Teach Middle East Magazine Jan-Feb 2016 Issue 3 Volume 3 | Page 15

Scholastic Scholastic Enthusiastically Supports the Year of Reading "Reading opens minds, promotes tolerance, openness and communication, and prepares an educated, informed and openminded people, veering them away from extremism and impenetrability.” – President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan S cholastic, the largest publisher and distributor of children’s books in the world, is excited to support the Year of Reading and goal of creating a new generation of book lovers, critical thinkers and lifelong learners in the United Arab Emirates. Scholastic believes that reading is the key to intellectual and personal growth, leading to a productive and successful life. With almost 100 years of experience delivering high-quality books and educational resources, Scholastic is ready to partner with you to open a world of possibility for the next generation in the United Arab Emirates. What do we know? Research has proven that a key factor to maximize reading achievement is to ensure that children read books that match their ability level. When books are too easy, they risk becoming bored and miss opportunities to learn new vocabulary. The opposite is true, when material is too difficult – they may become frustrated and avoid reading altogether. However, when children read books that provide the right balance of comfort and challenge they learn new skills at the ideal pace for their level, engage with the material and are motivated to spend more time reading. As a result, they are continually improving their comprehension, critical thinking and communication skills. What’s next? Educators face several needs: accurately measuring reading levels; providing appropriate, quality books for a range of abilities and interests; and differentiating instruction with effective teaching materials. Scholastic has the ability to provide customized reading solutions to address these needs and support the Year of Reading, beginning with two programs: Scholastic Guided Reading Programs deliver high-quality leveled texts and research-based instruction to help all students become strategic and successful readers. Authored by world-renowned education experts Dr. Irene Fountas and Dr. Gay Su Pinnell, it develops the next generation of students by: 3. Matching students to the right books with automaticallygenerated, customized reading lists for their specific ability and interests 5. Seamlessly integrating differentiated small–group instruction and independent practice into your classroom 6. Providing detailed, step-bystep teaching guides and implementation resources to support instruction 7. Building a library of leveled books to reach advanced, on-level and struggling students We invite you to visit www.scholastic. com or contact the Scholastic Middle East office to learn about these programs and our range of resources to support the Year of Reading. Our Dubai-based team has 25+ years of combined experience responding to education needs across the Middle East and look forward to partnering with you. 4. Motivating them to read with a builtin incentive program and hun