ME Mathematics
This world-class program is based on the teaching and learning practices of Singapore, Republic of Korea, and Hong Kong, all of which are “pedadogical in approach and instructional in design.”
The program focuses on teaching through problem solving; developing a higher order of thinking; and incorporating professional learning into the curriculum framework. It is an effective, measurable, and diagnostic program that uses technology to deliver instructional content, via its interactive edition.
Image from the Scholastic Asia Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ScholasticAsia)
As a parent and teacher to my children (since we’re currently a homeschooling family), I consider Scholastic as a prime ally in our children’s education — and my own education, too. This is not just because of their quality programs and books, but more importantly because of their vision and commitment to “open a world of possible” and to help people discover the pleasure and power of reading.
Hopefully, with the help of Scholastic, more and more people — not just parents, educators and students — can be successful learners by discovering the value of both reading and problem solving, both of which are essential skills in our world today.
For more information on Scholastic products and programs, email educteam@scholastic.com.ph, you may also contact (02) 944READ (7323) or visit http://scholastic.asia/en today.